Basset Hound grooming in Gloucester, MA

The breed standard calls the coat hard, smooth and short, dense enough for all weather, over skin that is loose and elastic. That skin falls in wrinkles over the brow, hangs in pendulous lips and loose flews, and forms a very pronounced dewlap at the throat. The AKC notes that the short hair can shed profusely, and it rates the breed four of five for drooling. Moisture from the mouth runs straight into the folds at the lips and throat.

That combination is where the hound smell usually comes from: not the coat but the damp places. The 2022 UK study of skin fold dermatitis led by Dan O'Neill found Basset Hounds at about 11 times the odds of crossbred dogs, and across all the dogs studied, lip folds were the most common site. A bath freshens the coat; drying the lips, the dewlap and the brow wrinkles afterward, and every day at home, is what slows the smell's return.

The AKC describes powerful little legs, remarkably heavy bone and massive paws, and asks for the nails to be trimmed regularly. A dog of 50 pounds or more standing on short legs puts real weight through each foot, and nails you can hear on the kitchen floor are already overdue. Nail clipping is $16 on any bath. Short, frequent trims are easier on the dog than a long-overdue one, and our page on dog nail trims explains how to tell when they are due.

A Basset should never be asked to jump into a tub or onto a table. Ask at check-in how your dog will be lifted: a safe lift supports the chest and the hindquarters together so the long body stays level, rather than one arm under the belly. The AKC lists hip and elbow dysplasia among the conditions breeders screen for, so tell us what your vet has said about joints or the back. The $20 handling surcharge covers extra time and hands where they are needed.

The AKC suggests going over a Basset at least once a week with a soft brush or a shedding tool, and likens the session to an all-body massage. Wipe the lips and dewlap after meals and drinks, and dry the brow wrinkles while you are there. Lift each ear and look inside every few days: clean and pale is good, while redness, dark wax, a smell or head shaking means a call to your vet.

A Basset's nose leads it through every wet patch on Cape Ann, and the ears follow it. From April to November, tick season, the long ears and the loose skin at the throat are good places for a tick to hide after Ravenswood Park or Dogtown Common, so check there first. In the off-season, Good Harbor takes dogs on even-numbered days from October 1 to March 31 at the time of writing; rinse salt and sand from the ears and folds afterward.