Basset hounds are good companions to take on off-lead romps through the woods. When not leashed, a basset might decide to follow his nose and leave you without a thought, only realizing what he's done when he's miles away and unable to return home. Basset hounds bond better with other dogs than they do with human beings. Bassets were bred to exist companionably with other dogs in packs, and they DO tend to get along well with each other. Most bassets bond very strongly with their people, showing none of the aloofness of some of the other hounds.
Basset hounds are couch potatoes who laze around all day barely breathing.
Perhaps some bassets are loafers, but I've never met them. Nearly all bassets are active, busy dogs who get into trouble regularly. Many chew and are destructive. Others regularly overturn garbage pails and shred paper.