Basset Hound

One of the keenest noses in dogdom, set on a low-slung, long-eared frame — the one-line entry sketches the Basset Hound, and the ratings fill in an equally unhurried character.

The temperament sheet

Energy is rated low: steady, nose-down walks rather than mileage. Tolerance for time alone is moderate — a few hours is manageable, whole days on end are not what the sheet describes.

With children the rating is excellent, our top mark, and the first-dog answer is yes. Space is flat-ok, and with a low energy rating beside it, the sheet means that honestly.

The practical side

Size is medium and grooming is low — the coat looks after itself with minimal help. Shedding is moderate. The line to read twice is barking, rated vocal: a hound voice is part of the package, and it carries a good deal further than the dog’s height suggests. Readers pairing the flat-ok rating with close neighbours should pair this line with it too.

The dog in front of you

The sheet stops here, as it should. Individual dogs outrank their breed sheet, and meeting the dog in front of you outranks everything else in this annual.