Two dog breeds, side by side. Same data, no favourites.
Australian Cattle Dog
Basset Hound
Lifespan
12-15 years
12-13 years
Size
Medium
Medium
Weight
30-50 lb
40-65 lb
Energy
Very high
Low
Grooming
Low
Moderate
Shedding
High
Moderate
With kids
With supervision
Good with kids
What actually separates them
Less hair on the sofa with the Basset Hound. More with the Australian Cattle Dog.
Less brushing with the Australian Cattle Dog. More with the Basset Hound.
Calmer of the two is the Basset Hound. The one that needs more exercise is the Australian Cattle Dog.
Australian Cattle Dog tends to live longer — 12-15 years against 12-13 years.
With young children, Basset Hound is the safer default — Australian Cattle Dog is listed as "With supervision".
The honest downside of each
Australian Cattle Dog
This dog was bred to nip the heels of running cattle all day, and a bored, under-exercised Cattle Dog will redirect that instinct onto joggers, bicycles, other pets, and children's ankles — it is not a mellow companion breed no matter how it looks in photos.
Basset Hound
Those long ears and low-slung body are not just a look, they are a direct cause of the breed's biggest health problems, and Basset Hounds have one of the highest rates of chronic ear infections of any breed studied in UK veterinary records.