This paper is a history of the basset hound. This low-slung, sad-eyed dog that was originally bred as a French hunting hound and later became a favorite in Britain and America. The basset's personality and typical characteristics have made it a good family pet and, despite some health problems common to the breed, have helped establish its general popularity. Basset hounds have even entered the general culture through characters on television and in advertising. This distinctive dog continues to be a sought-after breed, attracting its websites and chat rooms on the Internet for admirers around the world.
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 mutation of the Bloodhound" (24). The basset's short legs may have been a genetic mutation that was then encouraged in the breeding process, a trait which also suggests a shared background with the dachshund.
Breeding focused on developing a strain of dog with excellent scenting ability whose nose remained close to the ground to maximize its ability to track game. Evamarie Spataro writes, "'Basset' is derived from the French . . . . 'bas set,' which means low...