ORIGINFrance.DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE VALID ORIGINAL STANDARD24.06.1987.UTILIZATIONHound.FCI'S CLASSIFICATIONGroup 6 Scent hounds and related breedsSection 1.3 Small sized hounds With working trial.GENERAL APPEARANCEThe Basset resembles the breed from which it is derived by the characteristics of the head, coat texture, colour, and stern carriage. Working in thickly wooded country with high banks, they should be small alert hounds, a little dumpy and squat but still retaining the typical Basset appearance. Forelegs slightly crooked or almost straight. The hound is quite fast for his size.HEADSKULLRather long, occipital point well defined. Viewed from the front, the skull in shaped like a flattened semicircular arch diminishing in width (without exaggeration) towards the superciliary ridges which are not strongly marked.NOSEBlack or dark brown. Nostrils well open.MUZZLEFairly long, straight or with a slight Roman nose. Rather more pointed than square. STOPMore stop than the Grand Fauve de Bretagne.LIPSNot too heavy.EYESDark, brown, not showing any haw; alert expression.EARSFine at the base which is at eye level, of medium length, barely reaching the nose. Ending in a point and covered with smoother and softer hair than the rest of the body.NECKRather short, muscular.BODYBACKShort and broad.LOINSWide, supporting, well-muscled.BELLYHardly tucked up.CHESTWide and well let down.RIBSSlightly rounded.SHOULDERSSloping.FORELEGSStrong, straight or slightly crooked.FEETTight, firm and hard.HINDLEGSVertical and parallel.THIGHSWell-muscled.HOCKSSlightly bent.TAILMedium length, slightly sickle-shaped, thick at the root, often with moderate amount of corse hair on underside and well tapering to the tip.COATVery harsh, dry to the touch, quite short, never woolly nor frizzy, face not tousled.COLOURFawn, the best shades are the golden-wheaten and the rich red-brown, sometimes a small white spot on chest (not to be encouraged).HEIGHT32 to 38 cmWith a tolerance of plus 2 cm for top quality dogs.GAITLively.FAULTSAny departure from the foregoing points should be considered as a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.General appearance thin or slender; skull wide or narrow; superciliary ridges too strongly marked; muzzle snipey or short; pendulous lips; ears set on low, too short , too long, flat, covered with frizzy hair; back too long, belly strongly tucked up; thighs too round, feet slack and wide; fawn coat overlaid with black or white markings not to be encouraged.N.B.Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.