Basset Hound

Popular culture
In February 27th 1928, Time magazine featured a Basset Hound on the front cover. The accompanying story was about the 52nd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden as if observed by the Basset Hound puppy. This prestige is often seen as the event which made the Basset Hound a popular part of American popular culture.

Basset Hounds have had prominent roles in movies and television. Some Bassets have been featured in comic strips and cartoons. Examples include cartoon character Droopy Dog, originally created in 1943 by Tex Avery, and Fred Basset, the main character in the comic strip Fred Basset, created by Alex Graham in 1963. Basset Hounds playing more minor roles include Rosebud the Basselope from Berke Breathed's comic strip Bloom County, Byron Basset in Tiny Toon Adventures, Toby, from The Great Mouse Detective, and Lafayette, from the 1970 Disney film The Aristocats. The notable webcomic PvP by Scott Kurtz occasionally features the author's pet Basset Hound. Rodney Dangerfield voices a Basset Hound in the animated feature film, "Rover Dangerfield".

Basset Hounds in films include Fred, the companion of Cledus in the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit and Gabriel, Batou's Basset Hound in Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence; Gabriel is in fact director Mamoru Oshii's real life pet, and is included in many of his films. In a scene most likely referencing Smokey and the Bandit, a truck driver has a Basset Hound beside him in American Pie 2. Basset Hounds are featured prominently in off-beat roles as well - one gets hit by a car and survives in The Rage: Carrie 2, and in the film Monkeybone a Basset has its own nightmarish dream sequence. Finally, Basset Hounds appear in such other mainstream films as An American Werewolf in Paris, Nanny McPhee,Spider-Man 2 and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.

Television programs have used Basset Hounds as characters as well. In the early days of television, Elvis Presley famously sang "Hound Dog" to a Basset Hound named Sherlock on "The Steve Allen Show" on July 1, 1956. One of the most famous Bassets on television was Flash, the dog owned by Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the 1980s TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard". A life-sized replica named "Flush" was used in dangerous situations. Other Bassets on television include Cleo, the doggie femme fatal from "The People's Choice", which starred Jackie Cooper ; Pokey, a canine friend of Lassie early (1954-57) in the Lassie (1954 TV series) television series ; the Basset Hound named simply "Dog" from "Columbo", Henry from Emergency!, Governor from "The Governor & J.J.", Quincey, from "Coach", Sam from "That's So Raven", Chips from "EastEnders", Arthur in "Our House (1986 TV series)" and Socrates in "Judging Amy". Basset Hounds have also been featured in advertising. The logo for Hush Puppies brand shoes prominently features a Basset Hound whose real name is Jason. Basset Hounds are occasionally referred to as "Hush Puppies" for that reason. A Basset Hound also serves as the companion to the lonely Maytag Man in Maytag appliance advertisements. Tidewater Petroleum advertised its Flying A Gasoline using a Basset Hound named Axelrod. In the 1990s, a handsome red/white Basset Hound called SIGMUND featured in a several advertisements including one for Domestos bleach.

In June 2007, a realistic life-size Basset Hound mascot began to make appearances at various nightclubs and music festivals in the UK and across Europe. Ulysses the Basset Rave Hound was photographed with festival goers and famous DJ's at the Renaissance "Wild in the Country" festival, The Big Chill 2008 festival and famous Ibiza super-clubs Pacha, Space and Amnesia. Ulysses has his own fan page on the social networking website Facebook entitled "We love Ulysses".