Basset Hound Information: Meet This Beautiful Breed What Makes This Breed so Unique

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Is This Basset Hound Good For You?

  • 1 Basset Hounds tend to be gentle, loyal, and devoted to their owners.
  • 2 They are best in homes without other pets.
  • 3 A Bassett Hound is not particularly active and will not require an exceptional amount of attention.

HISTORY

The origin of the Basset Hound can be traced to 6th century France. The name has been derived from the French word “bas”, meaning low. Believed to have been descended from the famed St. Hubert hounds, the Basset Hound is considered to be the most beautiful and unusual of all hound dogs.

Quick Facts

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    Size

    Medium, Large

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    Lifespan

    8 to 12 years

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    Hair Length

    Short

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    Male Height

    12-15 inches

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    Male Weight

    30 to 65 pounds

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    Female Height

    12-15 inches

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    Female Weight

    20 to 55 pounds

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    Litter Size

    8 puppies

Personality

The Basset Hound is a laid back, mild mannered, sweetheart of a hound. They generally make a smooth transition into family life. They may be mild, but that does not mean they are shy. Basset Hounds can be extremely affectionate with the members of their family. Because they are hounds, which are dogs made to sniff things out, should your Basset get a whiff of something interesting, you might have a bit of trouble regaining their attention. Overall, Basset Hounds are a perfect dog for families. .

Color

The colors of the Basset Hound are of any recognized hound color. This can be lemon (white and light buff), red and white, mahogany, black and white, tri-color (white body with brown head and on body with blanket, and some black spotted highlights with or without a blanket), or the Bleu De Gascogne.

Health Concerns

Generally a healthy breed of dog, Basset Hounds are prone to a few hereditary diseases such as:

More on Basset Hounds

Basset Hound: Health Information
Healthy Eating for a Basset Hound
The Best Way to Clean a Basset Hound's Drool
How to Potty Train Basset Hounds
Facts about Basset Hounds

Appearance

Basset Hounds are a rather bulky breed of dog because they possess more bone mass for their size than any other breed. Their large chest and short legs keep them very low to the ground. They have loose skin on their head and big, floppy, velvety soft ears that, because of their stumpy legs, almost brush the ground.

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  • Tammy Meyer

    8/6/2013 3:20:07 PM

    Totally disagree with #2 up there: "They are best in homes without other pets."
    I have owned and fostered probably close to 30 bassets and I have only had 2 that had behavioral issues and one of them did better in a pack of dogs (on a farm) than she did with my couple of dogs.
    Our family bassets have always had at least one dog as a companion and usually a breed other than a basset. Oh yeah, and they LOVE to play with cats!