Basset Hound vs Great Dane: Which Suits Your Home?

This is the most extreme size gap in the whole batch. A Great Dane stands 28-34 inches and weighs 110-175 lbs, giant class, against the Basset Hound's medium 40-65 lbs on a 12-15 inch frame. A full-grown Dane can weigh nearly three times as much as a Basset and stand more than twice as tall. Nothing else in this comparison batch comes close to that ratio.

Despite the size difference, exercise need isn't as lopsided as you'd expect: Great Danes rate Moderate, 3/5, against the Basset's Low, 2/5. Danes are famously low-key indoors for a giant breed, often called gentle giants for a reason, though their sheer size still means a bad match in a small space regardless of activity level. A tired giant breed is still a very large presence in a studio apartment.

The Great Dane actually beats the Basset on grooming, Very Low, 1/5, against Moderate, 3/5, its short, smooth coat needs almost no work beyond the occasional bath. Shedding ties at Moderate, 3/5, for both. Don't let the giant frame fool you into assuming more coat maintenance; it's the opposite here. If low grooming effort is a priority and size isn't a concern, the Dane actually has an edge.

Size wins out over the moderate exercise need: Great Danes rate Very Low, 1/5, for apartment suitability, the bottom of the scale, against the Basset's High, 4/5. Barking ties at Low, 2/5, for both, Danes are quiet dogs, the space issue is purely about physical size in a small unit. Both tolerate solitude poorly, Low, 2/5, each. Volume was never really the issue with a Great Dane; floor space is.

Great Danes rate Moderate, 3/5, for trainability against the Basset's Low, 2/5, not a huge gap, but the Basset's first-time-owner score still comes out ahead, High, 4/5, versus Low, 2/5, for the Dane. A giant breed simply carries more physical consequences for training gaps than a low-slung hound does. An untrained 150-lb dog is a different kind of problem than an untrained 50-lb one.

Kids are a tie, Very High, 5/5, for both, Danes have a well-earned reputation as Gentle, Patient family dogs. The Basset edges ahead with other dogs, Very High, 5/5, versus High, 4/5, and with strangers, Very High, 5/5, versus Moderate, 3/5, though a Moderate score for a Dependable, Friendly giant breed isn't a concern in practice. Danes have built their whole reputation on being gentle around children despite their size.

This is where size catches up with the Great Dane hardest: it lives just 7-10 years against the Basset's 10-12, one of the larger lifespan gaps in this series. Only two conditions overlap between their lists, Bloat and Hip Dysplasia. The Dane's remaining risks are largely giant-breed specific: Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Wobbler Syndrome, Bone Cancer and general Bone & Growth Issues tied to its rapid size gain.

The Great Dane rates Very High, 5/5, for cost, the top of the scale, against the Basset's Moderate, 3/5. The dollar figures are stark: $200-400 monthly and $3,000-5,000 in year one for the Dane, roughly double or more the Basset's $80-150 and $1,300-2,300. Feeding a 150-lb dog alone changes the math substantially. Vet visits, medication doses and even a crate or bed all scale up in price with a dog this size.