"Do they require a lot of exercise? What's their energy level like? And are they affectionate dogs?"

To answer your questions, basset hounds require an average amount of exercise. They are not high-energy dogs by any means. A good portion of their day is spent sleeping. (My husband grew up with beagles, and he compares our bassets to very large, very sedate beagles.) As for affection, they are very loving dogs, and like to be with their people and with other dogs. (Max even tries to play with the cats, although they are not too fond of that. ) What is funny is that as much as bassets love people, if you try to call them to you when they are in the midst of something that they consider important (like a nap), they are likely to ignore you or to wait until you come to them. We've gotten a few laughs out of that.