Are Basset Hounds Aggressive?
When it comes time to get a dog of your own, it always pays to know about the breeds you are interested in. In the case of Basset Hounds, many people have heard that they are aggressive, but is this actually true? Are they a potentially dangerous breed?
No, Basset Hounds are not particularly aggressive dogs. In fact, they are often regarded as gentle, sweet, and sometimes even lazy. They tend to get along well with all members of the family, including small children and other pets.
We’ll cover what you need to know about Basset Hounds and their behaviour down below.
Your Typical Basset Hound Behavior
Basset Hounds were traditionally hunting dogs. This leads some people to believe that they are inherently aggressive, but in most cases, hunting dogs were just trained to track and retrieve prey, not directly attack it. Basset Hounds still carry many of their hunting instincts, but these only come out at appropriate times.
When indoors, Basset Hounds are often quite docile and lazy, often lounging around and not really making too much excitement for anyone. But when they get outside and exercise, their hunting instincts have a more prominent effect, and they tend to be more alert and aware of their surroundings. Basset Hounds can easily get distracted and wander after wild animals.
Of course, even the calmest dogs can still be agitated, but it takes a lot of effort to really rile up a Basset Hound, and even if you somehow managed to push one to the brink of its patience, a Basset Hound would be more likely to simply get up and leave the person irritating it rather than lash out or attack in any way.
In fact, Basset Hounds are so notoriously laidback and non-aggressive that they don’t even make very good guard dogs: they might bark at strangers, but they are unlikely to attack anyone of their own accord, even if they are suspicious of them. There’s a reason you don’t hear about too many Basset Hound attacks.
Is it Impossible for a Basset Hound to be Aggressive?
An important thing to note about dogs is their temperament is usually a reflection of how their owners have raised them. Most dogs have a natural level of aggression, but more than anything, their behaviour is determined by how they are raised. A dog that is often mistreated or placed in vulnerable positions is likely to be more aggressive.
This is true of Basset Hounds as well. While they are not naturally aggressive, this does not mean there is no such thing as an aggressive Basset Hound. However, this is not much of a concern if you are raising a Basset Hound from an 8-week-old puppy. After all, a puppy would not have had time to be negatively influenced by anyone yet.
How to Avoid Aggravating a Basset Hound
Basset Hounds may not be naturally aggressive, and even when agitated, they probably wouldn’t attack you, even so, people should not go out of their way to do things that may bother a Basset Hound. For instance, these dogs are very social animals, and will likely grow unhappy if they are often left alone for long periods of time.
In fact, Basset Hounds are dogs that do very poorly alone, and they need a great deal of love and attention. While they are unlikely to attack you, if they feel that they are being ignored too often, they will likely be mildly aggressive with you, doing things such as nipping and barking. They may also be a bit more destructive to your furniture if they feel this way.
In some cases, Basset Hounds can be territorial, but this is rarely an issue if they are raised from puppyhood in a loving environment. Most Basset Hounds are not territorial, but they can become that way due to other stress factors in their environment. In such a case, they may not do well with children. Ultimately though, as long as you raise a Basset Hound in a loving environment, they tend to be very docile and friendly dogs that love to be part of the family. Compared to alfa male dogs such as Dobermann’s, It is very, very rare for a Basset Hound to be aggressive in any way that is truly problematic.
