The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog in the hound family. The Basset is a scent hound that was originally bred for the purpose of hunting hare. Their sense of smell and ability to ground-scent is second only to the Bloodhound. Basset Hounds are one of six recognised basset-type breeds in France.
The basset hound is a friendly, easygoing dog. Originally hunting in packs, they tend to be good with other dogs and other pets in general. Bassets are people oriented and get along well with children. Fairly smart dogs, bassets are not easy to train as they are somewhat stubborn.
The Basset Hound, which has an average lifespan of 8 to 12 years, is prone to major health conditions such as Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD), gastric torsion, elbow dysplasia, thrombopathy, entropion, otitis externa, ectropion, glaucoma, von Willebrands Disease (vWD), and canine hip dysplasia (CHD).