Dog Food Secrets

The Basset Hound is a French breed of dog that’s famous for its unique physicality because it possesses short legs, long limbs, droopy eyes and flappy elongated ears. As seen in many paintings and sculptures, the Basset is a favorite of many French people because they are often depicted cuddling or surrounded by this breed. Before being known all over the world, the Basset firstly became popular in its native country France and was appreciated by many French people.

This breed has an excellent sense of smell and this gift was often used by hunters in small game hunting. Intentionally bred to have osteochondrodysplasia or dwarfism, the Basset is a perfect hunter of small creatures inside holes and burrows. It is amazing to think that despite its shortness, the Basset can actually reach taller heights such as table tops, however, due to its heavy body and short legs, it cannot keep itself afloat in the water and therefore owners should be careful not to allow this creature to swim.

Decades ago, the Basset is a premium hunter but as time went by, people seemed to confine it into show ring, dog sports and household companionship. Through the efforts of some enthusiasts, however, hunting clubs such as The American Hunting Basset Association were organized to make use of the old skill of the Basset.

The Basset has an amusing ability to use low and bold sound that emanates “talking” whenever it whines to get attention. Usually, it does this to beg for food or treats and the longer it has begged, the louder the “talking” gets. Moreover, the Basset is the type of breed that needs to be bribed with treats for it only listens and participates in training sessions if given food as a reward.

Cute and adorable the Basset may seem but the low hanging ears and drooping eyes have disadvantages and sometimes lead to a fatal risk. The drooping eyes of the Basset cause mucus to build-up under the eyeballs and this collects dirt and bacteria causing the eyes to get infected. Its ears that are dangling freely to the ground and in food may catch or develop chronic diseases and some are potentially fatal.

Weighing 50 to 65 pounds and standing 12-15 inches, the Basset is probably the heaviest in terms of bone mass among other dog breeds. The coat of this breed is utterly short, coarse and velvety yet sheds excessively. Coat colors are often seen in tricolor, red spots and white, solid red with white feet and tail, honey and white, and lemon and white.

This breed is an excellent pet for children for they are friendly, gentle and playful. They are never aggressive and are equally friendly to strangers and very devoted and faithful to their masters. The Basset also tends to howl or bark in order to signal its owners that something is wrong such as a storm coming or sometimes, they do this to suggest that they want something.

Bas is a French word meaning low and the Basset is called as such because of its obviously low to the ground height. The parent breed of the modern day Basset Hound is said to be the Bloodhound Artisien Normand and Basset Artisien Normand. The French emperor Napoleon III made this breed famous because he was often painted by Emmanuel Freimet, a famous French painter, surrounded by his packs of Basset Hounds.