Ears so long they have their own postcode.
Basset Hound
Also called Basset
From Developed in Great Britain in the late 19th century from French short-legged basset hounds; FCI lists the country of origin as Great Britain, while the ancestral stock is French.123
At a glance the quick version
FCI and AKC standards set no weight. Sex-specific figures are from Wikipedia; VCA gives 40-60 lb (about 18-27 kg) for the breed overall. The Royal Kennel Club classes the breed as medium-large.
Coat and looks how to spot one
short, smooth, hard coat
A low-slung, heavy-boned hound with a deep chest, big rounded feet and a long body carried close to the ground. The hair is short, close-lying and firm enough to shrug off the weather, with no feathering. Loose, elastic skin gathers into soft wrinkles on the head and a noticeable dewlap at the throat, and the very long, velvety ears hang in folds and curl inward. On the move the tail is carried up in a gentle sabre curve.15
Personality what they are like
A mellow, good-natured companion that is neither snappy nor shy and is deeply loyal to its people. Bassets usually mix happily with children, other dogs and household pets, and meet strangers with friendliness or calm indifference. As pack-bred scent hounds they are independent thinkers with a strong will of their own, and they have a rich, deep bay they are happy to use.1542
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Moderate: up to about an hour a day. Bassets enjoy steady walks with plenty of time to sniff rather than fast, intense exercise, but they have real stamina for long outings. Keep them on a lead or in secure areas, because a good scent can pull them far off course.341
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Brush the short, dense coat about once a week; shedding is average. Wipe and dry the facial wrinkles and lips regularly, and check and clean the long ears as part of routine care. Training goes best with patience and food rewards, since the breed can be single-minded.34
Home where they are happiest
Fits well into family life as a calm house dog. The Royal Kennel Club suggests a larger home with a small to medium garden, and a securely fenced outdoor space is useful for a dog that follows its nose. Bassets are most comfortable in moderate climates.34
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A complete, balanced adult dog food with measured portions suits the breed well, because Bassets love their food and are easy to overfeed. Puppies do well on a large-breed growth formula. Count training treats as part of the daily ration.4
Company who they like around
Bred to hunt in packs, Bassets enjoy company, whether human or canine, and usually get on well with other dogs and pets. They are devoted to their family and happiest when included in daily life.142
The story where it all began
The Basset's roots lie in the scent hounds of medieval France, including the St Hubert hounds kept by monks in the Ardennes, and short-legged hounds of this kind appear in Jacques du Fouilloux's hunting book La Venerie of 1585. Their low build let huntsmen on foot follow hare, rabbit and other small game through thick cover. Planned breeding took off in France around 1870, when Count Le Couteulx and Louis Lane developed the Artois and Normand types. English interest grew after bassets were shown in Paris in 1863; Lord Galway brought over a pair in 1866, and Sir Everett Millais, often called the father of the modern Basset Hound, began showing and breeding them in the mid-1870s, later crossing in Bloodhound blood to create a heavier dog. The Kennel Club classified the breed around 1880, and royal owners including Queen Alexandra helped make it fashionable. In the United States the AKC registered its first Bassets in 1885, the Basset Hound Club of America gained recognition in 1937 and held the first Basset field trial that year, and a 1928 Time magazine cover helped turn the breed into a popular family pet.2671
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
The name comes from the French 'bas', meaning low, with the diminutive ending '-et', so a basset is roughly 'a rather low dog'.2
- 2
Those long ears and loose facial skin are thought to help sweep up and hold ground scent close to the nose; its scenting ability is often ranked second only to the Bloodhound's.2
- 3
A basset named Mr. Jeffries from Southwick, England, entered the 2004 Guinness Book of World Records with ears measured at 11.5 inches (about 29 cm); his grandfather Biggles had been a Hush Puppies model.8
- 4
A Basset Hound has been the face of Hush Puppies shoes since 1958, and the comic strip dog Fred Basset has been running since 1963.2
- 5
A Basset puppy appeared on the cover of Time magazine on 27 February 1928, for a Westminster dog show story.6
- 6
In 1956 Elvis Presley sang 'Hound Dog' to a basset called Sherlock on The Steve Allen Show.2
- 7
The first AKC Basset Hound field trial, held at Hastings, Michigan, on 24 October 1937, drew seven hounds, which ran in pairs under Beagle trial rules.7
Recognised by the official bits
- FCI
- Standard no. 163, Group 6 Scent hounds and related breeds, Section 1.3 Small-sized hounds; standard published 13.10.2010, country of origin Great Britain.1
- AKC
- Hound Group. First Bassets registered in 1885; the current AKC standard was approved 14 January 1964.5
- The Royal Kennel Club
- Hound group; listed as not a vulnerable native breed. The Kennel Club gave the breed a formal classification around 1880.3
- Basset Hound Club of America
- National breed club, recognised by the AKC in 1937; held the first AKC-sanctioned Basset field trial the same year.7
Popularity Ranked 34th of AKC-registered breeds in 2025, a position it has held since 2023.9
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Basset Hound. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Bathevery 8 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
- Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- ExerciseAbout 45 minutes a dayevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 8every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FCI Standard No. 163: Basset Hound fci.beused for origin, recognition, height, coat, colours, temperament, history summary
- Wikipedia: Basset Hound en.wikipedia.orgused for weight, height by sex, lifespan, colours, history, etymology, fun facts
- The Royal Kennel Club: Basset Hound royalkennelclub.comused for group, size, exercise, grooming, lifespan, home size
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Basset Hound vcahospitals.comused for weight, lifespan, temperament, exercise, grooming, diet
- AKC Official Standard of the Basset Hound images.akc.orgused for height, coat, colours, temperament, physical features
- Basset Hound Club of Southern California: Basset Hound History bhcsc.comused for history dates, Time magazine cover
- AKC: Basset Hound Field Trials History akc.orgused for AKC registration dates, breed club, field trial history
- CBS News: Dog Earmarked For Guinness Fame cbsnews.comused for Guinness ear-length fun fact
- AKC: The Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2025 akc.orgused for popularity
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.