Basset Hound 109

The Basset Hound is a short-legged hound dog with an unbelievably advanced sense of smell. While the modern Basset Hound is French in origin and was popular with French aristocrats, it is thought that short-legged hunting dogs go back as far as ancient Egypt. It is also well-known that scenthounds were used as far back as the Roman Empire.

The AKC originally recognized this dog breed in 1885 as a member of the Hound Group. The Basset Hound Club of America was first organized in the United States in 1935. It is widely thought that, as a hunting dog, the Basset Hound takes a backseat only to the Bloodhound regarding a sense of smell and tracking ability.