One of the most impressive features of Basset Hounds is their ears, which often sparks curiosity. Do Basset Hounds’ ears continue to grow as they age? Can they have shorter ears? Let’s find out!
Do Basset Hounds’ ears keep growing? No, Basset Hounds’ ears do not continue to grow indefinitely. Growth typically stops as they mature, which is around two years old. At this stage, the ears’ length can range from 7-12 inches. However, this length can be reduced due to improper breeding or other issues.
Since some Basset Hounds have significantly longer ears than others, it’s important to understand your dog’s type. As a responsible owner, it’s crucial to be aware of any related issues.
When do Basset hound ears stop growing?
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me several specific sets of questions about Basset hounds. Because he was about to buy a puppy.
Because It was fascinating to me, I decided to visit several Basset hound owners just to gather some reliable information and experiences about them.
As a result, I came up with a series of articles about Basset hounds. This article is also one of that series.
Basset hounds are the ones who hold the record for longest ears in the canine world. There are so many interesting facts about their ears. Usually, their ears begin to develop in 7-8 days.
In fact, their ears continue to grow until they are two years old. Their ears may slow growth about 1 to 1.5 years in most cases. But usually, the rest fill out more after that.
Basset hounds usually mature when they are about two years old. After that, we actually cannot see significant growth in their body. (Yeah, I know. They may get fat. But that’s not the case.)
Because of that, there is no significant growth in their ears after two years.
What is the average length of basset hound ears?
There is no particular number when it comes to the average length of Basset hound ears. If we consider a mature dog, Usually it can vary anywhere from 7-12 inches range.
But I want to emphasize here that don’t be panic if your Basset hound’s length of ears does not belong to the above range. Because it can happen due to several reasons. Let’s discuss this more under the next subtitle.
In fact, if your dog is still young, the length of the ears could be around 5 to 7 inches. This is a really ordinary fact and you don’t want to worry. Wait until he matures.
When Basset hounds are born, they are pretty much like other breeds. Even though I have mentioned above that their ears begin to develop in 7 to 8 days, a noticeable difference can be seen as they reach 4 weeks.
As we know, Their ears are very unique and play a significant role in their life. One thing I can definitely say. Basset hound ears should be touching the nose or more by the age of 6 to 7 weeks.
When we think about the period from 8 to 16 weeks of their life, the ears usually grow their head size relatively.
As they get older, they will be developed very quickly. Let’s say 12 weeks old age you will feel like, ” oh my gosh I wanna tie them up.”
In fact, keep in mind this. Their ears will not keep growing forever. It will stop as they get mature. I hope this information is sufficient in order to understand the average length of their ears.
Why are your basset hound’s ears short?
If you’re wondering why your dog’s ears are relatively short compared to other Basset hounds. This is mainly because of irresponsible breeders.
As my experience goes, Basset hounds fall into two groups.
The first type.
- Long ears
- Heavy Boned.
- stocky
The second type
- Lighter, and they are more likely Baelish Basset hounds. These dogs are relatively active, and they love to Run, Jump, and engage with outdoor activities. Of course, this type is more capable of playing fetch and other outdoor games.
But been saying that the heavier Boned type is more accurate to the breed standards. With this, we can come to a conclusion. Basset hounds that have short ears are not purebred.
But now, don’t be panic if you realize that your dog is not a purebred one because you cannot replace him now. In fact, they have several advantages of having short ears.
- They will not get much wet when drinking water
- Their ears won’t get dirty as dripping them into their meals.
- Their ears won’t get dirty; they play outdoor games or engage in outdoor activities.
- Less likely to prone to ear infections.
So I wanna emphasize here that you cannot do anything regarding this matter. Be happy with him as you were before.
Let’s you gonna bring another companion to your Basset hound. Suppose that is also another Basset hound. You can find the purebred one by considering the following things.
- Don’t buy a dog for less than 8 weeks old. In addition to the health benefits and other benefits of breastfeeding for at least eight weeks, you can easily recognize a purebred Basset hound by examining their ears. Because these dogs have the most recognizable physical features.
- Examine puppy parents. You can easily understand if a Basset hound purebred with this article from wikiHow.
- Always try to buy from a Standard breeder.
- You can do DNA testing.
- Check his Pedigree papers
What are the best habits when caring for your dog’s ears?
First, you gotta understand how to clean their ears.
- If you take your Basset hound on a walk or any kind of outdoor activity, be sure to clean their ears as soon as you return to the home. It’s better if you can make it as a Basset hound care routine. But it doesn’t mean a full cleanup. Look into their ears and clean if there any kind of dirty.
- Their ears need constant attention and try to give a complete cleansing at least twice a week.
- You should be very careful when you bathe your Basset hound. I mean, it is very crucial to keep the water from entering into ears.
- If you don’t have a good idea of giving a shower to your dog, consult a veterinarian, and ask to demonstrate it.
- Never ever tried to enter Q-tip of any other object to a Basset hound’s ears because it is hazardous.
- If you give them walks on dirty and rough grounds, chances are it could damage those long sweeping ears. Parasites could easily enter today our body through the yeas. I wanna emphasize here because choosing hygienic and smooth trails would be more helpful to their ears.
- Since dog ears are exceedingly different from our ears, Use the most appropriate tools recommended by your veterinarian.
- Human hands are full of germs. So, make sure to clean your hands completely and use the clean gloves and other recommended tools by your veterinarian. By doing so, you can keep their ears from entering germs.
Things to be aware of
Now we know that their ears are not gonna continue to grow forever. But I think about Basset hounds and their ears, There are several things you should be aware of. So let’s figure out what they are.
Don’t restrict his freedom
As I mentioned above, it is really important to take care of their ears when they are playing or walking outside. The Basset hounds are cuddly, affectionate creatures and they require tons of attention from their owners.
So, if you are such a busy person and don’t have sufficient time to spend with them, Walking or playing outdoors is a great way to enhance the bond between the two of you.
So what I want to emphasize here is that don’t try to restrict his freedom in order to protect his ears. I mean, Do not stay indoors watching TV with your dog when you have free time.
Go out and engage in outdoor activities or let him explore the backyard. Because Basset hounds are naturally Hunting dogs, so they have a slightly higher Prey drive.
So, restricting his freedom could lead to several psychological issues. That’s way worse.
Conclusion
Many people love these ground creatures. Since Basset hounds are among the most affectionate breeds, people have a common curiosity to find out about them. So, in this article, we have discussed whether Basset hounds’ ears keep growing as they grow and can they have short ears. So, I hope you found this helpful. Thank you for reading!
