Bassett Hound Gifts

Our website contains a great range of Bassett Hound products for every Bassett Hound owner and Bassettt Hound lover. The products we have available include Bassett Hound Throws, Bassett Hound Cushions and Bassett Hound Shoulder Bags.

The Bassett Hound Cushions are again made from 100% natural cotton and measure 17" by 17". The cushion pad (inner) complies with the furniture and furnishings regulations 1988 and is removable.

The Bassett Hound throws measure 54 inches by 54 Inches and are made from 100% all natural high-quality cotton.

The Bassett Hound shoulder bags are constructed of high quality, 100% natural cotton. Measuring 17" wide by 17" tall with two black canvas straps, the bag can hold an array of items.

All our Bassett Hound merchandise is manufactured to the highest standards and can be purchased with the knowledge that we offer a full money back guarantee if not completely satisfied with your purchase.

So if there's a Bassett Hound lover in your life, choose from our range of Bassett Hound gifts by clicking on the following link:

http://www.abentleycushions.co.uk/products.asp?search4=bassett%20hounds

General Information On Bassett Hounds

The Basset Hound was bred by monks in the Middle Ages to hunt in heavy cover, whether for the heavy-bellied nobility or not is conjecture. His short, crooked legs allowed him to hold his nose close to the ground. Like a Dr. Seuss creation, the Basset has the head and bone of a Bloodhound, the colouring of a Foxhound and the legs of a Dachshund.

Developed to individual perfection in England, the breed we know simply as the Basset Hound is closely related to the whole family of French Bassets discussed earlier. Bassets of the Normand and d´Artois type have been noted in England at least since Shakespearean times.

But the fostering of a separate, individual breed came several centuries later. In 1866 the Comte de Tournow sent a pair of Basset Nor-mands, "Basset" and "Belle," to Lord Galway of England. A litter bred from this pair went to Lord Onslow, who proceeded to develop an exceptional pack by crossing with further imports from the Coultreux pack of Normandy.

Soon importation ceased, and the English version of the Basset Hound developed on its own. Except for the legs, this hound closely resembles the St. Hubert Hound, with the same superb nose (considered to be the best, next to the bloodhounds) and cold trailing ability. From England, he was brought to America, where he has been enthusiastically accepted.

A fine trailer of rabbit, hare and even wounded pheasant, his short-statured bulk proves especially useful in heavy, impenetrable cover. He can be taught to tree coon, squirrels and opossum. AKC sponsors field trials (rabbit trailing) throughout the USA for Basset Hounds, and the breed is also well represented in the North American show ring. The Basset, like the Dachshund or Beagle, is one of the few hounds that has achieved a fair degree of popularity as a companion dog. This may be due in part to his frequent use in various advertising campaigns. The Hush Puppy spokes dog is a Basset, and his soft, sad, appealing face seems to sell a lot of shoes!

In hunting situations, Bassets can be a bit lazy or stubborn, according to some hunt masters, and may get "hung up" on scents-or "go riot" after the scent of a deer. These hounds so love the deer that they cross highways or lose their masters in the woods during a chase. Trailing deer, therefore, is discouraged. But despite the idiosyncrasies, true basseters are sold on their breed. As these dogs fill their noses with a bouquet of scents and take off on the trail, their melodious voices blend to create the music of the gods to the basseters. Their slower approach is actually an advantage, as they are less likely to frighten and bolt the game.

Type, in both England and America, is divergent. Like his cousins in Artois and Normandy, there is a variance between hunting type and those bred strictly for appearance. Bassets in formal hunt packs in England and those used for field trialing, or as pets in America, resemble the Coultreux strain with the lighter bone, higher, straighter leg and minimum of hanging skin. Dogs for exhibition, like those originally bred by Louis Lane for their "aesthetics," are massive and extremely low-stationed, with more crooked legs and a super-abundance of wrinkles, flew and dewlap.

Like all hounds, the Basset Hound can be independent in nature, and his baritone musical voice, so loved by connoisseurs of hunting, may be an irritant to neighbours. And, again, in tune with his hound heritage, discipline is a must! Despite these hindrances, the Basset still makes a fine pet. A few in America have proven the critics wrong by winning at the highest level of obedience competition. Many continue to give double service, with the family pet used as a rabbit dog on an occasional weekend hunt.

Pack existence called for a good-humoured, sociable dog, and this transfers well to life as a companion. Grooming is minimal. He loves dinner time, but takes the Garfleld attitude toward exercise, so routine walks must be scheduled to avoid obesity.