Bassets are a sub-
type
Type may refer to:
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* ...
of
scenthound deliberately bred with short legs, that are used for hunting where the hunters accompany the hunting hounds on foot.
History
Bassets were originally developed in France from where they spread throughout Europe and the world. The name basset is derived from the French word ''bas'' which means low, a reference to their stature. It is believed bassets were bred from
Saint Hubert-type hounds, with breeders taking advantage of a genetic mutation resulting in short legs to develop smaller statured, deep scenting hounds. These short-legged hounds were deliberately bred to allow hunters to accompany the hunting hounds on foot, as opposed to following hunt from horseback; their smaller stature making them slower and so easier to keep up with on foot.
The first description of bassets was in the 16th century by Jacques du Fouilloux in his work ''La vénerie'', stating they were found in the regions of
Artois
Artois ( , ; ; Picard: ''Artoé;'' English adjective: ''Artesian'') is a region of northern France. Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km2 and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities include Arras (Dutch: ...
and
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
. Du Fouilloux described two types of bassets; the first were short-coated with crooked forelegs and were used to hunt above ground as well as to pursue game below ground; the second were often rough-coated with straighter forelegs and only pursued game above ground. Hunting game on foot with bassets experienced a rapid increase in popularity in France after the
French Revolution in the late 18th century, when hunting with large hounds from horseback was almost eliminated in France as it was traditionally the preserve of the nobility.
Description
Bassets have a strong resemblance to larger, longer-legged hound breeds, particularly the
Bloodhound
The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar, rabbits, and since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is ...
, despite their much smaller stature. Bassets’ forelegs tend to be either crooked or straight, depending upon the breed; the coat types and colours seen within different basset breeds reflect those seen within the broader scenthound type, with short, long and wiry coats all found.
Use
Bassets hunt in packs and traditionally are used to hunt in two ways; in the first the hounds trail their quarry noisily to waiting hunters with guns who shoot the game; in the second the hounds pursue the quarry until they catch it. Packs of bassets are still used to hunt various quarry, particularly
hare
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...
and rabbit, but they are also used to flush
gamebird
Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are ofte ...
s in a similar manner to
spaniel
A spaniel is a Dog type, type of gun dog. Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of denser brush. By the late 17th century, spaniels had been specialized into water and land breeds. The extinct English Water Spaniel was used to retriev ...
s.
Breeds
Recognised
breeds
A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
of basset include the French
Basset Artésien Normand,
Basset Bleu de Gascogne,
Basset Fauve de Bretagne,
Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen and
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen and the
Basset Hound
The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of scent hound. The Basset Hound was developed in Great Britain from several now-extinct strains of France, French basset breeds. It was bred primarily for hunting rabbit and hare on foot, moving slowly en ...
from Great Britain.
Other non-French origin breeds often considered basset-adjacent include the
Alpine Dachsbracke from
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, the
Berner Niederlaufhund,
Jura Niederlaufhund,
Luzerner Niederlaufhund and
Schwyzer Niederlaufhund from Switzerland, the
Drever from Sweden, and the
Westphalian Dachsbracke from Germany.
See also
*
Beagling
Beagling is mainly the hunting of hares and rabbits by beagles using their strong sense of smell. A beagle pack (10 or more hounds) is usually followed on foot, but in a few cases mounted. Beagling is often enjoyed by 'retired' fox hunters who ...
References
{{Hounds
Scent hounds