The Basset Hound

Basset hounds are a relatively new breed among modern canines, but their ancestors from date to the beginning of humankind's domestication of dogs. David Taylor notes, "Hounds were the earliest hunting dogs used by man" (18). Hunting hounds as a general breed can be traced to Saint Hubert, a French sportsman from the seventh century who became the patron saint of hunters. After his death, monks from his abbey continued to breed hunting hounds, and Saint Hubert hounds were often presented by the abbey to royalty.

Joe Stahlkuppe notes, "The sense of smell of the basset hound rivals that of its near kin and taller cousin, the bloodhound," to which it is close in type and personality (7). Both are believed to have been bred from Saint Hubert hounds. Taylor argues that the basset hound's acute sense of smell "suggest[s] that the breed was produced from a dwarf muta

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ascot, playing on the breed's rumpled, sad-eyed look to suggest comfortable, familiar durability. Taylor writes, "Though they look rather lugubrious, Bassets are lively, sociable, and good-natured characters" (24). Their cheerful, gregarious personality is at odds with their long-floppy ears, downward sloping eyes, wrinkled short legs, and slow speed. As Norma Bennett Woolf remarks, "The Basset is often considered a clown with his baleful Emmett Kelly countenance and odd build, but he is actually quite agile and intelligent and has a reputation as a steadfast family friend" (1). The American Kennel Club specifies the ideal physical characteristics of a purebred basset hound. Dogs should measure a maximum height of fifteen inches at the highest point of the shoulder blades, and their coat should not be distinctly long. Coloration includes a range of variation, from black, tan, and white to lemon and white. Basset hounds have a deep, bell-like bark and possess great stamina. Taylor observes, "They need lots of exercise, and relish country walks where they can investigate hedgerows and thickets to their hearts' content. Bassets tend to become overweight and, as a consequence, can be arthritic in later life" (24). Altho
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Approximate Word count = 1552
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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