Alix M. Freedman asserts that French noblemen were so "out-of-shape they could only follow a slow hound with short legs and crooked knees."

The Basset Hound was bred by monks in the Middle Ages to hunt in heavy cover, whether for the heavy-bellied nobility or not is conjecture. His short, crooked legs allowed him to hold his nose close to the ground. Like a Dr. Seuss creation, the Basset has the head and bone of a Bloodhound, the coloring of a Foxhound and the legs of a Dachshund.

Developed to individual perfection in England, the breed we know simply as the Basset Hound is closely related to the whole family of French Bassets discussed earlier. Bassets of the Normand and Artois type have been noted in England at least since Shakespearean times. In A Midsummer Night's Dream the bard has Theseus, the Duke of Athens, saying: "My hounds are bred out of the Spart kind; So flew'd, so sanded; and their heads hung With ears that sweep away the morning dew; Crook-knee'd and dew-lapp'd like Thessalian bulls; Slow in pursuit, but matched in mouth like bells.”

But the fostering of a separate, individual breed came several centuries later. In 1866 the Comte de Tournow sent a pair of Basset Normands, "Basset" and "Belle," to Lord Galway of England. A litter bred from this pair went to Lord Onslow, who proceeded to develop an exceptional pack by crossing with further imports from the Coultreux pack of Normandy.

Soon importation ceased, and the English version of the Basset Hound developed on its own. Except for the legs, this hound closely resembles the St. Hubert Hound, with the same superb nose (considered to be the best, next to the blood hound's) and cold trailing ability. From England, he was brought to America, where he has been enthusiastically accepted.

A fine trailer of rabbit, hare and even wounded pheasant, his short-stature bulk proves especially useful in heavy, impenetrable cover. He can be taught to tree coon, squirrels and opossum. AKC sponsors field trials (rabbit trailing) throughout the USA for Basset Hounds, and the breed is also well represented in the North American show ring. The Basset, like the Dachshund or Beagle, is one of the few hounds that has achieved a fair degree of popularity as a companion dog. This may be due in part to his frequent use in various advertising campaigns. The Hush Puppy™ spokes dog is a Basset, and his soft, sad, appealing face seems to sell a lot of shoes!

In hunting situations, Basset Hounds can be a bit lazy or stubborn, according to some hunt masters, and may get "hung up" on scents—or "go riot" after the scent of a deer. These hounds so love the deer that they cross highways or lose their masters in the woods during a chase. Trailing deer, therefore, is discouraged. But despite the idiosyncrasies, true basseters are sold on their breed. As these dogs fill their noses with a bouquet of scents and take off on the trail, their melodious voices blend to create the music of the gods to the basseters. Their slower approach is actually an advantage, as they are less likely to frighten and bolt the game.

Type, in both England and America, is divergent. Like his cousins in Artois and Normandy, there is a variance between hunting type and those bred strictly for appearance. Basset Hounds in formal hunt packs in England and those used for field trialing, or as pets in America, resemble the Coultreux strain with the lighter bone, higher, straighter leg and minimum of hanging skin. Dogs for exhibition, like those originally bred by Louis Lane for their "aesthetics," are massive and extremely low-stationed, with more crooked legs and a super-abundance of wrinkles, flew and dewlap.

Like all hounds, the Basset can be independent in nature, and his baritone musical voice, so loved by connoisseurs of hunting, may be an irritant to neighbors. And, again, in tune with his hound heritage, discipline is a must! Despite these hindrances, the Basset still makes a fine pet. A few in America have proven the critics wrong by winning at the highest level of obedience competition. Many continue to give double service, with the family pet used as a rabbit dog on an occasional weekend hunt.

Pack existence called for a good-humored, sociable dog, and this transfers well to life as a companion. Grooming is minimal. He loves dinner time, but takes the Garfleld™ attitude toward exercise, so routine walks must be scheduled to avoid obesity.