Basset des Alpes

History

Bred to track down injured deer, boar, rabbits and fox, the Basset des Alpes is a smaller breed of Basset hound that was first bred in Austria around the later 1800s. The original Basset des Alpes was much larger in size, until breeders bred it with Dachshund bloodlines to create a smaller breed we now know of today as the Basset des Alpes. This breed is a wonderful scent hound.

Appearance

The Basset des Alpes is built short to the ground, rectangular and long. Males and females weigh between 35-40 pounds in weight and typically measure 13-16 inches in height. Their body is covered in a dense, double layer coat that is available in a dark rust that commonly has black hairs throughout it, as well as a black and tan combination. The Basset des Alpes has two pendant shaped ears that are very long and hang along side of their face. Four very short legs hold up their hardy body, as their tail is thick, medium length and should be facing towards the ground. Their two eyes are large and round, as well as constantly making expressions as this breed does have a lot of character.

Temperament

A wonderful breed to add to any family that enjoys the outdoors as much as this dog will, the Basset des Alpes is great with children of all ages as well as the elderly and other canine pets. Due to this breeds passion for prey, it is recommended that it is not added to a household with other pets. The Basset des Alpes demonstrates a fearless, strong attitude and would require a firm and consistent owner. Positive reinforcement training methods are highly recommended for this breed. Proper physical activity is extremely important for their mental and physical well being. A long daily walk along with other outdoor activity is required. This breed is the perfect hunting partner and will do very well in all types of terrain and weather. If exercised enough, this breed is suitable for both apartment and country living situations.

Grooming

This breed requires daily brushing and bathing when needed. This breed is an average shedder.

Special Notes

Please fully educate yourself about the Basset des Alpes prior to adding one to your family to ensure this is the correct breed for you. Do not add this breed to your family unless you are able to make a life long commitment to your new addition. All dogs originate from wolves (Canis Lupus). Each breed of dog was originally created by mixing different breeds together in an effort to bring forth certain characteristics. Once a breeder has created acceptable “breed characteristics” within their bloodline and these “breed characteristics” have shown to be reliably reproduced in the offspring for three (3) generations, the bloodline may be upgraded from the category of “foundation stock” to “pure-bred”. The same “pure-bred” breed standards vary from different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders. Dog DNA testing companies can have accurate results for a specific bloodline of a small colony of dogs. However, there are tens of thousands of different bloodlines in the world which have not yet been tested for marker baseline results by Dog DNA testing companies as of 2017. For this reason Dog DNA testing companies do not guarantee the 100% accuracy of their breed lineage results and will also show different marker results for the same pure-bred breed in different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders.