Basset Hound

7 year old purebred lemon and white Basset

The Basset Hound is a short-legged dog, of the hound family. Bassets are used for hunting, specifically to detect the scent of game. Their sense of smell for tracking is second sharpest only to that of the Bloodhound. The name Basset is derived from the French word bas, meaning "low", with the attenuating suffix -et, together meaning "rather low". Basset hounds are commonly brown, black or white and most often spotted, but also exist in a variety of colors. Basset Hound have been bred systematically from about the 19th century. They are said to descend form the Basset d'Artois. Basset Hound are 30–38 centimetres (12–15 in) tall, and can weight up to 35 kilograms (77 lb).