We have 2 bassets, and they are probably the sweetest-natured dogs I've ever had. Big thing to remember--I saw someone refer to them as small dogs--bassets are not small dogs; they are large dogs with short legs. One of our boys weighs in at around 65 lbs. Some things vary from dog-to-dog. Max sheds more, drools more, and has more doggy odor than Oscar or than our RB Basset, Gus. They are great with kids. The "potato chip" thing is very true. :) Our boys really only bark if they have something to bark at--squirrels, stray dogs, frogs... They do have that very deep hound bark. Also, if you let them outdoors, the yard must be fenced because bassets will follow their noses forever tracking one thing or another. All-in-all, they are great dogs.
Here is a link to a basset forum. I'm a member there, but haven't posted in quite awhile, just because of time:
http://www.heatherweb.com/cyberhound/boards/
