How To Go About Basset Hound Grooming

If you have ever spotted a dog that looks like a sad clown, you have likely seen a Basset Hound. By no means does that mean that Basset Hounds are sad dogs – far from it. Rather, the sad clown look give Basset Hounds something truly special that make them stand out from the crowd in the form of large domed heads that combine incredibly long and velvety ears, mournful eyes, and wrinkled brows.

The most common colors that you will see Basset Hounds are black and white, brown and white, red and white, and the triple colors of tan, black, and white. Basset Hounds have a rich history in France and Belgium where they were considered to be the favorite of hunting-obsessed French aristocrats. For Basset Hound grooming help, continue to read on down below.

The Basset Hound Grooming Process

1. Brush Your Basset Hound’s Hair

Basset Hounds have short hair and so matting isn’t really an issue here. With that being said, despite your Basset Hound having short hair, he/she still manages to shed some of his/her hair throughout the year.

As a result, any hair that your Basset Hound sheds from his/her coating will end up on your floor or furniture. So, you will want to brush your Basset Hound’s coating as doing so will help to bring the shedding under control by getting rid of dead hair before they can fall off the coating.

As for which brush to use for brushing your Basset Hound’s coating, the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush is a popular brush that is effective at getting rid of dead hair and can do so without scratching your Basset Hound’s skin in the process.

The brush also comes with a self-cleaning feature in which all you need to do is to press the button in order to clean out your brush. When it comes to brushing your Basset Hound’s coating, I would brush in the direction of hair growth.

As for how often to brush your Basset Hound’s coating, doing it once per week is reasonable.

2. Brush Your Basset Hound’s Teeth

Like all dogs, your Basset Hound needs to have his/her teeth brushed. That is to prevent tartar buildup from taking hold of his/her teeth because that can cause tooth decay if left unaddressed.

Veterinarians often recommend the Virbac toothpaste to dog owners for their dogs’ teeth. So, you will want to get that for your Basset Hound’s teeth. You can use a toothbrush to brush your Basset Hound’s teeth.

Be sure and brush your Basset Hound’s teeth regularly. So, ideally, you will do that on a daily basis. But, if you can’t brush your Basset Hound’s teeth daily, you will want to do it two or three times per week at a minimum.

3. Bathe Your Basset Hound

Basset Hounds are notorious for their bad odor and so you will want to use a shampoo that is produced with bad odor in mind. The TropiClean Dog Shampoo for Smelly Dogs does a great job of taking care of the foul smell and is also popular.

Now that you have the shampoo, you are ready to give your Basset Hound a bath. To get started, bring your Basset Hound to your bathtub. Once there, fill a cup with warm water and then pour it onto your Basset Hound’s coating to get it all wet.

Now, apply the shampoo thoroughly onto your Basset Hound’s coating, taking care not to get it into his/her eyes. Once you are done with the shampoo, rinse your Basset Hound’s coating until every trace of the shampoo is gone.

With the bath over, dry your Basset Hound’s coating with a bathing towel and then re-brush it. As for how often to bathe your Basset Hound, doing it once per month should do it.

Be careful not to do it too often though because that can strip the natural oils that nourishes your Basset Hound’s coating and skin.

4. Clean Your Basset Hound’s Ears

As with all other dogs, your Basset Hound needs to have his/her ears cleaned out. That is all the more important given the length of your Basset Hound’s ears. Your Basset Hound’s ears can become breeding grounds for wax buildup which in turn can lead to ear infection.

So, be sure to keep an eye on your Basset Hound’s ears. If they look dirty, that indicates that it is time for you to clean them out. Veterinarians often recommend that dog owners get the Virbac ear cleaner for their dogs’ ears.

So, you will want to get that for your Basset Hound’s ears. You can apply the ear cleaner on cotton balls and then use them to clean your Basset Hound’s ears.

5. Clip Your Basset Hound’s Nails

Your Basset Hound needs to have his/her nails clipped in order to keep them short. That is because you don’t want your Basset Hound’s nails to be too long as that can be painful for him/her especially if there is an accident involving his/her nails while walking around.

So, if you start to hear the clicking sound when your Basset Hound is walking around, that signals that it is time for you to get to work clipping his/her nails. You can use a nail clipper like Millers Forge Dog Nail Clip to clip your Basset Hound’s nails.

Be careful not to cut the quick part of your Basset Hound’s nails as that can easily result in bleeding.

Basset Hound Grooming – Conclusion

There you have it for Basset Hound grooming. Just in case you are wondering, your Basset Hound doesn’t need to have his/her hair trimmed at all. That is because your Basset Hound’s hair is already short to start with and he/she already does the hair trimming all by him/herself in the form of shedding.

So, there is no need for you to get involved in trimming your Basset Hound’s hair. If you are finding yourself struggling to get your Basset Hound to cooperate with you as you are grooming him/her, this post has you covered.

What are your thoughts? Have you groomed a Basset Hound before? Feel free to leave a comment down below.