Aggressive Basset Hound

by Jane
(Florida)

This seems to be the only current site I can find. I have a male Basset who will be a year in August. We have 2 other older dogs, females, a Golden and a Pomeranian. Our kids are gone so we have totally adored this dog. He has reaped the benefit of a lot of love and attention. He is so sweet and cute and totally adorable, but he will suddenly snap and turn on me. He starts barking and growling and jumping at me, he is trying to bite me and has a few times. My husband and I are baffled. I have had dogs my whole life, I've never had an aggressive dog. We try to make excuses for him to each other, we hope he'll outgrow this, but he is very unpredictable.

Today I was sitting on the floor petting him, he turned and started barking and growling at me. I was holding my feet out so he couldn't bite me. I finally got to my feet, but he will corner me, so I have to try to get to the door and then slam it behind him for safety. This is bizarre , scary and heart breaking. We love this dog. After he does this, he is looking at us like nothing happened and wagging his tail. My husband thinks it's a dangerous situation and that I could be really hurt. That goes against everything I feel about dogs, I've loved my dogs more than some people. You hear about bad Pitbulls, but no one is talking about the "bad Basset hound next door". Please know, this dog has had training and a trainer here, he goes to the vet more than any dog I've ever owned, he's not neglected. He just snaps and turns and then he's back to the "sweet dog". I'm baffled, is this a breed thing or what.

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Oct 13, 2020
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Aggressive male
by: Anonymous

I am having the same issue. We got litter mates- one make, one female. The female is sweet as can be. The male is sweet 90% of the time however over the past 6 months he's started having streaks where he tries to attack. Today he was successful. He went full force crazy and attacked. I kept my cool, flipped him on his back with my free arm and pinned him. He then released my other arm. He drew blood. I kept him pinned until he stopped snarling and his body relaxed. He and his sister have been raised the same, and I'm hoping getting him neutered will stop the behavior.
Any ideas?

May 31, 2020
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Wondering where they were breed
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We are getting ready to adopt a bassett who has history of nipping. He is coming from a home that had small children.

May 29, 2020
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My best friend
by: Billy

We got my Bassett for almost 2 years. Got him as a puppy. He is my best friend. Never had any problems with him. He never growled or anything. Yesterday he was at the fence barking and the dogs next door like he always dose. Then all of the sudden he sounded like he was in a fight. I went outside to see and the other dogs was just looking at him. I tried to get him to come in the house which he always does willingly. He started to move then he stopped. So I reached down to get his harness and walk him in. When I reached for him he snapped and bit my arm. But he didn't stop there. I turned to get away from him and he jumped up and bit my hand. And it wasn't just a little nip. I have 4 big holes in my hand and a bite on my arm. I don't understand what happened with him. Then we brought him in the house and he kept growling at me. He has never displayed anything like this before

May 24, 2020
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Aggressive boy
by: Amor

We've had our basset boy for 2 years now and was very close to my husband but since last night he growls or nips at my husband if he tell him not to do something or pushes him off me not jump or if he reprimands him.
Does anyone know why he would be acting like this???

May 16, 2020
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Mine too 😪
by: Karen

Omg,.I am sat here looking for someone else facing the same problems. I'm heartbroken. My Basset Hound is 11 months old and he will just lose it. I have no idea why, i don't treat him any differently to my other dog, which is a very gentle well behaved 2 year old German shepherd. They get on great and Rex the basset follows him everywhere it's so sweet. He is full on with the love and is a huge snuggler, he loves other dogs and has even learnt some manners, but then out of nowhere he attacks and he's fast! He has done it again tonight, I went to move him like I always do and he went for me and bit my arm, I stood my ground and tried again but in the end I had to get a slip lead and lasso him to move him out of the way. It breaks my heart. He then acts like nothing has happened. It's so confusing.. I've never had a dog like this. Xxxx

Apr 19, 2020
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I was bitten by 8 year old Bassett
by: Cathy

My sister left her Bassett with me and never came back. He's usually very mellow but 2 days ago, as I went to walk past him, he grabbed my foot around the big toe and shook me like a dead rabbit. Then he acted like nothing happened. I need to decide if I should put him down. It may be worse next time!

Apr 08, 2020
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Mine too
by: Anonymous

I’m on my third Basset, and he is psycho. The first two were sweet. They were stubborn, but never aggressive. Our current Basset is like Jekyle and Hyde. Sweet one moment, aggressive the next. He gets angry when we don’t let him go somewhere with us or when he has done something wrong. I picked him up a few weeks ago when my wife was leaving and he wanted to go with her. He put a pretty good gash in my ear. He growls violently for minutes at a time while I establish dominance in situations where he gets agitated. I’m ready to get him out of the house but the kids don’t understand the danger he poses. I thought I was good at training Bassets, but there are definitely some with aggression in their bloodline. We happened upon someone with a pup from the same sire and they said they were having similar problems.

Dec 13, 2019
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Aggressive
by: Kyle

I have 8 yr old basset female and we left her at a kennel for a 6 day vacation when she was 2. The kennel described her as angry and aggressive. When she was a puppy she would get hyper, want to bite and fight. I put her in her place, and some people may not want to hit or kock their dogs but that is what an aggressive dog needs. Now 6 yrs later She is our family sweetheart, protects our kids and never even came close to biting them. However does not get along with most dogs she sees. Very protective of her family and her home. I would advise any puppy owner that you need to show you ARE THE BOSS, and that may take a swat across the head. Baskets are a loving animal, but very hyper as puppies. Good luck.

Jul 31, 2019
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My wild basset
by: StacyAnonymous

I am interested in knowing what the outcome of this post is! I have a male basset 8 mths in age and he is very aggressive with us also biting! And when we try to put him in his crate he will full on go in attack mode!! He just bit me last night ! I am so upset I dont know what to do!! I dont want to get rid of him but I am just about to that point!! Any thoughts or suggestions would really be appreciated!!!

Jun 11, 2019
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Aggressive seven year old purebred Basset
by: Anonymous

Feel everyone's pain & anguish over having a Basset Hound who becomes aggressive. Our Basset Hound became quite aggressive after we moved to a coastal town. He had always suffered from separation anxiety; but, had never shown signs of aggressiveness. As time went by, and we coped with his growling & snarling @ us when something didn't suit him; but, then, he actually attacked my son who was attempting to groom him. A bite was delivered that went right through my son's shoe & into the flesh of his foot. It is so painfully sad when a family must surrender a family pet after having loved & cared for them for seven years because they have become dangerous.

Apr 25, 2019
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Basset bit my son
by: Anonymous

257 stitches & 3 plastic surgeries later. . . my son was sitting on the floor playing with a matchbox toy and the dog came over and bit him. While most are laid back, they can be aggressive. It is more common in the breed than people realize. Please get a vet check & recommendations.

Apr 11, 2019
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Bassett hound attacked me as well last weekend
by: Anonymous

I had a female Bassett, my wife’s dog we rescued attack me in my chair with her standing near. She bit me in 4 places. I went to the ER for stitches in my foot on the side. Thank god I was wearing slippers! I read your post and had to comment. This has freaked me out. It happened Saturday the 6th 2019.

Thanks for sharing, I never thought this would happen, especially from a Bassett hound.

May 16, 2016
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How did it pan out for you?
by: Tony

I've observed the same behaviour with a 7 months basset hound, that I do walk for the owner. He does that with the owner's Mom, too.

I was interested to know how did it work out for the originator of this article?

Thanks, Tony

Mar 26, 2015
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Bring it to the vet
by: Anonymous

Bring it to the Vet and get a check up, see if it a health related issue, the dog may be in some kind of pain. (Don't know where you got the dog)
Usually this breed does not anger/violence like you stated but may be trying show dominance or rank. My male tried snapping at me at first until I showed him who was boss.
Question for you: Does he get along with the other 2 dogs you mentioned? Which dog is the Alpha/boss?

Mar 26, 2015
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Thoughts of why.
by: Anonymous

Hello.
first I will thank you for sharing this problem with others, that need some guts to do (sorry my english here I am from Norway). This is a breed as you already know that should have no aggressive dogs. I belive you already have heard about the syndrom PMDS, thats follow the breed. It is two things you may do first to sheck this 1. aks the breeder if they know it this is in their breederlines? 2. See a vetenarian and ask if they may excam the dogs by ultrasound to look for a utreus behind prostata and urinbladder. Aggressivity is one of the typical symptom of PMDS. IF someone of the female dogs has their annual runningtime (bleeding) those dogs who suffer of PMDS will have a bad behavior, special during those periods. If this also is a typical behavior else during the days of the year, I would have dicussed it with the breeder what to do. It has happend that those bassets you need to put them to sleep. A aggressive basset hound is a dangerous dog. One young man in Sweeden has put his basset hound last summer only 2 years old to sleep. He attack his mum badley in her arm, and she neede a surgery afther. Sheck the lines if there are aggressive dogs there. I know there are some breeders that still use those dogs to mate with. And tahts sad fro the dogs, for the breed and for their families. Astrid

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