Hello everyone,

My family and I are considering getting another dog (we already have a show type cocker, who is nearly five.) I have fallen in love with Basset Hounds; my husband with Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens. Does anyone here have experience of owning these breeds, and able to give us an informed opinion of which might suit us better?

I would like a dog that is a bit more laid back than my cocker, but that is also able to keep up with her on walks (obviously, when it has reached maturity.) My cocker needs considerable grooming, so I'm a little put off by the grooming needs of the PBGV. I have four children (aged 3, 8, 6 and 12), so temperament is really important to me.

And yes...I'm aware that the hound breeds suffer from selective deafness - they ought to fit in well in this house!

I would be happy with either breed, because they're both gorgeous, but wanted the opinion of experienced hound people.
Thank you!

Mamabas is the one you want to talk to she has years in the breed. Not sure about PBGV although have heard lots of good things

Thank you!

Yep, Mamabas is your man, whoops lady ; )

> Yep, Mamabas is your man, whoops lady ; )

   Weeeel.  My only first hand experience has been with the 'proper' Basset (others will disagree with that one) so this is a biased opinion right there.   For me, appealing as the PBGV and the taller GBGV is I feel they are more akin to a Terrier, than a Hound.   Again others may disagree and that relates to the P rather than the G too.   Likewise the Fauve de Bretagne who visually for me isn't quite as appealing.    I'd not be totally put off by the coat of the Grif. but yes, it will need more care than the Basset who really just needs a daily brushing much as some do shed a lot.   I don't know whether it's the same with Grifs. but some lines of Bassets have skin problems - malazessia. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2102&aid=321    I don't know if there's any foundation with this, but I find the bicolours (lemon or red/whites) tend to be more affected with this than the tricolours.

Makes me laugh actually because when we came to the second last of our bloodline, I started looking around for something a bit taller and definitely lighter (weight - my poor back over 40+ years now) and did consider the Cocker but felt it was perhaps too lively and noisy for me.  From those living locally.   So went for a Whippet.   But that's another story.   Basically the Basset should get on with other dogs - should but it isn't always the case.  I'd go for a male if you have a female, bearing in mind she must be spayed.   Even given how difficult it is to mate Bassets!!   He will drive you mad if he's anywhere around a bitch in season.   It's ALL nose with the breed.

Yes, he should be able to last as long as your Cocker does, re exercise, but he won't be as 'manic' and certainly must not be through to a year.   This breed, with it's heavy bone, has to be taken very slowly up to 6 months - just ambling around and no organised (organised - Bassets?) walking.   After 6 months you gradually build up how much exercise you give him until by a year he should still be sound and able to take as much, or as little exercise as you are prepared to give him.  No on and particularly off furniture/stairs.  If you have steps you may have to put ramps in place at first - we used a car ramp for the couple of steep steps we have outside for our 4 month buy in puppy.   He was big with huge bone and going down the steps could have caused serious damage.   And you will have to watch is a young puppy tries to keep up with an adult fast companion.   This could lead to damage/injury.

Stubborn - to a degree but when you get stubborn, you change direction re 'training'.   They are not stupid but you need loads of patience and to exercise applied psychology - make him think what you want is their idea and if you do that, you'll be fine.

There are some problems within the breed - eyes (glaucoma with those with incorrect drainage angles - we test for goniodisgenesis).   There is epilepsy in the breed but it's not rife.   Skin conditions as above.  But if anything, we had most of our problems to do with digestion.   Hounds do well on a plain diet, one that's based on meat or fish, not cereal based.   Ears and nails must be attended to weekly, especially ears with puppies (you'll know about that with Cockers).   There are too many BYBs, mixing this wonderful hound with other breeds at the moment - PLEASE AVOID.  They look gorgeous, but as with any mix breeding in my humble opinion, this is a big mistake.   Contact the Breed Club and ask for the names of known reputable breeders - but also do your homework ... go visit but try to concentrate on the finished article - Basset puppies don't need much selling (just as is the case I imagine, with the Cocker puppy).

There are a few good books on the Breed - Marianne Nixon wrote one more recently, and George Johnson has one no Basset owner should be without, for history if nothing else.  Good luck - I could write a book on the subject too .... but enough is enough for here.  

Add - it might be worth contacting a PBGV breeder at least, again via the Breed Club, and taking a look.

Great info.mamabas and I al sure very helpful

Great info.mamabas and I al sure very helpful

Mamabas:

Thank you for the great advice. I must admit, I'd read about the skin problems and was a bit concerned about it. Also, I understand that Bassets are one of the high profile breeds? My cocker has always had a clean bill of health, so I worry about taking on a dog that is more prone to certain conditions. That said, I think they are a wonderful breed, so unique and full of character.

Dakkobear would have been the person to ask about PBGV's as she has them and shows them with great success - but I don't think she visits here any longer

Thank you. Maybe someone will turn up who knows about them. They're not a very numerically large breed, I believe.

I would contact the breed clubs of both breeds and find a good local breeder to go and meet them. Not to be put on a puppy list but to see what the adults are like and pick their brains.

> Also, I understand that Bassets are one of the high profile breeds?

The breed is on the at risk list, mainly because of their EYES.   For this reason the main 'better breeders' are having the BVA/KC goniodysgenesis testing done on breeding stock (this is the 'predisposing abnormality to primary angle-closure glaucoma.  It can only be deteected by gonioscopy' - source the BRS Health Schemes).  However, much as of course testing should be done, those with a fail do NOT automatically go on to develop glaucoma with the result that a fail, which goes on the records of any progeny, has ruled out some otherwise very good hounds from breeding programmes.   Throwing the baby out with the bathwater?   I know of at least one really good hound who was eliminated from the gene pool which was a huge shame as he had a lot to offer the breed.  

Sadly all this came into the country via some imports (ironically those imports went back to hounds that were exported years ago!).    Hopefully as fewer hounds are rejected when examined by the vets after taking BOB, so they can't go forward to the Group (as happened at Crufts some years ago now and which caused a huge outcry!), the breed will come off that list.

The breed has gone down what some regard as the 'wrong road' in recent years - becoming too exaggerated, and being rewarded in the ring for such exaggerations - more is NOT better!    So they had become overdone in all areas, from too heavy and big, to too much surplus skin.  The Breed Standard was adjusted to help prevent exaggerations and it is working so those you see in the ring today are, for the most part, not overly big and heavy etc.   Unfortunately too many novice exhibitors tended to confuse 'substance', with 'fat'!!    And even more ironically, hounds coming from the Puppy Farms were often 'better' in terms of not dripping with skin and exaggeration generally.

If you choose your breeder carefully however, and go discuss all these issues, you should find a puppy Basset who won't keep you at the vet forever!!!

Thank you. Yes, I'll do this.

Mamabas:

This is all really interesting. In my research, I'm still seeing Bassets with too much loose skin, too much haw showing, and with bodies so low slung they are actually touching the ground. I don't want a Basset of this type, and I know the breeders are working to correct it, but judges still seem to be awarding these kinds of dogs - they certainly did at Crufts this year. I don't understand why that's happening. It's also really hard to have an honest and frank conversation with a breeder about this: really awkward to say that I'm looking for a dog which isn't exaggerated. A breeder might take this as a slight; especially when lots of them are clearly still breeding this kind of dog.

Where are you because although I'm not going to put names for 'public consumption', I would be prepared to suggest some who ARE breeding to the Standard by Private Message!!   Unfortunately with breeder-judges, they tend to put up friends and the type their friends might also be breeding.   There are some judges who will withhold but not many.   I do agree re raising the subject with breeders, but you should be able to go see and make your own decision about what they are producing and whether it would suit you.    And don't forget, allowing a Basset to become overweight will mean they appear lower to the ground, than perhaps they are.

Another thing - we bought our boy here after we decided we needed another Basset at the end of our own line.  I bought one who was all my line, at 8 weeks, comparatively locally but had to take her back as she had bladder problems. The breeder didn't like me doing that but I had to.   I cast around and found another older puppy (4 months) who his breeder was prepared to let me have.   I'd known her for as long as we'd been in the breed but even then, he's had problems I never had with my own (even if he carries one line back to mine, way back).  He'd been on Royal Canin which for me, was too high in protein for the breed and suffered bone growth problems as, I believe a result.   He is a very big boy but apart from my line, has a lot of Italian Basset in him and US too.   So even recommendations may not pan out!!   I hate the website but there is another well-known one with a lot of puppies advertised for sale, some not exaggerated.  But there are also a lot of Basset mixes on that website too - AVOID.   

Let me know (PM) where you are and I'll see if there is anybody I can point you in the direction of, that might suit.

Have you considered the Basset Fauve de Bretagne, seems to have less coat and is active enough to keep u with your other breed. http://www.bassetfauvedebretagneclub.com/champion-gallery

I think you'd like the Basset Artesian Normand, but we don't have any in the UK I don't think

Hi Barbara.

The fauve Bretagne is an interesting possibility, though it does look quite terrier like to me, which wasn't what I wanted - though they are beautiful! Don't want to offend any lovers of the breed. Yes, the Basset Artesian Normand might suit me better, but a cursory Google search threw up nothing in the UK. I've sent Mamabas a PM so hoping she might be able to point me in the right direction with regards to suitable breeders. It's such a mine field! Following the usual advice; going with assured breeders, people who show etc etc, hasn't (in this case) reassured me that I'll end up with a healthy pup, which is fit for purpose. I don't want to hunt with it, but I do want a dog that can move freely and run. Masses of extra skin is obviously going to impede any animal.

> I think you'd like the Basset Artesian Normand, but we don't have any in the UK I don't think

You are right - you'd get 'drier' and more leg with the Artesian Normand BUT never forget, the Basset here after the war went to France for more bloodlines and so the Basset of old, before recent imports from Europe (and the USA even although some there are not as big and heavy as they now are in the UK) were drier than they are today.   Grims Ulema de Barly (1946) was basically an Artesian Normand.    Miss Keevil (Grims) went back to France for further stock, including another dog, Aiglon Des Mariettes (1951) and prior to him, Cornemuse De Blendecques (1946) although none was as influencial as Ulema which, if you go far enough back, is there pretty much in all UK hounds.   The recent European imports went originally from the UK - including a Beacontree bitch.  The Beacontrees were heavier than some at the time which is something I believe the European breeders wanted as the Artesian Normand is shown as a separate breed over there and it's understandable breeders of the Basset would want something with more skin and bone, than the AN.   There are currently some French imports in the UK but rather than being ANs per se, they are just less 'endowed' and more sensible-looking.   All this exaggeration started with the import from Holland coupled with a time when so many of the older-established breeders either started to end their bloodlines, or actually died.    Leaving many of the newer breeders thinking more was better!

Other kennels to export to Europe were the well-known Fredwells, and Akerwood.  Neither were big and heavy however.