Basset Hound: Temperament, Puppies For Sale, and Price

The origin of this dog breed is disputed between the US and the UK, but actually the Basset Hound was born in France: It is an adorable dog, known by its incredible sense of smell.

Today we are going to talk about a relatively new dog breed; the Basset Hound, a dog without a country of origin or motherland. What do we mean by this? It might sound strange, but this four-legged animal does not have a motherland assigned, although the FCI has stipulated that its origin is from the UK.

In fact, its “paternity” is disputed between the UK and the US, but this dog breed was first seen in France. The Basset Hound comes from French hunting dogs and the Bloodhound: among the Basset’s ancestors there are “dwarf dogs”, with short legs and a “normal” body (these dogs are different from the Dachshund that is entirely small in size, not just its legs). Dwarf dogs and the Basset Hound are medium or large sized with short legs.

Basset Hound: Origins

Among other dogs with this form of dwarfism, ancestors of the Basset Hound, we can mention the Basset of Artois and Basset of Normandy, both known as Norman Artesian Basset. The Basset Hound was a dog crossbred in France, imported to England in the 19th century, and was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1883.

Afterwards, the US discovered this dog they took control over its crossbreed selection, and that is why they say that the Basset Hound is American. Nowadays this dog breed is considered an Anglo-American hybrid, although the last seen standard Basset Hound was from the UK in 1977.

Basset Hound: Physical Characteristics

Now that we talked about its origins, we can discuss this dog breed’s main physical characteristics: its prerogative is its extraordinary sense of smell; this ability was used by hunters to find foxes, hares and pheasants in their hiding places.

As we mentioned before, besides its short height, the Basset is also famous for its long ears, an amazing physical feature that allows it to sense and perceive different stimuli and movements.

Its height can be between 13 to 15 inches (33 to 38 cm), but it can weigh over 65 lb (30 kg), this is due to its enormous bone structure. It has a long and thin muzzle that ends in a completely black nose; with the exception of the light colored Bassets that can have a brown or reddish colored nose.

Like we previously said, a Basset’s main characteristic is its ears that, apart from being long, are soft and delicate. Its eyes are brown with a naive expression, and its coat is short and smooth.

The Basset Hound can have variety of colors, the accepted ones are:

• Tricolored (black, red and white),
• White and brown,
• Creamy white,
• Black and brown,
• White and Black,
• Red and white.

By the end of the 19th Century, the Basset Hounds were unknown in England; and during the first Dog Show that took place in France in 1863, englishmen were very surprised to see this unfamiliar dog breed. Since then, they started to introduce Bassets to their country.

Basset Hound: Temperament

In terms of temperament, we can say the Basset is extremely calm and patient. It is an affectionate dog that loves to play with all the members of the family, especially with children. The Basset Hound was once a great hunting dog, but today it is considered the perfect companion dog.

However it is a tenacious and stubborn animal, if an idea is in its head, you would not change its mind. But also we must acknowledge that it is a devoted dog that forms a strong bond with its owner. It is an excellent companion that loves long walks or staying on the couch with its human friend.

The Basset loves children and children love the Basset. It is a faithful friend; you would not regret choosing this adorable best friend!

Basset Hound: Health

How long can a Basset Hound live? This dog breed has a lifespan of 12 years. Certainly, during its existence it can face different health issues; among the diseases that affect this breed we can find: patellar luxation, retinal atrophy, ectropion, entropion, epilepsy, elbow dysplasia, hemorrhagic diseases, glaucoma, hypothyroidism, Von Willebrand disease and problems in the vertebral column.

Note: If your Basset constantly scratches its ears, you should contact your vet. Your dog might have an ear infection; this is fairly common in this breed. It is important to keep your dog’s ears clean in order to prevent this problem.

Basset Hound: Puppies For Sale, Price, and Breeders

There are many breeding facilities of Basset Hound in our territory. The Basset is stubborn but easy to train at the same time. It also has a face made for TV: how many times did you see it in commercials and TV series?

A Basset Hound puppy can cost 900 dollars, around 800 English pounds, but some dogs can be up to 1300 dollars, around 1100 English pounds. You can ask for a pedigree certificate, which allows you to check your dog breed´s purity. An animal with pedigree has certain characteristics that distinguish it among the others.

Now that we have mentioned the most important aspects, you can go to your new four-legged friend, who is certainly waiting for you.

You may be interested in reading another article related to other dog breeds such as:

• Briard
• Maremma-Abruzzese Sheepdog
• Greenland Dog
• White Swiss Shepherd Dog
• Labrador Retriever
• Bobtail
• Alaskan Malamute
• Bloodhound
• Bavarian Mountain Hound
• Basset Hound