After being at crufts yesterday i was left with questions , one of them i have already asked in a different thread about the white swiss shepherd but that was not the only breed that suprised me. A neighbour 3 doors down has a beagle who hardley barks , everytime i meet them on walks he never barks owner said its down to training and that unlike what most people think scent hounds dont bark for no reason. While at crufts i asked this at the beagle stand and was told the same that they dont bark for no reason , the reason this suprised me is i was brought up being told that scent hounds never shut up. My partner then became like a child when he saw Grand basset Griffon Vendeens as his grandmother use to own them and its his favourite dog from growing up. He'd love us to have one and so would i but the only thing that puts me off is the fact i was told growing up scent hounds bark or bay all the time and they dont stop and you cant get them to stop. Now most of the scent hounds were either sleeping or quite when we were going past one of the women we spoke to at the GBGV stand said what i was told and belived growing up was rubbish that scent hounds will bark ( but mainly bay) if they see something but once the thing that triggerd them has gone they will stop and some you can teach to stop on command.

I dont know how true this is?

> <br />I dont know how true this is?

It's true.   Having lived with scent hounds since 1972 I can vouch for the fact that in general (there are ALWAYS exceptions) mine didn't make a noise UNLESS a noise was warranted.   Living now with a Whippet too, I am bothered by the fact that she tends to sound off at things my Bassets didn't.  Bassets bay on a scent, and howl if unhappy at home.   And yes, we occasionally had a howl-in going on - one starts and the others follow, complusively.  Even if fast asleep, if one started, they'd all join in.   But, again unlike our Whippet, one word from me and they'd all shut up.  Our first hound would babble when following a scent which wasn't welcomed when in a Pack - give a signal re a hot scent so they all picked it up and took off, but just babbling - not welcomed.   I can only speak from first hand experience with my Bassets - not ALL scent hounds.

I can’t directly answer your question as I’ve never owned a hound, however a neighbour has a Basset Fauve de Bretagne and I have never heard her bark

I have never owned a hound breed, my experience is with gundog breeds, however I have never believed that hounds are constantly barking. The whole point of Discover dogs is to give the public an accurate idea of what it's like living with these breeds, so the stands are manned by people that own the breed and have first hand experience. So if you've been told that PBGV don't bark constantly, you can believe it.

Sorry, GBGV!

Thanks all, we are going again today and tomorrow. My partner wants to spend more time with the GBGV.

Maybe i might consider them. Thanks mamabas for your description basset hounds are my weekness i adore, ADORE them. My mom had 1 basset hound when i was growing up loved the him but i was 7 when he passed away and then my dad never let her  have another one dad only ever chose pastrol dogs. Mainly GSD but we had rough collies, Belgian shepherds, corgis ect. Funny how both me and my partners favorite childhood dog was a scent hound. I also loved my grandparents afghan hounds.

I will talk more with the GBGV owners and i will see if my partner will consider a basset hound. I loved reading about your experience with bassets mamabas so thank you. I could read about bassets all day.

They don't bark all the time or that much.  I've had many in training classes over the years and I don't remember a woof....

There are some hound breeds which will bay when they are on a scent, but that would be out and about and not in the house.  And of course any dog will bark if their needs are not getting met/they have SA and are home alone and so on - whatever breed they are, that is very likely.

Thank you onetwothreefour, niether of our dogs are left as they go to work with my partner and so sepwration anxiety would not be an issue.

When you say about them baying outside thats not an issue its only baying\howling or barking inside that would be an issue.

Having owned Bassets for many years, not found they are any more prone to being noisy than many breeds, yes they are loud and deep and rare for them to bark alone & like mambas said would quieten when asked.
Personally think they are known for being 'loud'' as they HATE (sorry to use capitals) being left alone & too many are bought as evening & weekend dogs. Seen it time & time again on B.H forums where a pup is bought into a home over a weekend & left for full working hours come Monday, & then yes they will let the neighbourhood know about it.

Thank you lacy , we are going to crufts again today with it being hound day to meet more people with GBGV , beagels and Basset Hounds.

We have decided our third dog will be a scent hound. Apart from asking about barking again we ( i say we more i as Jamie was to busy giving cuddles)  also asked about training and i can see i have totally misunderstood hounds due to what i was told growing up.

The GBGV owner i spoke with yesterday and a beagle owner both said the same think that hounds have a reputation for being thick or stupid but there not they just dont do something tjere told if they dont see the point to it or just for the sake of it for a cookie like labs they both said 9/10 times they will do what you say but that 10th time they may not. If they see a point to what your asking they will do it.

And the beagle owner went further by saying her beagles are certainly not dumb she said the reason they get a bad rap on recall is that they know when they get called back there going back on the lead and thats why most ignore your calls, she said that and scents which is why you should never let them off in unsafe areas.

I have seen at least one Beagle competing in championship classes in agility so it is definitely possible to train one. I don't remember it barking, it was concentrating on what it was doing. There is one that lives near me that bays constantly when being taken for a walk, the owner seems happy to let it. Presumably it is how they are brought up and trained.

> I have seen at least one Beagle competing in championship classes in agility so it is definitely possible to train one

What you must remember that not all breeds live to please you, many live to please themselves, and the instincts that have been emphasised.

It is only the breeds that needed to work under direct close and specific human instruction that have this 'need to please' trait emphasised, other breeds have had more natural traits emphasised, including self reliance.

A great book to get is 'So Your Dogs not Lassie' by Betty Fisher, this lady have trained independent breeds, including bulldogs to competitive Obedience level in the USA.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/So-Your-Dogs-Not-Lassie/dp/0062734571

Thank you all , we have decided on the Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen.

Thank you to everyone for your advice ,RE: Scent hounds.

> we have decided on the Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen. <br />

Enjoy!!   Just know that when/if you get stubborn, you have to change your approach - make them think what you want was THEIR idea.             If you push and push - they will def. go stubborn. 

Personal note - PLEASE don't call them the Bassaaay Griffon Vendeon (al la Jessica Holm) - drives me nuts.

I don't really like to boast, but my now 11 year old rescue Beagle boy was the second of his breed to qualify CD Ex. in KC Working Trials. He had just gone on to UD, but had to have three bowel ops in 2015, and I felt it wasn't fair to carry on putting him at the scale jump. He also passed his Gold KCGCD, won out of Beginners in Obedience, (qualifying on points for the National Obedience Class Finals), had a few elementary Paws and Music certificates, and passed his Hound Scenting Certificate with a 100% score - never having smelt aniseed before, but used his noggin and tracked the tracklayer's footsteps.
Several Beagles have worked Class A in Obedience, and reached Grades 5 - 7 in Agility. Prior to her remarkable success with Skiffle, the legendary Lucy Creek worked, and won, with two different Beagles in Freestyle HTM at Crufts. It makes me sad that some breeds are so limited by people's preconceptions that they don't get the same opportunity to shine. Yes, Beagles do find it difficult to concentrate for long periods, (unless it is on food!), but they learn very quickly when their training exercises are brief, varied, and highly rewarded. I think they tend to look quite flashy in performance too.

Oh yes, you can persuade a Basset to do Obedience.   One of the last studs we used out in Canada was an American conformation Champion and had his Ob. title too.  On that basis, I started the daughter we kept in a local obedience class out there.   I said I'd do it as long as she was enjoying it.  All went well to begin with except she refused to walk to heel round corners, cutting them all the time - well why not!!  I could relate to that.  The people were into the Doberman and started asking me to be much firmer with her at which point she basically shut down.   And food bribing was a no-no with them which was silly, given hounds are food motivated.   Certain aspects of her training stuck but once she stopped enjoying it, I stopped taking her.

Well done CaroleC. I was very impressed with the Beagle I saw, it worked a beautiful round. I was only able to see part of the class so don't know what the result was. I think the lady had at least two but I don't know what class the other was in.

MamaBas that sounds a lot like the last agility club I took my first dobermann too!  They weren't happy that I was refusing to do weaves in class, because they were having owners pull the dogs through on lead.  I told them he would just shut down with that and I was working on it at home.

In the end, they kept on at me so I handed the lead over.  Shut down within 3 poles.  Then they asked for my food lures and by then he didn't want them!

It's a shame you stopped altogether, I'd bet if you'd found a more up to date club using food she'd have done well

>What you must remember that not all breeds live to please you, many live to please themselves, and the instincts that have been emphasised.

How very true Brainless