My Bassets

 

Bassets are originally from the Artois region of France and first appeared around the sixteenth century. The name comes from the French “bas” for low. They are mentioned by Shakespeare who says of them:

“Their heads are hung with ears that sweep away the morning dew,” and

“Crook-knee'd, and dew-lapped like Thessalian bulls; slow in pursuit, but match'd in mouth like bells.”



An Englishman, the sportsman Sir Everett Millais interbred the early English basset with bloodhounds to establish the breed we know. The first of these dogs appeared at the Wolverhampton Dog Show in 1875 and in 1883 The Basset Hound Club was formed. Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward V11, was a regular exhibitor and in 1909, one of her dogs won at Cruft's.

They were brought to Australia in 1957 and became famous as the Hush Puppy dog while in England Alex Graham wrote 9000 episodes in a cartoon strip called Fred Basset although he actually had a Frieda. The Daily Mail is now republishing these.



The dogs are used to flush out game from thick undergrowth, their long ears and excess skin allowing them to pick up scent. They are second only to the Bloodhound in scenting ability with a similar temperament and ability to work in a pack. In England, bassets hunt hares and rabbits in packs with the hunters following on foot though some of the bassets are not as elegant as the show dogs. An English huntsman described the process as the fascination of watching the how well the hare escapes and how well the hounds stick to the scent. The fun would be over if the pack actually caught anything. www.beaglesinperil.org.uk/basset.htm

 

Napoleon and Charlotte caught on a bed

 

bassets meeting

 

3 week old puppies

 

Declan at 5 weeks

 

Aidan at 5 weeks

 

Charlotte waiting

 

Charlotte is very proud of her babies