Bets the dope has been swallowed by the dogs (7)
I believe the answer is:
bassets
'dogs' is the definition.
(basset is a kind of dog)
'bets the dope has been swallowed by' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found in the answer.
'dope' could be 'ass' (both can mean a stupid person) and 'ass' is found in the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
'the' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for bassets that I've seen before include "Hounds with short legs and long ears" , "Dogs" .)