[1][3] The first description of bassets was in the 16th century by Jacques du Fouilloux in his work La vénerie, stating they were found in the regions of Artois and Flanders.
[3] Hunting game on foot with bassets experienced a rapid increase in popularity in France after the French Revolution in the late 18th century, when hunting with large hounds from horseback was almost eliminated in France as it was traditionally the preserve of the nobility.
[1] Bassets have a strong resemblance to larger, longer-legged hound breeds, particularly the Bloodhound, despite their much smaller stature.
[1] Bassets’ forelegs tend to be either crooked or straight, depending upon the breed; the coat types and colours seen within different basset breeds reflect those seen within the broader scenthound type, with short, long and wiry coats all found.
[2] Packs of bassets are still used to hunt various quarry, particularly hare and rabbit, but they are also used to flush gamebirds in a similar manner to spaniels.