Basset Hound: Size, Lifespan and Care Basics
A Basset Hound’s AKC life expectancy is 12 to 13 years, so the senior stage begins at 9 years 9 months by the AAHA rule. Bassets are steady scent hounds with a loud voice, rated 4 out of 5 for barking, and easygoing at home. The Royal Kennel Club puts their exercise at up to 1 hour a day.
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Basset Hound at a glance
| Size | Medium-Large | Source: RKC (opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | up to 15 inches | Source: AKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Adult weight | 40–65 lb (18.1–29.5 kg) | Source: AKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Life expectancy | 12–13 years | Source: AKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Lifespan band (UK) | Over 10 years | Source: RKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Senior from | 9 years 9 months | Source: AAHA rule (opens in a new tab) |
| Exercise | Up to 1 hour per day | Source: RKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Grooming | Once a week | Source: RKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Coat | Short coat; sheds | Source: RKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Shedding level | 2 out of 5 (1 = No Shedding, 5 = Hair Everywhere) | Source: AKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Energy level | 2 out of 5 (1 = Couch Potato, 5 = High Energy) | Source: AKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Home | Large house; small/ medium garden; town or country: either | Source: RKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Breed group (AKC) | Hound Group | Source: AKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Breed group (RKC) | Hound | Source: RKC (opens in a new tab) |
| Country of origin | France | Source: AKC (opens in a new tab) |
Printable Basset Hound care sheet
Free PDF, no email or sign-up: these breed facts with their sources, fields for your dog’s details and appointment dates, and a six-week grooming and exercise log. You can fill it in on screen.
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A care plan for your Basset Hound
Pettify builds a care plan from your dog’s breed and birth date, with the source behind every task, and adjusts it when your dog reaches a new life stage.
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How long do Basset Hounds live?
The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives the Basset Hound a life expectancy of 12 to 13 years. The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) in the UK puts the breed in its “over 10 years” band.
Both figures describe the breed as a whole. They are ranges for typical dogs of the breed, not a forecast for any one dog.
Of the 30 breeds profiled on Pettify, 17 have a longer upper estimate than the Basset Hound and 9 a shorter one.
When is a Basset Hound a senior?
The 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines define the senior stage as the last 25% of a dog’s estimated lifespan. Taking the upper end of the AKC range, 13 years, a Basset Hound counts as a senior from 9 years 9 months.
| Stage | Age |
|---|---|
| Puppy | until 12 months |
| Adult | 12 months to 9 years 9 months |
| Senior | from 9 years 9 months |
Pettify builds its care plan from your dog’s breed and birth date and uses these stages: for a Basset Hound, puppy until 12 months and senior from 9 years 9 months. When your dog moves to a new stage, the app adjusts the plan and tells you.
Grooming and shedding
The RKC suggests grooming a Basset Hound once a week and describes the coat as short; it lists the breed as one that sheds. On the AKC’s scales the breed rates 2 out of 5 for shedding and 3 out of 5 for how often the coat needs care.
The shedding rating is low, but the AKC’s care notes tell a different story: the short hair can come out in quantity. A gentle session with a shedding tool or a soft brush, at least weekly, keeps it in check, and the coat needs a bath only now and then.
Drool is the bigger housekeeping item: the AKC rates it 4 out of 5, well above the breed’s shedding score.
Exercise
The RKC puts the exercise a Basset Hound needs at up to 1 hour a day. The AKC rates the breed 2 out of 5 for energy and 3 out of 5 for mental stimulation needs.
Bassets are built for endurance rather than speed, and the AKC’s routine is a daily walk at a moderate pace. A Basset enjoys walks with plenty of new smells to investigate, and as a pack hound by origin it welcomes canine company on the way.
Keep the nose in mind. The AKC describes a hound that will follow a scent anywhere, which is worth remembering before unclipping the leash. After the outing, most Bassets settle down for a long sleep.
Weight
The AKC gives the adult weight of the Basset Hound as “40–65 pounds”, which is 18.1–29.5 kg. The height at the shoulder is up to 15 inches.
The Waltham growth study placed the Basset Hound in its large size group. Our large breed puppy weight chart shows the typical weight of puppies in that group, by age and sex, from 12 weeks to 2 years.
Owning a Basset Hound: what to know
The name is French, from bas, low, and so are the roots. The AKC says the friars of the Abbey of St. Hubert are thought to have crossed older French hounds into a low-built dog that could track rabbit and deer over rough ground, with the hunter following on foot. The modern type, though, was shaped in England. French hounds from Artois and Normandy were imported by the 1860s, Everett Millais refined the type in the 1870s from his hound Model with Beagle and Bloodhound lines, and the Basset Hound Club followed in 1884, with Queen Alexandra among its supporters.
Its nose is the breed’s defining tool: in trailing accuracy, the AKC ranks the Basset second only to the Bloodhound. The same drive makes it stubborn once it is on a trail, and trainability rates 3 out of 5, so training takes patience. In Pettify’s care plan a Basset is a puppy until 12 months.
The AKC’s words for the breed are charming, patient and low-key. Affection with family rates 3 out of 5, and the AKC’s description matches: Bassets are deeply loyal but not especially demonstrative. Strangers get 3 out of 5, and playfulness is 3 out of 5.
The RKC’s home lines are a large house but only a small or medium garden, in town or country. That suits a dog with modest exercise needs that is nonetheless heavy-boned and strong for a height of up to 15 inches at the shoulder. The voice is the part to weigh most carefully in a shared building.
America noticed the breed early. The AKC recognized it in 1885, a Basset puppy appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1928 in a story about the Westminster show, and the Basset Hound Club of America was organized in 1935.
Frequently asked questions
Do Basset Hounds bark a lot?
They are vocal. The AKC rates the breed 4 out of 5 for barking and describes the bark as loud and ringing. A Basset may be mild-mannered indoors and still make itself heard well beyond its own walls, so think about the neighbors before choosing one for a flat.
Are Basset Hounds good family dogs?
For most families, yes. The AKC rates the breed 5 out of 5 with young children and 5 out of 5 with other dogs, both top scores, and describes a mild, agreeable dog at home. Its affection is steady rather than showy, which suits people who like a calm companion.
Did George Washington own Basset Hounds?
Possibly. One passage on the AKC’s breed page has the Marquis de Lafayette giving his friend George Washington a pack of the hounds. Another hedges, saying only that Washington was thought to have owned Bassets that Lafayette gave him after the American Revolution.
What colors do Basset Hounds come in?
The RKC’s standard colors are lemon and white, red and white, tan and white, and tricolor. Color is not what people notice first, though: the AKC says Bassets are famous for a large, domed head with long, velvety ears.
Sources
- American Kennel Club. Basset Hound: dog breed information. akc.org (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
- The Royal Kennel Club. Basset Hound: breed characteristics. royalkennelclub.com (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
- Creevy KE, Grady J, Little SE, et al. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines. 2019. doi.org (opens in a new tab) (accessed )