Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Basset Hound Breed Overview
- History of the Basset Hound Breed. Where Basset Hounds came from
- What the Basset Hound Looks Like
- How Much is the Basset Hound Puppy?
- Best Basset Hound Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Basset Hound
- Basset Hound Growth
- The Temperament of the Basset Hound
- How Long Basset Hounds Live
- Basset Hound Litter Size
- How Fast Basset Hounds Can Run
- Good Names for Basset Hounds
- How Intelligent are Basset Hounds?
- How Popular are Basset Hounds with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Basset Hounds and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Basset Hound
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Basset Hounds
- Other Things to Know About Basset Hounds
Basset Hound Breed Overview
The Basset Hound is a medium-sized dog.
The adult Basset Hound stands Up to 14 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Basset Hound belongs to the Hound Dogs group.
Dogs in the Hound Dogs group, like the Basset Hound, were bred to pursue and hunt warm-blooded animals. Hounds hunt by using their good sight or their good sense of smell. Dogs that belong to the Hound Group have strong prey drives and often will stop at nothing to catch what they are pursuing.
The fact that the Basset Hound belongs to the Hound Dogs group is one of the reasons why Basset Hounds have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Basset Hound is generally described as:
- Affectionate
- Devoted
- Friendly
- Gentle
- Sweet-Tempered
- Tenacious
History of the Basset Hound Breed. Where Basset Hounds came from
The French word “bas,” which means “low thing,” is the origin of the term Basset Hound.
According to legend, the Basset Hound was first seen in France in the early 1500s.
The Basset d`Artois and the Basset Normand, along with other hounds with short legs, were the forebears of the Basset Hound.
Small animals, particularly rabbits and hares, were its primary prey.
The history of the Basset Hound in the 1500s was not well documented.
Many people attribute the creation of the Basset Hound that we know and love today to the friars of the French Abbey of St.
Hubert.
They wanted to create a breed that could be tracked on hunts and was sluggish moving.
To boost size, the Bloodhound and Basset Hound were crossed.
Numerous instances of the Basset Hound can be found in popular culture.
This breed has made multiple appearances on TV, from a character named Flash in “The Dukes of Hazzard” to Elvis Presley singing “Hound Dog” to a Basset Hound named Sherlock.
In 1863, the Basset Hound was displayed at the Paris Dog Show.
It first appeared in England in 1866 and was first presented there in 1875.
The Basset Hound was introduced to the Westminster Kennel Club in 1884.
The Basset Hound of America was developed in the US in 1935, and the AKC recognized the breed as a legitimate one.
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What the Basset Hound Looks Like
The large physique, enormous paws, droopy eyes, and long, floppy ears of the Basset Hound would make it tough to miss.
The Basset Hound is a breed with short legs and a heavy physique that is comparable to larger breeds.
This dog is tough enough to do any kind of field work.
The Basset Hound has a head that is well-proportioned and large, coming within the category of medium breadth, and a short, smooth coat that is dense enough to resist all conditions.
It has a deep chest and a large sternum in front of the legs.
The shoulders and elbows of the breed are near to the sides of the chest and are in a muscular stance.
The Basset Hound has enormous paws.
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How Much is the Basset Hound Puppy?
The average price of a Basset Hound puppy is $1410. The price of a Basset Hound puppy ranges from $1000 to $1500.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Basset Hound. These factors include what health records the Basset Hound puppy has, the lineage of the Basset Hound puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Basset Hound based on the many factors that determine the price of the Basset Hound puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Basset Hound puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Basset Hound breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Basset Hound Breeders
We have researched reputable Basset Hound breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Basset Hound breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
Sugar Camp Farm
Puppy Price: $2300
Robin Snell. (Zen Kennel)
Puppy Price: $1000
Nicholas Endsley
Puppy Price: $1000.00
Hilltop Bassett Hounds
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Wheeler`s Droopy Basset hounds
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Adopting or Rescuing the Basset Hound
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Basset Hounds included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Basset Hound named Harvey Mudd that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Basset Hounds like Harvey Mudd on pefinder.com.
Frederick is the name of another Basset Hound (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Basset Hounds that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Basset Hound Growth
New Basset Hound owners need to know about the growth of their Basset Hounds. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Basset Hound will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Basset Hound early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Basset Hound puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Basset Hound at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Basset Hound
The Temperament of the Basset Hound
The temperament of the Basset Hound based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Basset Hound for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Basset Hound here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Stubbornness | 65.2 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 51.0 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 43.9 percent |
| Excitability | 43.8 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 43.2 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 40.2 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 34.7 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 33.6 percent |
| Energy Level | 29.2 percent |
| Prey Drive | 27.9 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 21.6 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 18.8 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 17.5 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 17.1 percent |
How Long Basset Hounds Live
The lifespan of the Basset Hound is typically from 10 to 12 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Basset Hound. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 142 pet Basset Hounds lived.
From the study, it was found that Basset Hounds have an average lifespan of 11.2 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Basset Hounds to live as long as 16.6 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Basset Hound to live long.
Basset Hounds live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Basset Hound to improve your Basset Hound`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Basset Hound live long.
Basset Hound Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 21 different Basset Hound birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Basset Hounds can have is 6 puppies. Also, the Basset Hound can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 11 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Basset Hound will have depends on factors such as the age of the Basset Hound, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Basset Hound will have and how the litter size of the Basset Hound compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Basset Hounds Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 31 different Basset Hounds, the average speed of the Basset Hound is 14.4 mph (23.1 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Basset Hound ran in a race is 20.42 mph (32.9 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Basset Hound is 7.28 mph (11.7 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Basset Hound compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Basset Hounds
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Basset Hound ranked by popularity:
- Flash
- Dudley
- Hank
- Yeti
- Max
- Barney
- Jack
- Marvin
- Teddy
- Walker
How Intelligent are Basset Hounds?
| Basset Hound | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 71 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 80 To 100 Repetitions Or More! |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Basset Hound has an obedience intelligence rank of 71 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Basset Hounds in the `Lowest Degree of Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Basset Hounds tend to learn new commands after 80 to 100 repetitions or more!.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Golden Retriever | 4 |
| Shetland Sheepdog | 6 |
| Papillon | 8 |
| Pembroke Welsh Corgi | 11 |
| Collie | 16 |
| Belgian Malinois | 22 |
| Pomeranian | 23 |
| Welsh Springer Spaniel | 31 |
| Dalmatian | 39 |
| Dachshund | 49 |
| Alaskan Malamute | 50 |
| Akita | 54 |
| Pug | 57 |
| Maltese | 59 |
| Dandie Dinmont Terrier | 62 |
| Lhasa Apso | 68 |
| Pekingese | 73 |
| Bloodhound | 74 |
| Borzoi | 75 |
| American Bulldog | 77 |
How Popular are Basset Hounds with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Basset Hound.
The popularity of the Basset Hound averaged over the years is Number 38 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Basset Hounds and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Basset Hound is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Basset Hound puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Basset Hound breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Basset Hounds for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Basset Hounds here.
How to Take Care of Basset Hound
To take good care of your Basset Hound, you need to make sure that you groom your Basset Hound regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Basset Hound regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Basset Hound`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Basset Hound daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Basset Hound.
Also, you need to feed your Basset Hound high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Basset Hound from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Basset Hound and how much food to feed the Basset Hound at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Basset Hound has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Basset Hound needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Basset Hounds
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Basset Hound.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Basset Hound:
- Beagle (65 percent match with Basset Hound). Learn more about the Beagle here.
- Dachshund (64 percent match with Basset Hound). Learn more about the Dachshund here.
- Beaglier (69 percent match with Basset Hound). Learn more about the Beaglier here.
- Manchester Terrier (65 percent match with Basset Hound). Learn more about the Manchester Terrier here.
- Puggle (68 percent match with Basset Hound). Learn more about the Puggle here.
Other Things to Know About Basset Hounds
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Basset Hound that you need to know about the Basset Hound breed: