Basset hound dog

History of origin

A rare person does not feel emotion when looking at dogs of the Basset Hound breed. “Short-legged sausage with huge ears” – it seems that these dogs are designed solely for lying on the couch and entertaining their owners with funny antics. But nothing is more deceptive than the Basset Hound’s appearance.

A real tireless hound is hidden in a long squat body, the excellent working qualities of which were appreciated and improved by representatives of the two countries.

The first images of hunting dogs with short legs date back to the XNUMXth century and are found in France, where the ancestors of the modern Basset Hound, the Artesian-Norman hounds, demonstrated their ability to run tirelessly along the blood trail while hunting burrowing animals. Short powerful paws, which most likely arose as a result of a mutation and were fixed during breeding, became not a problem for the ancestors of modern bassets, but a support during long runs through the forests, helped to undermine the ground under fallen branches, break holes.

Gradually, the use of these hounds expanded and from a burrow hunter they turned into hounds for small game: rabbits, pheasants, raccoons. Naturally, bassets were used only in foot hunting, as they could not withstand the speed of horses. Enthusiasts of the breed can be called two Frenchmen – Count Lecourt and Monsieur Lana, who purposefully engaged in the selection of these hounds. As a result, two subspecies of the breed arose, which were called “Lekure Bassets” and “Lana Bassets”.

In the 60s of the XIX century, these French bassets appeared in England. Here they decided to strengthen the working qualities of the French hounds and began to cross the Bassets with the local Bloodhounds. So the breed got its modern name “basset hound”, which means “low hound” and the look we are used to – a long body with short legs and large ears. In 1883, the Basset Club was created in England, which for the first time described and adopted the standards of the Basset Hound breed, and at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, Basset Hounds were recognized by international cynological organizations.

Breed description

Well balanced dog, powerful, short-legged, hound. The skull is convex, the occipital bone protrudes noticeably, the skull tapers slightly towards the muzzle. The muzzle is much longer than the skull, the skin on the head is loosely stretched – wrinkles form near the eyes and eyebrows. Nose with large and well-opened nostrils, black nose (brown is allowed in light-colored dogs). The bite is clearly scissor-shaped, the upper lips are jagged, noticeably covering the lower ones. The dark eyes are diamond-shaped, not deep-set, dark brown in color (light brown is allowed for light-colored dogs). The ears are set below the line of the eyes, large, curled inward, hanging down along the muzzle, thin and velvety to the touch. The neck is rather long, muscular, with dewlap. The body is elongated, muscular, the back is wide. The chest is neither narrow nor deep, slightly protruding forward. The abdomen is sufficiently tucked up. The host is quite long, saber-shaped, tapering towards the end, raised up during movement. The forelegs are short, massive, with wrinkles on the lower part. The shoulder blades are oblique, the forearms are somewhat approaching the bottom, but do not interfere with a free step. The hind legs are muscular, the knees are clearly angulated, there may be wrinkles below the hock joint. The paws are large, arched, and the pads are developed. The coat is smooth, short, without feathering. The color may be tricolor or bicolor, but any color accepted by the hounds is acceptable.

Photos

Character

— Before choosing a Basset Hound, you need to understand that this is a serious dog and let no one be fooled by its cute cartoon look, Bassets are hunters, hounds, this is what nature has in them, following the trail is their basic instinct, explains Alena Khudoleeva, owner of the Pridebass basset hound kennel. – On their short legs, they can run for hours, track prey on walks, hunt at home for any object.

But basset hounds are not only hunters, but also excellent companions who adore their owners. Since these are pack dogs, the Basset Hound chooses “his person” from all family members, the owner, whom he trusts without limit, whom he is ready to obey. And without his presence, the Basset Hound can do what he wants only and this does not always correspond to the wishes of the family in which he lives. The further the owner is removed from sight, the more independent the behavior of dogs of this breed becomes. And alone, they can demonstrate their natural bass, howling and barking from longing tirelessly.

But in bassets, in addition to stubbornness and self-will, there are a lot of great qualities that conquer people – they are very kind, affectionate, cheerful, loyal and playful. They are unsurpassed nannies who adore children and believe that they should raise them, along with the members of the family. True, you need to understand that a basset hound puppy is a 10-kilogram dog that is not always aware of its size and weight. Therefore, when we give puppies to families with small children, we warn new owners that the growing up period of a basset hound can be quite difficult and not always small children are ready to endure it. At the age of 3-4 months, when the basset’s milk teeth change to molars, they gnaw everything that comes in their way, they can grab their hand, but this is not a manifestation of aggression, but only an attempt to scratch their jaws. Bassets are not aggressive, they are very cheerful, intelligent, kind and loyal dogs that have not lost their hunting instincts, although most of them live in apartments as pets, not hunting assistants.

Care and maintenance

According to most breeders, the maintenance of basset hounds and care for dogs of this breed does not require much effort and time.

“Basset hounds need daily long walks to satisfy their curiosity, to sniff everything around, to spend energy,” says Alena Khudoleeva, the owner of the kennel. – Ideally, the owners should often change the routes of walks so that the dog is interested. Of course, in urban environments, the Basset must be kept on a leash so that he does not get carried away, “following the trail.” And in large parks, forest belts, in nature, they will take great pleasure in the opportunity to run around, “hunt” on their own.

Due to their stockiness, Basset Hounds often get their paws and belly dirty on walks. Some owners put blankets on their dogs to keep their bodies clean.

“It is not necessary to protect basset hounds from dirt with the help of clothes – it is enough to have a towel or wet wipes at the doorstep, which can perfectly wipe the paws and belly of the basset hound,” says Alena Khudoleeva, the owner of the kennel. – I am not a supporter of frequent bathing of dogs, in my opinion, it is enough to wipe the dog well after a walk. The big ears of basset hounds, which also get dirty on the street, require special attention. In order to avoid this, in the season of mud and slush, I recommend wearing knitted hats for Bassets – they are easy to make yourself or buy on the Internet. Inspect the ears themselves and the auricles should be regularly, the ears of dogs of this breed are not ventilated, so in wet seasons you may encounter the occurrence of fungus. To prevent diseases, every other day Basset Hound ears should be wiped with a special lotion, which is sold in veterinary pharmacies. In order to prevent the fungus from appearing on the dog’s body during wet seasons, its armpits can be treated with baby powder.

Basset Hounds shed like all dogs twice a year – in spring and autumn. At this time, their hair needs to be combed out with a rubber brush and a furminator, so the owners will help the dog get rid of dead hairs faster, which will be less on the floor in the apartment. In other periods, the short coat of Basset Hounds does not require care. If during walks the Basset Hound does not erase its claws on its own, then they need to be trimmed with a scratching post once or twice a month.

– The feeding system for basset hounds, of course, is chosen by the owner of the dog, based on his possibilities – temporary and material. It can be industrial feed or natural feeding. In our kennel, for example, all dogs are raised on a raw food diet – raw meat, raw vegetables, – says Alena Khudoleeva, the owner of the kennel. – And this is not because we do not have money for good industrial feed, but because this type of feeding, in my opinion, is the closest to natural. But we also give dry food to puppies, realizing that their future owners are not always ready to accurately calculate the daily diet of a pet, it is easier for them to feed a dog with already balanced industrial food. But I do not advise you to choose cheap low quality food for basset hounds.

Education and training

“Basset hound puppies are genetically based on their working qualities of a hound, a hunting dog, so owners need to understand how to raise a pet, be able to match the dog,” explains Alena Khudoleeva, the owner of the kennel. – I advise you to start training bassets from an early age, while the puppies are still at home and do not even go for walks. You can work out elementary rules of behavior with them – the reaction to the nickname, the command “Come to me!”, Encouraging the baby with affection and something tasty.

If you want to develop the working qualities of a dog, then it is necessary that the Basset Hound be trained on the blood trail, like all hounds, and receive the appropriate diploma. If you are not going to use these dogs for hunting, it will be enough to take an OKD course – a general training course where dogs are taught basic commands, fetching, behavior in a big city, interacting with unfamiliar dogs and people. In our kennel, all basset hounds undergo both OKD and blood trail training.

It is also possible to raise bassets on your own, but the owner must understand that dogs of this breed are quite stubborn and wayward, so you will have to make an effort. All training should be based on encouraging a delicacy with a word, in no case should Bassets be punished – they are very offended and can even do something out of spite from resentment. Patience, affection and a playful form of training are ideal for raising an obedient Basset Hound.

Health and disease

“Basset Hounds are one of the few breeds of dogs that do not have mandatory tests for genetic diseases,” says Alena Khudoleeva, owner of the kennel. “This is a healthy working breed that does not have specific diseases that affect longevity.

Naturally, the owner of the Basset Hound must comply with all the rules for keeping and caring for the dog: regularly vaccinate against viruses and anthelmintic therapy, treat the pet’s hair with special agents against ticks and parasites in the spring and autumn.

“The only common problem for basset hounds is food allergies,” says Alena Khudoleeva, the owner of the kennel. – Rashes that cause itching may appear on the skin. There is no general recipe here – the owners will have to use trial and error to select the appropriate food for their basset.

It must also be remembered that Basset Hounds are prone to weight gain – they are very fond of food, so it is necessary to strictly control their diet.

“Basset hounds gain weight easily, but it can be very difficult to drive it off,” says Alena Khudoleeva, the owner of the kennel. – It’s hard to resist when they look with their sad eyes at how you eat, but you can’t give in – excess weight is not at all good for bassets, it is an additional load on the joints of their short legs. Therefore, Basset Hounds should be put on a diet if they have noticeably recovered. I feed all adult dogs in the kennel twice a day, but those who have gained weight are transferred to a single meal – a full portion in the morning. And believe me, all Bassets live until the next morning.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the content of basset hounds with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.