Breed comparison
Basset Hound
vs Bloodhound.
Both are droopy-eared, loose-skinned scent hounds with an extraordinary nose and a famously independent mind, and both are gentle, affectionate family dogs once you accept that the nose runs the show. The Basset is the low-slung, short-legged plodder; the Bloodhound is a much larger, taller hound built for long-distance trailing.
The practical difference is mostly size and drool: the Bloodhound is a big dog with big slobber and a big appetite for tracking, while the Basset is a smaller, equally nose-driven homebody.
Quick answer
Choose the Basset Hound for a smaller, low-energy, low-slung homebody with the same nose-driven stubbornness. Choose the Bloodhound if you want a larger, more physically capable trailing hound and can manage its size, strength on a scent, and considerable drool. Both are gentle, affectionate, and equally challenging to recall off-leash.
Basset Hound
- Trainability
- 5/10
- Energy
- Low
- Training difficulty
- 58/100
- Group
- Hound
Bloodhound
- Trainability
- 5/10
- Energy
- Medium
- Training difficulty
- 68/100
- Group
- Hound
Scores from the TailorPup Dog Training Difficulty Index.
Key differences
Size
The Bloodhound is a large breed, noticeably taller and heavier, built for miles of trailing work. The Basset Hound is a small-to-medium, low-slung dog with short legs and a long back. If space and handling strength matter, the Basset is the far more manageable size.
Energy
The Basset Hound is low-energy and content with gentle, moderate exercise, its heavy body and short legs are not built for intensity. The Bloodhound runs medium energy and, once on a trail, can pull with surprising strength and stamina despite its generally easygoing nature at home.
Trainability
Both score 5/10, classic independent-minded scent hounds bred to follow a trail over following instructions. Recall is unreliable in both once the nose engages, and food-based motivation matters more than repetition for either.
Drool and grooming
The Bloodhound loose, wrinkled skin produces considerably more drool and needs more face and skin-fold cleaning. The Basset also drools and has ears and skin folds to manage, but generally to a lesser degree than the much larger Bloodhound.
Which is easier to train?
Both share the same 5/10 trainability score and the same underlying reason: scent hounds were bred to work a trail independently, not to check in with a handler, so neither finds human approval as motivating as a retriever does. Long lines and secure fencing are essential for both, recall is never guaranteed once a scent is picked up. High-value food rewards and patient, low-pressure sessions get the furthest with either breed.
Which one is right for you?
Choose the Basset Hound
Owners who want a smaller, low-energy, deeply affectionate nose-driven companion, and who can manage moderate drool, weight control, and a stubborn independent streak.
Basset Hound training guide →Choose the Bloodhound
Owners with more space who want a larger, gentle scent-hound partner, potentially for tracking work, and who can handle a bigger dog, heavier drool, and the same independent mind.
Bloodhound training guide →The verdict
Choose the Basset Hound for a smaller, low-energy, low-slung homebody with the same nose-driven stubbornness. Choose the Bloodhound if you want a larger, more physically capable trailing hound and can manage its size, strength on a scent, and considerable drool. Both are gentle, affectionate, and equally challenging to recall off-leash.
Frequently asked questions
Which is easier to train, a Basset Hound or a Bloodhound?
Neither is easy; both score 5/10 for trainability as classic independent scent hounds bred to follow a trail rather than instructions. Training success with either depends more on patience, food motivation, and secure containment than on the breed difference.
Which drools more?
The Bloodhound, considerably. Its larger size and looser, more wrinkled skin produce noticeably more drool and slobber than the smaller Basset Hound, though the Basset drools too.
Which has more energy?
The Bloodhound runs a bit higher, at medium energy with real trailing stamina, while the Basset Hound is low-energy and content with gentle, moderate exercise given its short-legged, heavy build.
Whichever you pick, train it right
TailorPup builds a personalized 12-week program around your dog's exact breed, age, and behavior, no generic one-size plan.
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