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Breed Overview
Quick facts
Personality & Training
Physical Characteristics
Females: in
Males: in
Females: lbs
Males: lbs
Call us between 8AM-Midnight EST, every day!
Breed Overview
Females: in
Males: in
Females: lbs
Males: lbs
Breed Overview
Browse All basset hound PuppiesThe word “Basset” comes from the French word “bas”, which means short.
The Basset Hound’s powerful nose is one of the most acute of all breed, second only to the Beagle. The Basset Hound’s large, floppy ears help to bring smells directly to its face, while its dewlap (the loose skin underneath its chin) helps trap them.
The Basset Hound’s short legs keep the dog closer to the scents they're tracking. Bassets can keep their noses on the trail of a scent without having to crane their necks like other dogs, which means increases their overall endurance.
Basset Hounds inspired Droopy, the slow-talking cartoon character from the Looney Toons.
High
Moderate
Females: 12 in
Males: 14 in
Females: 48 lbs
Males: 53 lbs
Bathe as Needed, Wrinkle Care
High
The Basset Hound is easily one of the most recognizable and unique of all hounds. Its magnificent head adorned with long, silky ears and doleful eyes provides the iconic pooch with arguably the most amusing expressions of any breed. Bred to scent track game, the Basset hound is a short-legged scent hound with a sense of smell second only to the Bloodhound.
As a hound and pack dog, Bassets enjoy the company of others, including strangers, children, dogs, and even cats. The Basset Hound's good-natured temperament and pleading gaze provide it with an almost comical appearance and accentuate its often hilarious personality. Bassets are known for being slow and lazy, but these hunting dogs love to walk outside and spend time with their families. Beneath that sleepy expression, Basset Hounds are highly intelligent, independent thinkers.
They are sweet and loyal and love to follow their owners around. As hounds, they have a tendency to bark and howl.
Caring for a Basset Hound is a rewarding, often hilarious experience. Bassets Hounds are considered relatively low maintenance. However, they do possess a number of breed specific characteristics that can make caring for a Basset Hound a challenging experience for first time dog owners.
Like all dogs, Basset Hounds require a nutritious diet, exercise, grooming, training and plenty of attention from their family. Basset Hounds are susceptible to back and spinal issues which can cause pain, bladder and bowel control problems, and even partial paralysis.
Special precautions need to be taken to avoid future spinal issues. It’s best to prevent your Basset Hound from jumping off furniture or climbing stairs. We recommend installing a baby gate or small ramps to allow your Basset Hound access to places where stairs can’t be avoided. It’s also essential that you support your Basset Hounds spine when carrying them and lifting them on to/off of furniture.
Be on the lookout for the symptoms of spinal problems and contact your vet immediately if you notice any changes in activity and energy level, difficulty standing, anxious or nervous behavior and/or loss of bladder and/or bowel control.
Bassets are game hounds, bred to scent track game and signal their handlers once they have found the scent. Therefore, it is very common for Bassets to howl, bark and follow a scent trail wherever it leads. Owners are advised to keep their Basset on a leash when it's not fenced in.