Beagle vs Basset Hound

The Beagle’s temperament is generally joyful, determined and adventurous. They’re spunky dogs who typically get along well with others, and their curious personality means they love to play and explore.

Couch potatoes they are not! In fact, they need a lot of exercise and thrive when given a job to do. They were originally bred to track and hunt game, and you’ll often see them with their nose to the ground. At times they can be too driven by scents. Don’t be surprised if they smell something interesting and take off!

Known for their intelligence, a bored Beagle may get themselves into trouble. Don’t worry—Beagles are happy to tell you when they need more stimulation with their attention-getting vocalizations. A cross between a bark and a howl, the unmistakable Beagle “baying” is sharper than a bark but not as drawn out as a howl. Beagles love to join in when they hear other dogs howling or when they want to express themselves with their “Beagle noises.”

Agility training, scent work or tracking classes might be good activities to explore with these smart, strong-willed dogs. (Psst, the National Beagle Club is a good resource for events and other activities for this breed.)

While a Beagle puppy can be mouthy and chew things they shouldn’t (just like any other puppy!), the Beagle breed isn’t expected to have aggressive tendencies as an adult. These social, family dogs get along well with children and are great for active families. And since they were originally bred for hunting in packs, they also do well with other dogs, although they may need more time to adjust to cat households.

Basset Hounds have a laid-back personality and are calm under pressure. Their good-natured demeanor is accepting of outsiders, but don’t expect these low-key dogs to get all wiggly and excited about it. When it comes to their families, they’re very devoted and are amazing with siblings, whether kids, cats or other dogs. They don’t like to be alone for long, so don’t be surprised if they seek you out for couch cuddles. They’ll happily be your binge-watching buddy.

But don’t be too fooled by their Zen-like nature—their low energy level kicks into high gear whenever they catch an interesting scent, whether it belongs to food or another critter. (And when this scenting hound does get excited, it’s usually accompanied by their distinctive baying bark.) That’s because Basset Hounds were bred to hunt with their noses, and this instinct sometimes gets them into trouble. They may choose to ignore you and wander away on the trail of a scent if they’re allowed off-leash. Tracking sports and other scent-based games can be a healthy outlet for their powerful sniffers.

And don’t assume their chill personality means they’ll be easy to train. Like all hounds, the Basset Hound’s independence can make them appear slow on the uptake. They’re not naturally people-pleasers, so they need a confident pup parent to train them. These dogs actually possess a lot of intelligence—they just need a little more patience when it comes to training. Lots of rewards with a favorite treat will help make you more interesting than the smells around them and help shape them into loving, loyal and well-mannered BFFs.