Basset Hound Puppies: Adopt or Buy?

Should you adopt or buy a Basset Hound?

Most people who end up with a purebred Basset puppy buy one from a registered breeder, because the breed is uncommon in Australian rescue and there is no Basset-only rescue we have been able to verify. That makes the breeder's eye and DNA screening the most important thing you will check. If you are open to an adult or a Basset cross, a rescue dog skips the slow puppy years, arrives desexed and microchipped, and lets you see its back, ears, eyes and manners before you commit.

Reference only, not a quote. Breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them; check with them.

What is a Basset Hound really like?

The Dogs Australia breed standard describes a short-legged hound of considerable substance, “a tenacious hound of ancient lineage, which hunts by scent, possessing a pack instinct and a deep, melodious voice”. Its temperament line is short: “Placid, never aggressive or timid. Affectionate.” Height is 33 to 38 cm at the withers, but it is a heavy dog for that height.

Read 11 November 2026: Dogs Australia standard, Dogs Victoria profile, Dogs NSW breed page, Basset Hound Club of Victoria.

Dogs NSW says a Basset is great with children and other dogs and does not suit being an only dog: if it will spend long periods alone, it recommends pairing it with another Basset or a suitable companion dog. It also warns that Bassets are food motivated, so food needs to be kept well out of reach.

Why is recall so hard with a Basset?

Because the nose was bred to win. Dogs NSW says Bassets are second in scenting ability only to the Bloodhound, and the Basset Hound Club of Victoria says that, being scent hounds, they “have very little road sense” and tend to put their nose to the ground and set off. The club says yards must be fully fenced with reliable gates.

• Off-lead only where it is safe. Dogs NSW says leash-free walking should be offered only where the dog will come to no harm, especially if it gets on a scent and forgets to listen.
• A long line, not trust. Practise recall in a fenced area with food rewards, and keep a lead or long line on anywhere open.
• Check the fence before the puppy arrives, including gaps under gates.

Our Sydney guide to Basset Hound training and recall goes through the method step by step.

What health problems do Basset Hounds have?

Dogs Victoria calls the Basset a generally healthy breed in which these conditions occur occasionally: eye conditions such as ectropion, entropion and glaucoma; gastric torsion (bloat); bleeding disorders (Basset Hound thrombopathia and von Willebrand disease); and joint problems. The shape brings three areas of everyday care.

The back and legs

Dogs NSW says the long back needs to be looked after, that a single-level house and yard is preferable, and that lifting the dog into and out of the car is essential. The Basset Hound Club of Victoria warns that in the first year a puppy's front legs are very susceptible to growth plate damage, so it should avoid heavy jumping, such as off furniture or out of the back of a car, and should never be allowed to run down stairs.

There is a genetic reason as well. Cornell University explains that a variant called the FGF4 retrogene is linked to short legs and to a higher risk of Type I intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), where a disc ruptures and presses on the spinal cord. In a table from the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, the variant's frequency in the 32 Basset Hounds tested was 0.63. That raises risk; it does not mean a given dog will get disc disease. A dog that suddenly wobbles, drags its back legs, cannot walk or cries out when touched needs a vet that day. Our Dachshund IVDD guide explains the signs, which are the same in any long-backed dog.

The ears

The standard asks for long, low-set, velvety ears that reach just beyond the end of the muzzle. Dogs NSW says the ears need to be cleaned to avoid infections, and the breed club suggests checking them regularly and wiping them with a damp cotton wool ball or cloth. Head shaking, a smell or discharge from the ear is a reason to see your vet.

The eyes

Dogs Victoria notes a slight drooping of the lower eye, which should be watched for irritation or conjunctivitis, and the club says any discharge or change should be reported to your vet. Glaucoma, a painful rise in pressure inside the eye, is the condition breeders test for. A red, cloudy or painful eye is urgent.

Weight and bloat

Dogs NSW says weight must be carefully monitored and that, like other barrel-chested breeds, a Basset without careful feeding is prone to bloat. Cornell lists Basset Hounds among the breeds in which gastric dilatation-volvulus is far more common, and calls it a life-threatening condition that occurs suddenly. Retching that brings nothing up, drooling, restlessness or a swollen, painful belly means go to a vet or emergency vet now. Our Sydney guide to Basset Hound health issues covers day-to-day care.

Which health tests should a Basset breeder show you?

The Dogs Australia registration regulations make tests compulsory before litters of some breeds can be registered, but the Basset is not one of them, so ask. The Basset Hound Club of Victoria says specialist eye examinations and breed-specific DNA tests are available, and its puppy advice says a reputable breeder will give you copies of any health testing done on the parents or the puppy. Here is what the breed bodies list:

Sources read 11 November 2026: Basset Hound Club of Victoria, Basset Hound Club of America health policy (revised July 2022), Royal Kennel Club. A buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

One caution from the Basset Hound Club of America: the glaucoma DNA test covers only the less common open-angle form. There is no DNA test for the more common closed-angle form, so a puppy described as “DNA clear of glaucoma” is not glaucoma-proof. An eye examination of the parents, and an honest answer about eye problems in the breeder's lines, tells you more.

How much is a Basset puppy from a registered breeder?

We have no published figure to give you. Our method reads the prices that Dogs Australia member breeders publish on their own websites. In November 2026 none of the Basset breeders we checked published a price there: most had no website of their own, and the prices we did see were on listing sites, which we do not use because anyone can post on them. No Australian Basset club publishes a guide price, and the Basset Hound Club of Victoria refers buyers to its member breeders rather than quoting a figure. Ask each breeder, and compare what the price includes: the tests in the table above, the register the puppy goes on, and support later.

For scale only, two Australian breed bodies publish figures for other popular pedigree breeds: the German Shepherd Dog Club of Victoria puts the average German Shepherd puppy at $3,500 to $5,000, and a Dogs Australia advice article says to expect $4,000 to $5,000 for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Those are other breeds, read in November 2026, not a Basset price; reference only, not a quote.

The purchase price is the smaller number. Feeding, insuring and treating a heavy dog adds up, so run it through the dog cost calculator and read our guide to cheaper vet care.

What do Basset Hounds in rescue look like?

Usually adults, sometimes seniors, and often Basset crosses. We have not verified a Basset-only rescue operating in Australia, so the route is general rescues, council pounds and an alert on the breed page. An adult Basset suits a quieter home well: Dogs NSW says the breed will walk all day but is just as happy staying home. Ask the rescue what it knows about the dog's back, ears and eyes, and book a baseline vet check in the first weeks. Calm dogs of every breed are listed by city too: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

What does a rescue Basset cost?

Reference only, not a quote. These are the fees each rescue published on the date shown; fees change and some dogs are priced individually, so check with the rescue. The fee normally covers desexing, microchipping and a vet check. Read our guides to adopting a dog in Australia and adopting a senior dog.

How do Basset puppy scams work?

Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites, social media profiles and marketplace listings offering popular breeds or cute puppies that do not exist. Its advice: view the puppy in person, ask for a video call if you cannot visit, check the breeder is legitimate, and compare prices, because a very cheap pet is likely a scam. A Dogs Victoria fact sheet warns that scam ads may display microchip, source or membership numbers lifted from legitimate breeders.

Basset versions of the pattern to watch for:

• A real kennel name on a fake site. With few registered Basset breeders, scammers can borrow a genuine prefix. Contact the breeder through the details the state canine body or the breed club holds, not the ad.
• “Interstate, we'll fly the puppy to you.” When a breed is hard to find locally, a distant seller seems plausible and a transport fee is easy to ask for.
• “DNA clear of glaucoma.” As above, the DNA test covers only one form. Ask for the eye examination certificates too.
• Photos of someone else's litter. A reverse image search often finds the same picture on another site.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the full state-by-state table of breeder numbers and what to do if you have already paid.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

For this breed, often. Rescue is not right for everyone, and with few Bassets in rescue, a registered breeder is a reasonable choice if you have your heart set on the breed and want a puppy from screened parents. The Basset Hound Club of Victoria describes what a good one does:

1. Registration you can check. Enter the breeder's prefix or membership number in the Dogs Australia registered breeder check. In Victoria, every ad must also show a Pet Exchange Register source number.
2. A visit to meet the puppies and their mother, usually after the vet check and first vaccinations. The father may live elsewhere, but the breeder should be able to tell you about him.
3. Paperwork at pick-up: a diet sheet, a vaccination record, a signed vet certificate of health, copies of any health testing on the parents or puppy, a microchip transfer and a certified pedigree (main register for showing, limited register for a family pet).
4. A contract of purchase, which the club says breeders may also provide. Ask whether it covers health, the register type and taking the dog back.
5. Ongoing advice. The club says genuine breeders are happy to help after the puppy goes home. Dogs Australia also suggests asking whether your own vet can check the puppy before you buy.

Is a Basset Hound the right dog for you?

Be honest about five things before you apply anywhere: a securely fenced yard, a single-level home or a plan for stairs and cars, neighbours who will hear a deep voice, time at home or a second dog, and patience for a hound that takes up to three years to grow up and follows its nose. If that fits, a Basset is a placid, affectionate companion. Not sure? Try the what dog breed is right for me quiz and the adoption readiness check, and compare the Beagle and Dachshund guides.

Weighing other breeds too? Our other adopt-or-buy guides in this set cover the Bernedoodle, Koolie, Bull Terrier, German Shorthaired Pointer and Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Find a Basset Hound near you

Basset Hounds and Basset crosses listed by rescues, by city:

• Basset Hounds for adoption in Sydney
• Basset Hounds for adoption in Melbourne
• Basset Hounds for adoption in Brisbane
• Basset Hounds for adoption in Perth
• Basset Hounds for adoption in Adelaide

Local guides to adopting a Basset, with the rescues that serve each city: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide.