Basset Hound

AKC Group: Hound

Club: Basset Hound Club of America, Inc.

Corresponding Secretary : Gwen Mccullagh
Address: 1743 Rte. 206, Skillman, NJ , 08558
Website: www.basset-bhca.org
Email: gwenm10100@aol.com
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

The Basset Hound possesses in marked degree those characteristics which equip it admirably to follow a trail over and through difficult terrain. It is a short-legged dog, heavier in bone, size considered, than any other breed of dog, and while its movement is deliberate, it is in no sense clumsy. In temperament it is mild, never sharp or timid. It is capable of great endurance in the field and is extreme in its devotion.

Size:

The height should not exceed 14 inches. Height over 15 inches at the highest point of the shoulder blade is a disqualification.

Coat:

The coat is hard, smooth, and short, with sufficient density to be of use in all weather. The skin is loose and elastic. A distinctly long coat is a disqualification.

History:

The Basset Hound is of French lineage and has flourished for centuries in Europe where it was used chiefly for the slow trail of rabbits, hare, and deer. The first mention of the word "Basset" as applied to a breed of dog appears in an early text on hunting written by Fouilloux in 1585. The Friars of the French Abbey of St. Hubert played an instrumental role in the development of the breed, where they established a lower set, slower moving dog that could be followed on foot. By the mid-19th century, the two largest breeders of Bassets in France were producing dogs of slightly different type, especially in head and eye. The first strain were primarily lemon and white and had a tendency to knuckling, while the second strain had glamorous tri-colors with a more narrow head and a domed topskull, a softer eye with prominent jaw and a down-faced look that provided more facial expression.

Exportation of Basset Hounds to England began in 1866, where the first Basset was exhibited at an English dog show in 1875. Some of the dogs established in England were eventually exported to the United States in 1883 and 1884. In 1884, the first Basset Hound was exhibited at the Westminster Kennel Club show. In 1935, a national parent club was created - the Basset Hound Club of America. Through the efforts of the parent club, the breed has proven to be a multi-purpose hound that excels in conformation, obedience, tracking, field trialing and pack hunting.

Fun Facts:

• The foremost use of the Basset Hound in the United States is for the hunting of rabbits.
  
  
• In trailing ability, the accuracy of the Basset's nose makes him second only to the Bloodhound.
  
  
• In 1935, the Basset Hound Club of America was organized in the United States.
  
  
• The February 27, 1928 issue of Time magazine carried the picture of a Basset puppy on the cover. The accompanying cover story was a write-up of the 52nd annual dog show of the Westminster Kennel Club at Madison Square Garden as if it were attended and observed by the puppy.
  
  
• "Basset" as applied to a breed of dog derives from the French adjective bas, meaning "low thing" or "dwarf".
  
  
• In the US, it was thought that George Washington owned Bassets presented to him as a gift by Lafayette after the American Revolution.