Basset Hound
Also known as: Basset
A low-slung, droopy-eared French scent hound with one of the finest noses in dogdom and a famously laid-back, friendly temperament. Basset Hounds are gentle, sociable and good-natured, bringing a charming, unhurried personality and an endearing fondness for their people to easygoing family homes.
Origin and purpose
The Basset Hound descends from French scent hounds (the name derives from "bas", meaning low), bred deliberately short-legged so hunters on foot could keep up as the dog tracked rabbits and hare by scent. It was refined into the modern show breed largely in 19th-century Britain.
Temperament
Kennel authorities describe the Basset as devoted, gentle, placid and sociable — wonderful with children and other dogs — but also notably independent and stubborn, ruled by its nose and slow to obey when a scent beckons. Patient, reward-based training works best. As ever, the individual dog predicts behaviour better than the breed (Morrill et al., Science 2022).
Health and longevity
The Basset's conformation drives several characteristic health concerns. Keep it lean, limit jumping, and clean the ears routinely.
Common health conditions
Living with a Basset Hound in Quezon City
This section is specific to Quezon City (Quezon City Veterinary Department / Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)). The rest of this guide applies to the breed anywhere.
PAWS Philippines / CARA Welfare / QC City Pound: Not eligible
This breed is not eligible for PAWS Philippines / CARA Welfare / QC City Pound.
Licensing
Dog registration required under the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007 (RA 9482): register with Quezon City Veterinary Department or your Barangay; annual rabies vaccination mandatory; fees PHP 100–500/year. Philippines is NOT rabies-free — annual vaccination is a legal requirement.
Climate & exercise in Quezon City
Quezon City is tropical maritime; hot dry season March–May (32–36°C); rainy/typhoon season June–November; cool dry December–February (22–28°C); Metro Manila urban heat island effect pronounced in Quezon City's densely built barangays. walk before 7:30am or after 6pm year-round; March–May peak heat — limit walks to before 7am; UP Diliman and QMC provide shade cover for midday emergencies but avoid pavement in direct sun. Quezon City's tropical heat peaks March–May with extreme humidity — heatstroke is a genuine risk for all dogs and particularly dangerous for brachycephalic breeds. Typhoon season (June–November) brings flooding especially in low-lying barangays near Diliman Creek and San Juan River — keep dogs away from floodwater due to leptospirosis risk.
Parasite prevention
Plan for year-round heartworm prevention essential; tick-borne disease (Ehrlichia canis, Babesia canis/gibsoni) high risk year-round — Rhipicephalus sanguineus endemic; annual rabies vaccination legally required (RA 9482); leptospirosis risk from floodwater during typhoon season June–November.
Cost of ownership in Quezon City
Local Basset Hound cost figures for Quezon City are being verified. Budget for purchase or adoption, initial setup, food, grooming, routine veterinary care, parasite prevention and pet insurance. Figures are quoted in ₱.
Health & longevity
Responsible breeders health-test their breeding dogs. Ask to see current certificates before committing.
Nutrition note: Strongly obesity-prone with a long back — strict portion control is a back-protection measure as much as a weight one.
Known breed conditions
DNA & screening panel
Cost of ownership
FLAG: indicative Singapore estimate only — back (IVDD) and recurrent ear issues can add cost.
Registries
Sources & references
- AKC — Basset Hound breed standard & traits[Breed standard / registry]
- The Kennel Club (UK) — Basset Hound[Breed standard / registry]
- Merck Veterinary Manual — hereditary and breed-associated disease[Veterinary reference]
- Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) — breed health screening / CHIC testing[Peer-reviewed / VetCompass / OFA]
- NParks/AVS — Pets in HDB flats (approved small breeds; ≤55 cm shoulder height)[Breed standard / registry] · checked June 2026
- Morrill et al., "Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics…", Science 376 (2022) — breed ≈ 9% of behaviour[Peer-reviewed / VetCompass / OFA] · 2022
Source tiers: 1 = breed standard / registry authority; 2 = peer-reviewed / VetCompass / OFA; 3 = veterinary reference; 4 = encyclopaedic. OurPetCircle cites only tiers 1–4 and never blogs or e-commerce pages. Behavioural traits carry low confidence — breed explains ~9% of individual behaviour variation (Morrill et al., Science 2022).
Image credits
- Image 1: Cali1008 · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
- Image 2: Wikimedia Commons contributor · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
- Image 3: Eda · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
