Basset

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the type of scenthound. For other uses, see Basset (disambiguation).

Bassets are a sub-

scenthound
deliberately bred with short legs, that are used for hunting where the hunters accompany the hunting hounds on foot.

History

Bassets were originally developed in

Saint Hubert-type hounds, with breeders taking advantage of a genetic mutation resulting in short legs to develop smaller statured, deep scenting hounds.[1][3] These short-legged hounds were deliberately bred to allow hunters to accompany the hunting hounds on foot, as opposed to following hunt from horseback; their smaller stature making them slower and so easier to keep up with on foot.[1][3]

The first description of bassets was in the

18th-century, when hunting with large hounds from horseback was almost eliminated in France as it was traditionally the preserve of the nobility.[1]

Description

Bassets have a strong resemblance to larger, longer-legged hound breeds, particularly the Bloodhound, despite their much smaller stature.[1] Bassets’ forelegs tend to be either crooked or straight, depending upon the breed; the coat types and colours seen within different basset breeds reflect those seen within the broader scenthound type, with short, long and wiry coats all found.[1][3]

Use

Bassets hunt in packs and traditionally are used to hunt in two ways; in the first the hounds trail their quarry noisily to waiting hunters with guns who shoot the game; in the second the hounds pursue the quarry until they catch it.

gamebirds in a similar manner to spaniels.[3]

Breeds

Recognised breeds of basset include the French Basset Artésien Normand, Basset Bleu de Gascogne, Basset Fauve de Bretagne, Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen and Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen and the Basset Hound from Great Britain.[4]

Other non-French origin breeds often considered basset-adjacent include the Alpine Dachsbracke from Austria, the Berner Niederlaufhund, Jura Niederlaufhund, Luzerner Niederlaufhund and Schwyzer Niederlaufhund from Switzerland, the Drever from Sweden, and the Westphalian Dachsbracke from Germany.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 1-85310-912-6
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 1-57076-219-8
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1-84797-601-7
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-7566-6004-8
    .
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