The rule of thumb should be to only bathe your Basset Hound when he is truly dirty or has body odor. Too-frequent baths can do more harm than good, because they can dry the skin’s natural oils, which can lead to scratching, then bacterial infections and “hot spots.”If you’re a fastidious owner who insists on bathing your Basset more than once a month, be sure you use a shampoo that has aloe or other skin-conditioning ingredients, and follow up with 
a good skin-conditioning coat dressing.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to bathe a dog, but having the right tools and some basic information can certainly make the job a lot easier. To make bath time a happy time for your Basset:

• Place a rubber mat in the bottom of your tub. A Basset who is slipping and sliding around the tub is going to be an unhappy dog who will do his best to escape his slippery torture  chamber. The ability to keep his feet firmly planted in place will make him feel more secure and will allow him to stand quietly as he’s scrubbed.
• Only use lukewarm water. Not too hot, not too cold. In the summertime, you can likely get away with bathing your Basset outdoors using the hose, but don’t attempt it in cooler weather. Not only will you make your Basset hate bath time, but you can possibly make him sick if he’s unused to being cold and wet.
• Have all your supplies within reach before you put the dog in the tub. If you forget something and have to leave the room, be prepared to chase him down again. Only the most well-behaved Basset will sit in the tub patiently waiting for you to get your act together.
• Place a cotton ball inside each ear, but not too far inside. This will help keep water from draining into the ear canal—a cause of some ear infections.
• Be sure you work the shampoo into a thick lather, and scrub every inch of your dog’s body. If he doesn’t like having his face scrubbed, try doing that with a washcloth and baby “no tears” shampoo. If you’re using a flea shampoo, wash the face first, then work your way to the dog’s tail.
• Use a shampoo that is formulated for your dog’s skin.
• Be sure you rinse well. Shampoo left in the hair and on the skin can cause an irritation. Cover your dog’s eyes with your hand while you’re rinsing to avoid getting shampoo spray in his eyes.
• Use a rinse-out conditioner after the shampoo. Even a tough Basset coat needs a moisturizer or conditioner during winter months, especially when hair shafts may become dry and brittle.

When you are finished, remove the cotton balls from his ears. Using your hands, squeegee the excess water from his body, legs, and tail. Dry his coat using old towels. In warm weather, your Basset can be allowed to air dry almost anywhere, but in cold weather, it’s a good idea to place his crate near a heater or other warm air vent until he has dried. Hair dryers can be used, but be warned that most dogs must be trained to accept them. Always use the dryer on the coolest setting.

Your choice of shampoo is extremely important. Using harsh shampoos can dry out your dog’s hair and create static electricity, but using a shampoo with too many moisturizers can actually over soften his coat and make it appear limp, lifeless, and oily. Experiment with shampoos to find one that provides the best cleansing agents along with the proper amount of moisturizers and conditioners to keep your dog’s coat texture as good looking as possible.

Never dry your dog with a human hair dryer, unless the dryer has a “cool” or “air only” setting. Dog hair that has been exposed to too much heat will form gas bubbles in the hair shaft cavities, which is actually an early stage of combustion.

Prolonged exposure to this heat will leave your pet with kinky, brittle, and totally unmanageable hair as the result. The average human hair dryer produces air that is heated to about 300°F (149°C). Be very sure to keep the air vents unclogged in any hair dryer (for humans or animals) that you use, because a clogged air vent creates vastly hotter air than a dryer that has air moving freely through its vents—this can raise the temperature of the air to almost 600°F (315°C). A hair dryer that overheats will cause more than just a “bad hair day” and can cause skin injury to your Basset.