Basset Hound - Discover this unique hunting dog
The Basset Hound It is hunting race highly appreciated for its tracking skills for hunting. Due to their low profile and their little stature, these dogs usually overlook. However, they are the perfect hunting partner for humans, form lasting friends and show extreme levels of obedience. Here you will find all the necessary information to know more about this unique and adorable race.
- Size: 35 to 45 cm
- Weight: between 25 and 45 kilos
- Hair type: Short and smooth
- Character: friendly and familiar
- Health: delicate although the opposite seems
- Life expectancy: Between ten and twelve years
Basset Hound Origins
France and England dispute the origin of Basset Hound, But the truth is that this breed was born in the Gallic country, as indicated by the first part of his name, which means small in French.
It is possible that it comes from the Normandy region, since the artisian basset of Normandy It has a lot to do in its origin, although it also carries blood of strong body hounds such as San Hubberto's dog.
During an era it was the best hound in France, so in the end it ended up taking over Europe. This is how he stressed in England, where we have documented his arrival from Lord Galway in 1866, which led a couple to the island, which resulted in the first basset litter in this country.
It seems that in the end the English appropriated her, since even in its standard it appears as of English origin, forgetting that it is French and that it was there that it originated based on crosses with sits.
Basset Hound features
The appearance of this dog is unmistakable, so that although we do not know of races, we know that we are seeing one, calling it many people "Salachicha dog”, Although this appellation corresponds to Teckel, which has a similar appearance, although more graceful.
This breed has a very long body that is based on very short legs, with a straight back that makes it elegant in its own way.
Although it may seem small, the truth is that it is very robust, because it exceeds 35 kilos and measures up to 40 cm to the cross in the largest specimens, which gives it a sympathetic appearance while disproportionate.
He has a huge head with wrinkles and a large goward, falling his upper lips, covering the lower ones, with huge ears that fall to the sides of the head and that almost touch the ground.
His expression is something that has also made it famous, because the lower eyelid is fallen and shows part of the conjunctiva. So, When he looks us it seems sad, melancholic and serious.
The tones of the fur are a combination of white, black and fire, with a distribution of colors that is unique in each Basset Hound, accepting the colors that the desires have without the need to be located in a specific way.
The hair is smooth, very dense, hard and short, protecting it in the field of skewers, brambles and plants.
Basset Hound character
We are facing a family dog who loves being with the members of his pack and playing with the children, who should not be noticed that they do not throw him out of his ears, otherwise he can have a bad reaction if they hurt him.
The serious face has nothing to do with his personality, because It is a fun dog with which to play and walk through the field, preserving his instinct hunter, so we will have to be careful when we go out to open spaces.
At home it comes to live well with other pets if we have made a good socialization from puppy, and it is convenient that you have a few toys in order not to get bored.
Basset Hound Education
Is reputable to stubborn, which has gained pulse, so that it should always be insisted on the training of obedience, despite what will not immediately pay us attention as if it were a pastor dog.
Luckily, it is very ready and that entails that you learn quickly, especially if we help ourselves with positive training techniques such as click, using food when rewarding it, which will make it more than attentive.
It is a hunting dog, specifically from which it follows traces, so it is not uncommon for one to smell one and go behind it, so that you have to always be attentive and reinforce the call, the order to stop, etc.
Anyway, training is not complex and is a good dog to start if we like its appearance, whenever we are willing to ignore us a bit.
Basset Hound Health
It is not the best among dogs and The truth is that we can qualify it as a delicate health. This is due in large part to its appearance, unnatural and that has to pay a certain toll in the form of conditions or diseases.
The column is long and the high weight, so it can suffer back pain, which is worse if something fat is. We appreciate this, because suddenly he does not want to climb stairs or it is very difficult to reach the sidewalk.
Also sGastric torsion ufre Although it is not too big. In order to prevent it, care must be careful when feeding it, since it is an acute disease that can lead to death if it does not act quickly.
Thus, it is better to distribute the food in several daily shots and leave time between the food and the walk, or between the arrival of the walk and the time of feeding it.
Hip dysplasia may appear, more because of its weight than by its raised, and you have to prevent the appearance of discs discos, educating it since childhood so that it does not jump in order to get on a sofa or on top of someone.
It seems that the list of problems does not end, and because of its eyelids (and by inheritance) pThe conjunctivitis appears (It is a mild disease) and the glaucoma, which comes to leave it blind if it does not act soon.
Finally, and with this we close the health section, the Basset Hound has a tendency to gain weight. If we see that it begins to gain weight, we can give him a light left, always speaking before with your veterinarian.
Basset Hound Care
It needs a lot of exercise to distract itself and in order not to fat, but Nothing that has to do with jumps like agility, which is very harmful to this race.
It is best to go walking along the field for all the time we can And let him play with other dogs, something he loves.
His hair is easy to take care of, because a couple of weekly brushes is enough. Yes, you have to be more attentive to Legañas and Babas, which will have to be cleaned as they appear.
We finish with the ears. You have to frequently check the interior, since being always covered, it is quite frequent that they have otitis, something we will realize when we see him walk with his head tilted.
Adopt a basset hound
Unlike other races, It is not uncommon to find some basset hound to adopt. At the end of the hunting season they are usually seen in animal shelters, and we can even ask hunters, who sometimes want to give to some dogs that do not serve them for that activity.
If we adopt one, we must bear in mind that they are delicate dogs, something that means that they need to spend money on them both in good feed and in visits to veterinarians, which can become frequent.
Besides, We must not forget that they are a bit big heads, so that it is possible to educate it so that coexistence is the best and at least obey in most of the occasions in which we ask.
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