Why a Basset Hound?

A fine question.  No doubt you have your own thoughts on the breed, and by harnessing the tremendous time-wasting power of the Internet, I'm sure that you can find dozens of other people's opinions on the subject.  But you're here now, so you get my opinions - free of charge!

They're Wonderful Companions

I've interacted with many different breeds, and I've never met a breed more dependent on human interaction for their happiness.  My beasties follow me around the house, and simply won't wander off on their own.  On the whole this is a good thing; a dog that's not in visible sight is probably a dog that's up to something.  And unlike some of the other people-oriented dogs, bassets are relatively low-energy.   They seem quite content to follow you to wherever you're going, and then once it looks like you're going to stay put, they'll just go to sleep.  Probably on top of you.

They're Good Natured

They only look sad - in reality, they're quite cheerful.  (Inasmuch as it's possible to tell how 'cheerful' a dog is.)  They really like humans.   All humans.  They can be remarkably tolerant of even the most ill-mannered small children. 

Bassets do not make good guard dogs, as the biggest threat they're likely to present to a would-be robber takes the form of "something to trip over".  However, bassets may well make fine watch dogs.  Certainly no one is getting in the house without the dogs noisily announcing the presence of a new potential playmate.

They're Medium-Sized

They combine these handy features of small dogs:

• They don't eat that much, so not that much comes out the other end.
• You don't have to worry about them stealing the baked ham off the table.
• When you're sitting down, the dog is still below you, where it belongs. This cannot be said for your tall dogs, and as a general rule of thumb, you never want a dog's butt above your head, or even at eye level.
• As the body of the dog is at foot-level, it's much easier to 'nudge' the dog in the direction you'd like it to go.

With these cutting-edge big-dog design factors:

• They aren't yappy little fur-balls.
• They tend toward the sedate end of the doggy spectrum....eventually!
• Large (and 'doggy') enough that guys can walk them without feeling foolish.

Yes, but what about your dogs?

		Chumly Bob Dawg.  Born October 8, 1994.   55lbs He's the excitable one of the pair, just bursting with goofy lovable basset personality.  Of course, this often makes him a great big pain in the a--, but it's a tradeoff, y'know!
		Samantha A'Pooch.  Born April 14, 1995.   55lbs She's the quiet type.  Very calm.  She's also quite possibly as dense as a bag of hammers; it's hard to tell whether a basset is stupid, or merely obstinate.  In any event, she's completely pleasant to be around, and she makes a fine  'cuddly teddy-bear' (or pillow), for what that's worth.

Don't tell me you actually breed them!

Well yes, I do.  Actually, they breed themselves, but in any event...