Owning a basset hound; the good, bad and the ugly?

I love the hound breeds and had a Plott/Walker hound ( Coonhound ) mix once.
Hounds are usually sweet, easy going and tolerant of other people and pets, the downside is they can be extremely stubborn and bone headed and often have trouble with housebreaking and running away, following their noses.
They also have a VERY LOUD bark/bay.
My hound ” Ruckus” was a giant, 90 lb. hound and that dog could run for miles without tiring.

Bassets don’t run, they amble, but they will still wander off if given the chance.
When my dog howled, I swear, pictures went crooked on the wall. lol
Hounds can also have a stronger doggy scent than other breeds and may need to be bathed more often. They also are more prone to ear infections due to their long floppy ears and yeast infections of the ears can be problematic for some dogs.
My hound never had issues but a friend had a Bluetick hound that had chronic ear infections.

All in all I love the hound breeds but they can be a handful.
If you get one post a picture!

My mom has one. We love her but she’s slow walking, yet when she wants to go out, she can lunge. They’re strong because of the big chest and strong neck. They are oily and smelly. Even on the day the dog comes from the groomer, they have a slight smell. Sometimes my mom’s dog whines, a high pitched whine for no apparent reason. It’s a very sweet dog. When my mom walks the dog, she stops frequently and smells everything. I am all for letting the dog enjoy themselves, but there’s a happy medium between walking and stopping. The dog must be kept in a fenced in yard, and care has to be taken to prevent the dog from getting out, because the dog will wander, and will not pay attention to cars when it comes to crossing a street.

Her last Basset had optical problems which were expensive and resulted in the loss of one of the dog’s eyes, and then she had to get a glass eye for the dog. Either that or have the socket sewn shut. Apparently, Bassets are prone to optical problems.

Not my favorite. They tend to be difficult to train, can be loud, not very active, and they have lots of skin (and ear) issues.

I agree with ^ all of the above. Especially the stinky part. Everyone will know you own a hound.

In their older age, they can become rather sedentary.
Due to their size it can be difficult to lift them or scoot them over.

In my experience, they tend to not be great listeners. The dog wanders. You call it. It won’t come.

Dog has a bunch of annoying qualities, but all in all, we all have to admit they’re very sweet!

Isn’t the ugly obvious? :-P

@janbb They’re adorable. Joan Rivers minus the surgery. ;)

Sort of ugly-chic, I know.

Hounds, in general, are noise makers! A neighbor has a Basset Hound and I can here that damn thing when i am sitting inside. And they are a few houses down.

Pros:
??

Cons:
They smell like Fritos (I am not kidding)
They get their ears in their water bowls
They can step on their own ears
They’re so sad and dopey looking you will probably get another one

They also are prone to disc problems in the backs because they are such big dogs with such a small leg support system. Lovable, but they stink worse than any dog I’ve ever smelled. Their skin is very stinky and oily which is part of being a hound.

They are also notorious food stealers. At least bassets can’t reach the counter. My hound took an entire pork roast off the counter shamelessly, ate it, became very ill and had to go the the vet and be hooked up to IV’s for 24 hours for pancreatitis. (sp?)
That dog, he once drug me into the street to lick a melted candy bar off the yellow line. lolol

I hope you’re not planning to feed him canned food because you’ll be spending a lot of time wiping it off of his ears. And you’d better be putting his water bowl on a linoleum or tile floor and mopping up the excess water frequently.

But they are very sweet and that face, that face, that face with the big sad eyes :)

I think the fact you rarely see a hound in obedience tells you something, and I don’t think I have ever seen a basset. They are smelly, drooly (their floppy lips and wet mouths always smell moldy and mildewy), as @syz said, very prone to skin complaints because of the wrinkles which of course adds to the smelliness.

I don’t think you should buy a dog based on looks, you get a dog based on what you expect from it. If you want an active, smart, trainable dog to run with you or play with your kids, it’s not the breed I would choose. But I always advise people to go to a dog show and speak to those who are showing bassets. They will give you the true picture of the breed, they are not in the business of a quick sale, if they have a litter and place them, they want them to go into forever homes so they give you all the good bad and ugly about their breed. I think there are quite a few genetic health problems in the breed, you want to be aware of that as well so that you can be sure the requisite health checks were done before the breeding.

I love pure bred dogs and I have known and shown some bassets I really liked so I don’t want to turn you off, I just want you to be aware of what to expect. That is why a responsible, reputable show breeder is the best way to learn and to buy from if you decide it is indeed the right dog for you and your lifestyle.

If you have kids, the dog is great with kids – very patient and tolerant.

The dog also doesn’t do well in extreme temperatures – too hot or too cold.

I think if you’re looking for a dog that’s not too hyper, it is a good dog, as it’s a “low energy” dog.

Whilst they often have lovely natures, they are one of my least favourite breeds to work or socialise with. Like other have said, they are prone to certain skin and ear problems that often make them smell bad even with the most savvy of owners looking after them. They drool and shed fur a lot as well so I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone who is even remotely house proud!

They aren’t an incredibly active breed so if you’re looking for a dog to walk for hours with you or run alongside a bike then they are not the breed for you. This is also not a breed that you can get away with buying from a “less than perfect” breeder. They have so many health issues (skin, ears, bones, eyes, joints etc) that you will need to make sure you buy from someone who knows the breed well and does everything in their power to eradicate these problems. If you buy cheaply, chances are you will be buying a dog that will end up costing you a lot of money in vets bills.

The good thing about this breed is that they can be incredibly loving and I know many owners who are willing to put up with the smell, drool and laziness for that beautiful temperament that many of these dogs have. It all depends on why you want/like the breed and what you want out of a dog in the long run.