Hi

Can anyone give me some idea of what Basset Hounds are like?  DH has always adored them and I know absolutely nothing about them so was hoping someone with knowledge could tell me what they are really like?

Thanks lots
Nicky

We had one years ago. Had a complete mind of her own....a real character but not very easy to live with:rolleyes:. My GR's are heavenly compared to Maude!!!!
We loved her though!!

why would you say they are not easy to live with?  We have Shar Pei and they are fantastic indoors but hard to train outdoors!!!

Well I remember the fact that as a hound when we went out she would just GO! And not come back very easily.
And sometimes she wouldn't go out at all if she didn't feel like it!!!
She was stubborn about things, just not biddable and eager to please...you know??

I definately know about dogs not being easy to please
Are they smelly?

Don't remember nic, probably was even smellier as a kid myself.
All dogs smell to some extent don't they?
Don't worry as you won't notice it after a while!!!

True - I love the smell of our Pei :rolleyes:  could sniff them all day long but I do not love the smell of my best friends curly retriever!!!  What dogs do you have now?

My friend had basset hounds when I was a kid.  I remember them being really slobbery and quite smelly.

Dont know if all Basset Hounds are like it but there is a lady who we speak to at the woods near us and she has two, and she says they are incredibly stubborn.  They seem to suffer terribly from selective deafness too ;).  She does say that they get on great with each other and I must admit i find them an absolute joy to watch. 

There was a very recent thread about this very topic by Mini Meg I think?

Do you think you can let them off the lead?  Our Shar Pei are bad - are Bassets even worse????

All hound breeds have a reputation for doing what they were bred for - following their nose until the scent runs out, and stuff what the owners want them to do! Let them off the lead if you're happy chasing after them for a few hours! They're a hound that's followed on foot, not horseback, after all. :)

Well all the ones I have met have been off lead.  Maybe that is why they have short legs so you can catch them

my friend used to let hers off lead, they never wandered off but would spend ages just mooching about and ignoring her calls to hurry up :rolleyes:

i've known a couple of basset hounds. both of them lovely chaps but with very definite minds of their own! and cunning minds of their own too since they were rarely blatantly norty but quietly had a habit of doing what they wanted to do regardless of requests to the contrary. both had had a deal of formal training at classes and were a pleasure to be around and one of them was very reliable off lead - well as reliable as a hound can be given the temptations of the countryside! - but the other was a perfect so-and-so despite having theoretically good recall under controlled conditions. after a couple of dreadful episodes when he simply disappeared and came back when it suited him, his owner decided she wasn't prepared to risk it and used a long line on him. of smell, they didn't!

they were friendly and affectionate but had a self-containment that i found attractive. anyone wanting an over-cuddly dog probably wouldn't be best rewarded by a basset on the basis of my experience though.

I have a great Basset Hound named Dudley.  He's a rescue and I wasn't too keen on Bassets before I got him.  I pictured them as fat, lazy things that didn't do much.  I was terribly wrong!  Dud is incredibly energetic and disgustingly friendly.  He's not met a stranger yet.  I recently took in 2 Boxer puppies that think his ears and tail are play things.  Dud just puts up with it for a bit and then gets into a chase game with them.  He is trainable but stubborn, yes.  Their goal isn't to please their owner, their goal in life is to follow their nose.  However, there are Bassets that do obedience and Bassets that do agility.  Dudley does smell, yes.  All hounds do.  They produce an oil in their coat which helps smells 'stick' to their faces (it's also why they have so much extra skin).  That said, if it's kept up with, you can keep the smell at bay.  Dudley gets a bath every 2 weeks and wiped with a baby-wipe everyday, special attention paid to his armpits and his face.  I, personally, would not let a Basset off lead.  The problem isn't that they refuse to come back so much as they don't know how to get back once they get so far.  They keep their heads down following scent (as they were bread to do) and can get so far away that they get a bit lost.  A long line would be perfect.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.  I will never be without a Basset again.  :)

thank you everyone.  They sound like hard work but with a lovely temperment.

A group of dedicated Basset lovers have set up a website on Bassets and how to avoid the puppy farmers. It does not list breeders, but has information & advice. 
Its a new venture and still developing so any comments welcome

Hi everyone, just thought i'd chip in about bassets. I have a gorgeous girl basset called Molly who is 2 now. She is great, very obedient and clever and a real show off - bassets get loads of attention everywhere they go and she just loves it! We had heard before getting one that the are stupid, stubborn and get fretful if left alone etc etc. But we have not found that. Molly is really good, she is alone from 8.30 till 2.30 every week day and is fine with that. She is very affectionate and incrediably patient with children. The only downside is they do smell houndy and some dogs are prone to skin disorders.