These photos, of course, remind me of this part of Pedigree Dogs Exposed:
(source)
Those dogs in the photos are from the time period that this dogs “came into this country [the UK].”
Improved? I really don’t think so.
No one I know who beagles uses basset hounds. I’ve heard of people crossing beagles and bassets and using that cross.
From understanding, the only hunting basset hound that ever lived in my part of the world would wear out so easily that he’d just stop in the middle of the road and lie down. His short legs just couldn’t handle the steep hillsides for long.
But maybe these dogs could.
***
The dog in the top photo could have been a beagle, but I’m sticking with Pietoro’s classifcation until proven otherwise. Some of the earlier strains of beagle were shorter in the leg than they are today.
some working hounds today: http://www.albanybassets.co.uk/about_us.php
The Albany hounds are lovely. Functional dwarfed dogs, rather than caricatures.
Yep. They are.
I think they have a touch of harrier in them, but who cares?
Thanks for this posting. I have commented on the YouTube video.