History of the Breed
Most of the hunting hounds of Europe descended from the stock commonly known as the Saint Hubert of France during 700 AD. By the 15th century, the developement of hunting hounds in France had taken on real distinctions and were divided into breeds. Some of those breeds were known as Griffon Vendeen, Artois, Normand, Bleaude Gascogne, and Fauve de Bretance. From these large hounds came hounds of the same basic makeup but that were low-set, heavier in limb than their larger counterparts and yet still serve a purpose in the hunting field. That purpose was the slow trailing of deer and other large game.

Later the lower set hounds were put to work hunting the smaller game that was available; i.e. hare, game birds, etc. The low-set hounds breeds became known by the names given to their larger relatives mentioned earlier.

Therefore, by the 16th century the basset (meaning to set) breeds became known as Basset Griffon Vendeen, Basset Artois, Basset Normand, Basset Bleau de Gascogne, and Basset Fauve de Bretange. In France, two strains became very popular. These were the Couteulx and the Lane basset strains. Along the line several different combinations were added to the gene pool also. Beagle and Bloodhound were among the new blood.

Through all of this, our beloved breed was actually developed and flourished into the breed known around the world as the basset hound. Not at all the little French hound that so many assume to be, instead a large, though low, hunter that could do a great job in the field or in the ring.

In fact, in North America, the basset hound has gone from field and pack hunter to show hound, obedience, tracking, movie, and tv personality to a couch potatoe. And it retains the ability to perform all functions with superior quality.

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General Description of the Basset Hound

The Basset Hound is a hunting dog. He was bred for hunting small game. He is a scent hound. He follows ground-held scent or that of trodden foliage that has been bruised by the game in retreat.

The Basset Hound is used primarily for hunting rabbit although he is successful in hunting other small game. The Basset’s long ears were developed to stir up the scent for his large nose to smell. The folds of skin under the chin, called the dewlap, are for trapping and holding the scent.

His large feet give him steadiness and his heavy bone is to make him sturdy. His short legs enable the hunter to follow him apace on foot. The Basset Hound must have a great lung capacity and large, strong heart so that he can track game for long periods of time.

Basset Hounds were historically hunted in large packs, however nowadays, Basset Hounds are usually hunted in pairs, called a brace. They are expected to have the endurance and stamina to hunt day after day in widely varying terrain, often with dense undergrowth and in all weather conditions that permit hunting small game.

The Basset Hound is one of the very few breeds for which there is substantial competition in all four sectors of the sport: field trialing, tracking, obedience and conformation. The Basset Hound, as you can readily see, is a very different sort of dog. While he is so often referred to as the clown of the canine world, the reasons for this strange, distorted frame are the very reasons why soundness is so important to his very survival.

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