The wonderfully cute, short-legged, droopy-faced Basset Hound! This adorable breed just melts your heart with their goofy demeanour, but don’t underestimate them! This breed is as hard-working as they come and always determined to follow their nose!
With their amazing sense of smell, it’s no wonder the Basset Hound was bred to be a hunting dog. Some people believe Basset Hounds were actually created from ‘dwarf’ dogs of other hunting breeds such as Bloodhounds. The shorter pups were bred for many years to eventually give us what we recognise today as the Basset Hound. The breed was taught to hunt in both packs as well as alone so they easily get along with other new dogs and very rarely show signs of dog aggression. Having such short legs does make them a bit slower than most dogs, which is perfect for their masters who are hunting on foot as they are more likely to catch up to the dog when they are on a scent.
Basset Hounds are still a popular companion choice for hunters today. Their sense of smell is a very close second to the Bloodhound.
Not only for avid hunters anymore, this breed makes a wonderful companion and family dog. They are typically extremely friendly dogs that love life and love everyone! The Basset Hound absolutely loves to play, but be careful with this breed at off leash dog parks! Their great sense of smell will often have them forgetting about the rest of the world (including you calling them to come back!). Recall is definitely something you will have to train and manage throughout your Basset Hounds life. It is a great idea to teach them games that use their brain and sense of smell such as ‘search and rescue’.
If you are considering bringing a Basset Hound into your family, keep in mind that being a natural hunter, they will make you aware of every single squirrel on your walk! Sometimes they will alert you with that big bellowing howl (which they do not always limit to outdoors). Basset Hounds like to be couch potatoes when they aren’t chasing down a scent, so make sure to include enough daily exercise as they will easily become overweight (also very food motivated!). Just as with other short-legged breeds, make sure they aren’t jumping or doing too many stairs as this can put a lot of strain on their joints and back, causing future health problems.
The Basset Hound is a great breed for individuals or families. They easily adapt to many different lifestyles. They have a true love for life and will surely make their owners lives brighter too.
