The Basset Bleu is the biggest group amongst the Bleu breeds. In 1893 the name Basset Bleu is mentioned for the first time. A certain Mr Giet mentioned that in a litter Gascons Saintongeois some dogs were low on their legs. The first bassets?
Probably it were Petit Gascon Saintongeois, the result of a rendez-vous from a Petit Gascon with a basset. For that time bassets were also seen. The origin will ever be doubtfull. One can talk of a mutation, in the world of the hounds one speaks about a mutation if dogs from normal parents have short legs. In the forming of cartilage goes something wrong and there is a dog with short legs.
In 1968 the French club started with the rebuilding of the Basset Bleu. In this rebuildingphase one also used a Petit Bleu as it all went too slow. The only problem with this crossing was that the shoulderheight of the basset became higher.