Home / Breeds / Compare / Basset Hound vs English Foxhound
The nose is in charge outdoors and the stomach indoors: this breed needs scent games, steady training and strict portion control. From Great Britain - England, the English Foxhound is a large scent hound whose traditional work was to follow scent trails for hours, on game from rabbits to boar, baying so hunters can follow. The comparison runs over the measures that matter day to day, from size and exercise through grooming to keeping costs.
The widest difference is the daily exercise bill: about 75 minutes at the middle of the English Foxhound range, against 50 minutes for the Basset Hound.
The runner-up difference is energy: the Basset Hound scores 5 of 5; the English Foxhound scores 4 of 5.
One more gap worth naming is grooming needs, where the English Foxhound rating of 3 of 5 stands against 2 of 5 for the Basset Hound.
| Basset Hound | English Foxhound | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Hound | Hound |
| Origin | France | Great Britain - England |
| Height | 11 to 15 in | 24 to 25 in |
| Weight | 45 to 75 lb | 60 to 75 lb |
| Lifespan | 10 to 12 years | 10 to 13 years |
| Coat | Smooth, short and close. | Short, dense, hard and glossy coat, weatherproof and easy to keep. It sheds moderately and needs only an occasional brush. |
| Temperament | Calm, sociable, musical and single minded on a trail | Easygoing, friendly, stubborn and scent obsessed |
| Energy | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Trainability | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Grooming needs | 2 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Shedding | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Barking | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| With children | Good with children | Good with children |
| With other dogs | Good with dogs | Good with dogs |
| With strangers | Friendly with strangers | Friendly with strangers |
| Apartment fit | Not ideal | With enough exercise |
| Daily exercise | 40 to 60 min | 60 to 90 min |
| Food per month (model) | $38 (3.5 cups a day) | $41 (3.9 cups a day) |
| Insurance per month (model) | $55 to $90 | $42 to $76 |
| Monthly total (model) | $93 to $128 | $83 to $117 |
| Yearly total (model) | $1,111 to $1,531 | $999 to $1,407 |
| Lifetime total (model) | $11,110 to $18,372 | $9,994 to $18,296 |
| Breeder health tests | 5 recommended tests | Panel not published yet |
| Health watch | The long back and short legs put strain on the spine, so keep weight lean and limit jumping. Long ears trap moisture and need regular checks for infection. Breeders should screen elbows and eyes, and test for thrombopathia. | Hip screening and eye checks are the standards for scent hounds, and the long ears need watching for infection. Keeping this food loving type lean is itself a health measure. |
Nothing in the first-time-owner score splits them, so look to temperament and the sections that follow.
English Foxhound: is rated "With enough exercise" for apartment life against "Not ideal" for the Basset Hound.
The children listings and both tie-breaks come out level; supervision and the individual dog matter more than the label.
The shedding ratings land level, and shedding only ever measures loose hair in the home loosely. No breed is allergen-free, so judge this one by time with the breed, not by the row.
English Foxhound: comes in about $10 a month under the Basset Hound on the modeled food and insurance figures, $100 against $110 at the midpoints.
How the Basset Hound and English Foxhound verdicts are scored: the first-time-owner verdict uses 2 x trainability + (6 - energy) + (6 - grooming) + (6 - barking). Apartment living ranks the apartment rating first, then barking, exercise and weight. The children verdict ranks the children rating, then trainability and stranger friendliness. Allergy ranks lowest shedding first, then grooming. Budget ranks the lowest monthly modeled total. Where the Basset Hound and the English Foxhound finish level, the verdict is declared a tie.
Keeping both would run $176 to $245 a month on the modeled totals. The five ratings split this way: level on shedding, trainability and barking, the Basset Hound ahead on energy, the English Foxhound ahead on grooming. Own both and the exercise plans combine to about 125 minutes daily at mid-range. For monthly keeping cost at the midpoint, the Basset Hound ranks 405th of 469; the English Foxhound ranks 341st. A year of the English Foxhound at the midpoint costs about $120 less than a year of the Basset Hound.
On the modeled figures, keeping the Basset Hound costs more each month: the midpoint of food plus insurance is about $110, against $100 for the English Foxhound. Over a lifetime the model totals $11,110 to $18,372 for the Basset Hound; the English Foxhound totals $9,994 to $18,296, on its lifespan range. These are planning estimates, not quotes.
More exercise goes to the English Foxhound: 60 to 90 minutes a day; the Basset Hound asks 40 to 60 minutes. Energy agrees: 4 out of five for the one, 5 for the other.
The ratings say level: 3 of 5 for shedding on both sides. Around the house the coats still feel different. Basset Hound: Smooth, short and close. English Foxhound: Short, dense, hard and glossy coat, weatherproof and easy to keep. It sheds moderately and needs only an occasional brush.
The English Foxhound: it is rated "With enough exercise" for apartment life, where the Basset Hound carries "Not ideal"; its barking score is 4 out of five to the Basset Hound's 4, and it plans on 60 to 90 minutes of exercise daily against 40 to 60 minutes.
If the shortlist runs past two, the comparison tool handles up to four at once, and every written comparison sits on the pairs index.
Breed facts here are drawn from the standards and club guidance set out on each profile. The cost figures are modeled planning estimates, labeled with their basis; they are not quotes, and they are not veterinary advice.