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Basset hound history: from French hunting packs to family favorite

See the real story – guest starring your dog.

You've probably wondered why your basset hound is built the way it is, and the name itself gives you the answer. Basset comes from the French word bas, meaning low, and it describes a family of short-legged French hunting hounds bred to work on foot rather than on horseback. Here is how your dog's ancestors got that shape, and how the look has changed since.

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The story in 5 parts

A short version first. The full story, with every detail, is further down.

Part 1

What the name basset hound really means

The word basset comes from the French bas, meaning low, with a diminutive ending that softens it to something closer to rather low.

Part 2

Breeding for a low body and a strong nose

Both the basset hound and its taller cousin the bloodhound are thought to descend from the St. Hubert hounds, a strain developed by churchmen said to have set out to breed a dog for the hunt.

Part 3

How the breed reached Britain and America

A concise history of the breed in Britain often starts with a pair of hounds the Comte de Tournon gave to Lord Galway in 1866.

Part 4

Basset hounds in advertising and popular culture

You may already know a basset hound from advertising before ever meeting one in person.

Part 5

How the breed has changed since its founding

Concerns about inbreeding led English breeders to cross basset lines with bloodhounds late in the 19th century, and Sir Millais reasoned the basset's head should resemble the bloodhound's.

Read the full story

Part 1

What the name basset hound really means

The word basset comes from the French bas, meaning low, with a diminutive ending that softens it to something closer to rather low. What counted as low changed over time: around 200 CE a low dog was anything under 28 inches, and by the 16th century that standard had dropped to 16 inches. The first known mention of a dog actually called a Basset appears in La Venerie, a French hunting text written by Jacques du Fouilloux in 1585. In that book, Bassets were used to hunt foxes and badgers. If you own one of these dogs, it helps to know that basset describes a body type shared across several French breeds, not just yours.

Part 2

Breeding for a low body and a strong nose

Both the basset hound and its taller cousin the bloodhound are thought to descend from the St. Hubert hounds, a strain developed by churchmen said to have set out to breed a dog for the hunt. Many authorities believe the basset's short legs began as a mutation in that taller line, one that slowed the dog's pace and made it easier for hunters on foot to keep up. Before the French Revolution, hunting on horseback belonged to the wealthy, so short-legged dogs that people could follow on foot were highly valued. Packs of these dogs drove rabbit and hare out of thick cover so hunters could close in. If your dog still puts its nose down and refuses to be rushed, that habit comes straight from this job.

Part 3

How the breed reached Britain and America

A concise history of the breed in Britain often starts with a pair of hounds the Comte de Tournon gave to Lord Galway in 1866. In 1874, Sir Everett Millais bought a basset called Model in France and brought it to England, showing the dog at Wolverhampton in 1875 in what is reported as the first showing of a basset hound in conformation. The Kennel Club in England recognized the breed in 1880, and Wolverhampton offered the first separate classes for basset hounds that same year. The breed soon crossed the Atlantic: in 1883 Lord Aylesford brought two bassets to his ranch in Texas for rabbit hunting, and another pair went to a New Jersey kennel. One of those New Jersey dogs, Nemours, was the first basset to appear in an American conformation competition, at the 1884 Westminster Kennel Club show. The American Kennel Club registered bassets in 1885 and recognized them as a breed in the United States in 1916, and it recognized the Basset Hound Club of America in 1937. So if you trace your own dog's family tree far enough back, it likely runs through both a French hunting pack and one of these early British or American imports.

Part 4

You may already know a basset hound from advertising before ever meeting one in person. The Hush Puppies footwear brand, founded in 1958, uses a basset hound named Jason as its logo and mascot. The breed is also known simply as hush puppy. Cartoon and television characters added to the image: the comic strip Fred Basset and a 1950s television character called Cleo both portrayed the breed as easygoing, even lazy. The breed has also turned up as Flash in The Dukes of Hazzard and as a dog named Sherlock on television, alongside Elvis Presley's famous performance of the song Hound Dog. Together, these appearances shaped how many people picture your dog: clownish and easygoing.

Part 5

How the breed has changed since its founding

Concerns about inbreeding led English breeders to cross basset lines with bloodhounds late in the 19th century, and Sir Millais reasoned the basset's head should resemble the bloodhound's. That outcross gave the breed its long, low-set ears and mournful expression, and until 1956, when the standard was rewritten, the basset hound was commonly described as having a bloodhound head. The Basset Hound Club of America approved the current breed standard in 1964. Photographs of the old Walhampton pack in England, from which many American kennels drew their foundation dogs, show notably leggier and lighter-boned dogs than the standard describes today. A kennel established in 1943 emphasized heavier front structure and body length, and its influence spread widely through later breeding programs. The modern breed's short stature comes from a genetic condition called osteochondrodysplasia, and relative to size the basset carries more bone than almost any other breed. That same body shape brings health considerations you should watch for, including glaucoma, a platelet disorder called thrombopathia, and bloat. The breed's weight and long back can also put strain on the spine, so keeping your dog at a healthy weight and limiting jumps helps protect it.

Things you might not know

  • In that book, Bassets were used to hunt foxes and badgers.
  • The Kennel Club in England recognized the breed in 1880, and Wolverhampton offered the first separate classes for basset hounds that same year.
  • The breed is also known simply as hush puppy.

Year by year

  1. 1585The first known mention of a dog actually called a Basset appears in La Venerie, a French hunting text written by Jacques du Fouilloux in 1585.
  2. 1866A concise history of the breed in Britain often starts with a pair of hounds the Comte de Tournon gave to Lord Galway in 1866.
  3. 1874In 1874, Sir Everett Millais bought a basset called Model in France and brought it to England, showing the dog at Wolverhampton in 1875 in what is reported as the first showing of a basset hound in conformation.
  4. 1880The Kennel Club in England recognized the breed in 1880, and Wolverhampton offered the first separate classes for basset hounds that same year.
  5. 1883The breed soon crossed the Atlantic: in 1883 Lord Aylesford brought two bassets to his ranch in Texas for rabbit hunting, and another pair went to a New Jersey kennel.
  6. 1884One of those New Jersey dogs, Nemours, was the first basset to appear in an American conformation competition, at the 1884 Westminster Kennel Club show.
  7. 1885The American Kennel Club registered bassets in 1885 and recognized them as a breed in the United States in 1916, and it recognized the Basset Hound Club of America in 1937.
  8. 1958The Hush Puppies footwear brand, founded in 1958, uses a basset hound named Jason as its logo and mascot.

Questions people ask

What does the word basset mean?

Basset comes from the French word bas, meaning low, with a diminutive ending that makes it mean something like rather low.

Are basset hounds originally from France or England?

The basset type originated in France, descending from the St. Hubert hounds, and the modern basset hound was further developed in Britain after French imports arrived there in the 1860s and 1870s.

Why do basset hounds have such long ears?

The long, low-set ears help stir up ground scent toward the nose, and they became more pronounced after breeders crossed bassets with bloodhounds in the late 19th century.

When were basset hounds first recognized as a breed?

The Kennel Club in England recognized the breed in 1880, and the American Kennel Club registered bassets in 1885 and recognized them as a breed in the United States in 1916.

Were basset hounds bred to hunt on foot?

Yes, their short legs and slower pace were valued specifically so hunters without horses could keep up while the dogs tracked hare and rabbit.

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Sources

  1. Basset Hound History: From Monastery Hound to Noble Clown. American Kennel Club.
  2. History of the Basset Hound. Basset Hound Club of America.
  3. Basset Hound History | Basset Hound Club of Southern California | BHCSC. www.bhcsc.com.
  4. Basset Hound Facts You May Not Know. American Kennel Club.
  5. Basset Fauve de Bretagne Breed History: From French Hunter to Versatile Companion. American Kennel Club.
  6. Basset Hound | Dog Breed Facts and Information - Wag! Dog Walking. WagWalking.
  7. Basset Hound - Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org.
  8. Basset Hound Field Trials: History. American Kennel Club.
  9. Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen History: The French Hunting Hound. American Kennel Club.
  10. Hush Puppies - Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org.
  11. Hound Dogs and Hush Puppies. dogs-in-history.blogspot.com.

Written by TimeWalkies EditorialLast updated How we research