Basset Hound – a friendly and docile dog

A medium-sized dog, with short legs, intelligent and with a developed sense of smell: Basset Hound. It is part of the large family of hunting dogs, being related to the Artois dogs, brought to Normandy with the aim of developing a dog useful to hunters, resistant and with remarkable olfactory abilities.

Bass means in French “descended, low, close to the ground”. The first mention of a hunting dog in this category appeared in a hunting manual dating back to the 16th century. The work La Venerie, written by Jacques Fouilloux in 1562, includes graphic representations of some dogs similar to the Basset in physical characteristics. Hunting became increasingly popular in France around the century. 17th century, with the appearance of firearms, but horses were only accessible to nobles or high-ranking people because they had a high price. The Basset Hound has therefore proven to be a good companion on hunting trips (rabbits, deer, foxes, pheasants…) for all enthusiasts of this activity.
The Basset Hound has been known in England since the time of William Shakespeare. The great artist gives us a detailed description of this dog in the work A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Therefore, this breed of hunting dog was developed to be a useful aid on hunting trips: it was able to track and smell game very well, but could not move too far away from the hunter due to its short legs. Over time, the Basset Hound became a companion dog, preferred for its physical characteristics and balanced temperament.

Physical characteristics

It is a dog with a massive and solid body, with a compact bony skeleton and thick paws. His body is quite long, open chest and strong neck – this dog has a strong appearance, exudes resistance. The tail is long, thick at the base, slightly curved towards the tip, usually positioned vertically. The head has several unmistakable characteristics, among which we list: the ears are long, oversized, rounded at the base, velvety and the eyes are appropriately large, but with the lower eyelid drooping, leaving the internal tissue exposed. These give it a distinctive look that is fun and adorable at the same time. Their gaze has a certain expressiveness, which suggests docility and sadness at the same time.

From a structural point of view, the body of these dogs develops more slowly, so much so that a Basset reaches maturity around 2 years old. It will have a weight of 23-30 kg and a height of 35-38 cm. The fur of this dog has a smooth and soft texture, being double-layered, with a short to medium length strand. The most common colors are brown, black and white, as well as a combination of these 3.

Personality and temperament

It is a dog suitable for both the house and the apartment, but being a hunting dog it prefers open spaces such as courtyards or terraces. With his family and at home he is calm and relaxed, preferring the company of people, children and other animals. In certain situations he is extremely sociable and curious to explore his surroundings. At the same time, he also needs space to express himself, as he is not a dog with exaggerated attachment tendencies, but rather independent.

Given its origins and hunting context, this dog loves to interact with people and socialize with them. If he is ignored for too long, the Basset Hound has destructive tendencies or barks excessively, so we recommend offering him a playmate so that he doesn’t miss you when he is left alone.

Developed sense of smell

It can be said like this The Basset Hound is the finest smelling dog and this is because it has a complex structure of receptors responsible for olfactory perception. In addition to this, this dog has a larger area of ​​the brain that deals with the management of odor perceptions and is therefore among the top in terms of olfactory sensitivity. The Basset Hound has the ability to detect different olfactory signatures but can choose the one of greatest interest to smell.

Training

It is very important to start training this dog early: it needs important milestones to develop balanced behavioral traits. On the other hand, this approach entails some challenges because the Basset Hound is a dog with an alert temperament, distracted by the environment and independent. Sometimes you may encounter a disinterested or passive attitude, but this is normal for a hunting dog. Furthermore, you will have to adapt the training program to his sensitive and sometimes rebellious personality. Use rewards and appreciation for any successfully completed order.

Treatment

A dog of this type needs a diet program and constant exercise because it has a tendency to accumulate weight. The structure of the body does not allow large or flexible movements, so it is necessary to stimulate it in activities suited to physical abilities.

It will be necessary to pay particular attention to the hygiene of the ears and eyes: since his body is a short distance from the ground, he will need more frequent bathing. Even though this is a short-haired dog, it sheds throughout the year, so a weekly brush will help keep the house clean.

Curiosity

1. The structure of the face, the large and long ears and the folds of the facial skin have a main role, which is to capture the smell so that it can be identified more easily. In addition, the short legs effectively ensure contact with the ground and form “a space to collect odor”. Thus nature has taken care to harmonize these characteristics to maximize certain functions of the body, which facilitate adaptation to the environment.

2. This dog is also gifted with the ability to bark or howl in a special way. Therefore it is important to pay attention to the messages your dog wants to convey to you. Usually, when left alone for too long, he tends to howl for a long time.

3. It is a favorite breed in TV shows, various entertainment shows, and movies.