basset hound

Low and slow, and with their mournful expressions and droopy ears, Bassets are the “sad clowns” of the dog world.  Here are five fun facts you might not know about these popular dogs: One - Bassets were bred to hunt by French aristocrats and were derived from the Bloodhound Two -  They are in second place only to the bloodhound when it comes to their sense of smell. These dogs have over 220 million smell receptors, compared to a human’s paltry five million.  Three - The name “Basset” comes from the French word bas which means low. They may be…

With its mournful expression and long droopy ears, the Basset Hound is known as ‘the sad clown’ of the dog world. Plus, not many people know they are second only to Bloodhounds for their scenting ability and they were originally bred for hunting hare. Low and slow, the popular Basset Hound stands no higher at the shoulder than fourteen inches. They have massive paws, a very heavy bone structure and small powerful legs, which makes the Basset more suitable for endurance than for speed.  Because they are heavy and because of their short legs, they can’t hold themselves above water…