Basset Hound vs. Beagle: What's the Difference?

Everyone loves dogs. Many of us love hunting dogs. There is something so special about the mental bond a hunting dog shares with any human, even when just going out for a walk. The intensity, the joy, and the sense of purpose can be just magical on the shortest stroll outside, or even playing fetch inside.

Hounds are hunting dogs now beloved as pets. Beagles are the most popular breed of hounds, But everyone knows and is drawn to the lovely sight of a basset hound, always a favorite at dog shows and at home.

Beagles and Basset hounds look quite different from each other at first glance in appearance. They are actually very similar in many ways. Both beagles and basset hounds have nearly identical coat coloring, the standard hunting camouflage mix of black, brown, and white. Both can be found working at airports as scent hounds.

So, Basset hound vs Beagle: what's the difference?

Beagles are taller, and lighter-boned than basset hounds. The heavy-boned basset hound actually has the highest ratio of bone to the mass of any dog! Both of the breeds have long ears, but the basset hound's ears are dramatically longer, while the basset hound's head is longer and narrower, giving a distinctive look. A beagle's body is not as long as a basset hound. A beagle's legs are much longer, like a foxhound. The basset hound has short legs, slightly curved, like a Dachshund. Beagles are supposed to be 13-15 inches tall, measured paw to shoulder, versus 15 inches for a basset hound.

A standard beagle weighs twenty to thirty pounds. A standard basset hound weighs around twice that, officially from 40 to 65 pounds. Basset hounds are known to be a bit more laid-back in personality than the outgoing beagle. Beagles are also even-tempered, but really love to play with the family and may be quite protective of children they know.

The AKC lists beagles as a top ten most popular breeds, the basset hound is more rare, down at around 40th place. Beagles are known to need an hour a day of full exercise, the basset hound can get by on half that. Both breeds can get heavy fast, but the basset hound can stay trim eating about twice as much as a beagle. Both of them love to bark and howl, but the beagle may have an edge there!

Everyone knows and loves Snoopy, the famous cartoon beagle. Snoopy does represent the merry, curious, upbeat sense of a beagle. The most famous basset hound was once the spokesdog for Hush Puppies. Going back further, Deputy Dawg was a golden age cartoon character. His catchphrase was " Hello, you happy people." This was a joke on the melancholy appearance of a typical basset hound.

Experts say that most scent hunting dogs, including basset hounds and beagles, descended from the Saint Hubert Hound. The monks of St. Hubert, living around the French-Swiss border in the thirteenth century, gave annual gifts of St. Hubert hounds to the king of France. As time went by, these scent hounds were bred into lighter, faster dogs like the beagle.

The word beagle may come from the French for "gaped throat," and everyone who has heard beagles bay knows why. Others say the name came from the Celtic word "beag," meaning small, or the French word "beugeler, " meaning to bellow or make a noise like a bugler playing a horn! Basset hounds are clearly named after basset, meaning low. Basset hounds were bred down to be low, heavy dogs, that could plow through the brush while searching for rabbit scent.

Among hunting dogs, hound dogs are an even more special breed. Hound dogs, like the beagle and the basset hound, were originally raised to hunt in packs. This makes them by nature very social dogs, who love to be in groups with each other, or with humans. Hound dogs are bred to be non-aggressive to each other, and this also means they love to be with children and families. They do NOT like to be left alone for long periods of time. Hounds want to be where the action is, in as large of a group as they can muster. Both breeds have a strong prey instinct and may not like small furry pets in the house.

Basset hounds and beagles are both scent hounds. Something in the DNA of sight hounds means that they are stubborn. So stubborn, that both beagles and basset hounds may appear to be dumb, and sometimes rank poorly on doggy IQ tests. Experts know that (particularly basset hounds) are quite smart, they are just not necessarily focused on the same priorities as anyone who is not a pack hunting scent hound! Beagles can be very focused on smells and easily distracted during training on anything else. And all hound dogs are prone to wanting to roam, after all, they ain't nothing but a hound dog!!