Why can't Basset Hounds swim?

Dog owners may sometimes take a dog's ability to swim for granted, only to get an abrupt wake-up call when they find their dog struggling in the water, risking to sink like a stone rather than staying buoyant as expected. read more

We enjoy taking Hercules (our 3 year old Basset) with us everywhere. On nice weather days we are considering taking him for a ride in the boat at the lake. However, we are not sure if Basset Hounds are able to swim. He has never been in the water. read more

Because while Basset Hounds can swim, they are not very good at it. Since they carry two-thirds of their weight in front and have short legs, swimming is not a natural sport for them. A friend once told me a story about someone that left his dog outside in his swimming pool area. read more