Basset Hound males weigh between 51 and 64 pounds, while females weigh 44 to 60 pounds. Both males and females should be no taller than fifteen inches at the withers. They are a heavy-boned breed and well-equipped to follow trails through challenging terrains. Basset Hounds hold their nose close to the ground so as to pick up scents more efficiently. Their short and smooth coat, comes in many colors: black and white; black, brown and white; black, tan and white; black, white and brown; black, white and tan; brown, black and white; lemon and white; mahogany and white; red and white; red and white; black and brown; black, red and white; blue and white; blue, tan and white; brown and white; tan and white; white and lemon; white and red; white, black and brown; and white, black and red. There’s basically a color combination for every taste.
If you’ve ever seen a Hush Puppies shoe commercial, you are familiar with the Bassett Hound. This breed is one of six French Basset-type breeds. This short-legged scent hound originated in the sixteenth century. Bred to hunt, Basset Hounds were used to drive small prey from dense areas into the open terrain for hunters. To this day, hunters continue to use Basset Hounds for pack hunting in Europe. These lovely dogs are friendly, outgoing and playful, though not overly active. They have a mild and agreeable temperament that allows them to get along with children and other dogs. They can be vocal and somewhat stubborn but respond well to firm and patient training. As a matter of fact, Basset Hounds have been known to participate in conformation shows, field trials, hunt tests, obedience trials, rally, agility trials, and tracking.
According to The Basset Hound Club of America, Basset Hounds are calm, good-natured, affectionate, sensitive and stubborn. Due to their high pack mentality, they do not do well when left alone for long periods of time. As with most scent hounds, the Basset Hound’s nose can get him into dangerous situations. He may follow a scent straight into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The best outdoor setting for an off-leash Basset Hound is a secured, fenced-in area. The two main health issues of concern in this breed are thrombopathia and glaucoma. Joint issues, lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, and gastric-dilation/volvulus are also of concern in this breed. Life expectancy is about 11 years, though it is recorded that one Basset Hound in the United Kingdom lived to 16.7 years.
For more information on the affectionate and loyal Basset Hound, go to The Basset Hound Club of America.
Christina Potter has spent thirty years training dogs for print ads, websites, motion capture for video games, commercials, and TV shows–live and pre-recorded. She was the animal handler on the TV Special “2014 Hero Dog Awards,” the pilot episode of “The Good Cop,” video short “…And She Was My Eve,” feature films “Funny Games,” “As Good As Dead,” “Our Idiot Brother,” “Second Act,” and “Brittany Runs a Marathon.” She has titled dogs in multiple AKC companion events. She performed trick dog demos during the 142nd Westminster Kennel Club dog show. She is the multiple award-winning author of “Diary of a Dog Star;” “Insider Training;” “Head of the Pack;” “Pepe Learns to Run Again;” and children’s book series “Hudson and Rodney Go to….” She co-authored “Animal Stars.” She is a weekly columnist for the Three Dog Bakery company, as well as a monthly columnist for Woof. She has written many articles for national and international publications. Christina, a member of the Dog Writers Association of America, is a federally-certified court interpreter who holds a BS in Business, a Master’s in Public Administration and a Master’s Degree in Canine Psychology. She and her husband live in N.J. with their dogs: Chester, Pepe, and Rodney.