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About Bassets
History: Some say that the Basset Hound came from France. Others believe that Belgium was the original home. In either case, breeders were attempting to get a dog that would be a good tracker, or scent hound, with short legs. Women, who usually rode side saddle, could then join the hunt and keep up with the dogs.
Bassets have noses second only to the Blood Hound. Their short legs keep them moving slowly enough when they are tracking that even someone on foot is able to keep up with them.
The Basset breed was first recognized by kennel clubs in the United States and Britain in the mid 1800's. The first Basset Hound Club of America was started around 1935 to help promote the dogs as gentle companions and to promote how reliable and steady they are in the field. Field trials soon followed in 1937.
Characteristics: When someone sees one of my dogs for the first time he or she will usually first comment on either their eyes or their ears. Bassets eyes are soft and soulful. Usually the comment is, "They look so sad." I then remind them to look at the other end of the dog, where the tail is almost always wagging.
Bassets' ears are long and low set, meaning far back on their heads - almost on their necks. They feel like velvet and are long enough to cover the dog's nose when drawn forward. The length of the ears is important because when the dog is tracking they should drag on the ground, lifting the scent to the dog's nose and making it easier for the dog to follow the track.
A Basset's head is round with a distinct occipital protrubance. The length from the dog's nose to its eyes, or the "stop", is about the same as the distance from the stop to the occiput. The muzzle is deep and heavy; the nose is normally dark with wide open nostrils. The lips are also dark and hang squarely in the front and loosely in the back. The neck is strong and powerful.
The dog's shoulders are powerful and should be well proportioned to the dog's rear. The back should be straight and the chest deep and full.
The front feet of a Basset are huge. (Our youngest puppy, Roger, has foot prints like a wolf, only his are closer together due to his short legs!) The front legs are short and powerful with wrinkled skin. The rear legs should be parallel with feet pointing straight ahead. The rear end is well rounded. My friend, Jill, describes this as an "apple butt".
The Bassets' skin should be loose and elastic to help protect the dogs from the brush and undergrowth they go through when they are hunting. Their coats should be thick enough to keep them warm in the winter. It should be hard, smooth, and short. Any "hound color" is acceptable. We have tri-colored - black, brown, and white - and bi-colored - red and white and now black and tan.
I should also mention that the ticking, which looks like freckles, doesn't show up on young puppies but develops as the dog gets older. Bassets' tails should not be docked but should be carried high to make them easier to see in the field.
If you are looking for a small dog, a Basset is not for you. While they are only 14-15 inches high, they are big dogs on short legs. Males' weights can range from 50-75 pounds. Females weigh between 45-50 pounds.
Housetraining: While many people have indicated that this is a challenge with Bassets, it's not something that we have had much difficulty with. All of our dogs do come in our house and all are house trained. In fact, our dogs will not make a mess even in their kennel - I call their barn - when they are outside.
When we bring a new puppy home, we take it outside everytime that it wakes up. We take it to where the other dogs have already eliminated and the puppy seems to catch on quite quickly.
Sometimes it takes a few accidents for us to recognize how the puppy asks to go outside. As we are going to and out the door, I talk to the puppy asking it if it wants to go outdoors and it soon learns to recognize the word "outdoors."
We do crate train our dogs. This helps the young animals know that they have a safe, secure place that is theirs. When I want them to go into their crate for the night or if we need to leave them in the house alone for some reason I take the puppy to the crate, toss a small treat inside, and give the command "load."
Bassets are very smart dogs and learn rapidly that this is a comfortable, safe place for them to be. Sometimes even our older dogs will chose to sleep in their crates at night though we allow them to sleep on rugs and/or blankets on the floor if they chose to do so. (Some prefer the couch.) The command "load" is also very useful when getting the dogs into their travel coach or the Jeep when we want to take them somewhere with us.
We've not taught our dogs many tricks. That just isn't important to us. However, as I mentioned before, Bassets are very smart dogs. I think that they could be taught almost anything if the person is patient and consistent.
I have taught the "houndies" to all walk together on leashes. Yes, all five. However, we don't take them for long walks on leashes because we want them to be confident enough to leave our sides when we take them in the woods. We use leashes to go from the house to the "barn" and back and to the travel coach or into the woods for one of the "hunts". Of course, I keep them on leashes when in a park, wayside, or when I take them someplace like the nursing home. Otherwise our dogs are usually penned.
Care: Of course, Bassets need a balanced diet to be healthy, just as people do. Puppies need to eat more often than adult dogs. Fresh water always needs to be available to them. Your veterinarian is the best source of information about feeding your dog.
Bassets are always ready for some good exercise. However, if their owners are more interested in sitting on the couch watching TV, they are OK with that as well. They enjoy healthy chewy toys which are also good for helping to keep their teeth clean.
Bassets are normally very social animals and enjoy going everywhere with their owners. It is important to expose your puppy to various situations so that as he/she grows he/she continues to be comfortable with different situations. Bassets are usually real crowd pleasers and enjoy the attention that they receive.
Bassets do need their toe nails clipped and to be brushed regularly. However, if brushed regularly they need only a few baths per year, unless they get into something stinky. I've found that if our dogs get dirty wiping them with UNSCENTED baby wipes cleans them well and leaves their coats shiney. I also use the UNSCENTED baby wipes to clean their ears which do become quite dirty from touching the ground, dragging in food dishes, and ear wax.
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