Basset Hound
Short legs put its nose on the ground and the long ears sweep scent up towards it. Only the bloodhound tracks better, and neither of them gives up.
Photo by Pohled 111, CC BY-SA 4.0
Overview
The Basset Hound is a French scent hound built low deliberately, so a hunter on foot could keep up with it. It is chondrodystrophic, meaning the short legs come from a form of dwarfism, and it carries forty to sixty five pounds of dog on those legs.
The long ears and the loose skin around the muzzle are functional: they stir scent up from the ground and hold it near the nose. The Basset's nose is second only to the Bloodhound's.
Temperament
Placid, tolerant and extremely stubborn. Bassets are gentle with children and other dogs and they are famously difficult to train, not because they do not understand but because they see no reason.
They are pack hounds and they do badly alone. The bay is loud and carrying, and a Basset that is left alone will use it. Once on a scent they are effectively deaf to recall.
Care and grooming
A weekly brush for the short coat, which sheds more than people expect. The real work is elsewhere.
The ears need cleaning weekly and drying after every meal and drink, because they trail in the bowl. The facial folds need wiping. Ear infections and skin fold dermatitis are the two commonest problems in the breed, and both are maintenance rather than bad luck.
Living and exercise
Moderate exercise, an hour a day split, and weight control that is genuinely strict.
Weight is the whole game with this breed. A heavy Basset puts load on a long back with short legs, and intervertebral disc disease follows. They should also not be encouraged to jump on and off furniture, and a ramp is a sensible purchase.
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