Page 28 - ShowSight Presents The Basset Hound

THOUGHTS ON THE BASSET:
TODAY & YESTERDAY
At present, I am celebrating my 46th year judging the hound group as well as a number of herding and working breeds.
I have been honored to judge the Bas- set Hound club of America Nationals several times and have been made a Bas- set Hound Club of America life member for my work in helping to revise the Basset Illustrated standard as well as chairing the judge’s education committee for a number of years.
I believe that the exhibitors of today are much better at presenting a clean well groomed Basset than they were when I first began showing Bassets back in 1962. In any case, there is no excuse for bringing a dirty dog into the ring. Any judge will appreciate a hound with clean coat and teeth and properly trimmed toenails. The real hazard in judging the Basset is that they have been known to shake their head and sling their slobber. Unfortunately once in a while it lands on an unsuspecting judge or bystander.
When assessing a Basset Hound, I like to watch each Basset as it enters the ring and stand back and look the dog over as he or she is stacked with the other entries, as well as when they are stacked individually on the ramp. Is the dog balanced front and rear? Does he possess all the characteristics consistent with “breed type” as described in the standard as a “short legged dog, heavier in bone, size considered, than any other breed”?
There is a great deal of wordage in the standard to describe the Basset’s beauti- ful, large, distinctive head. Much of the description has to do with preserving breed type. The head should be of moder- ate width—not narrow or broad.
The prominent occiput, extremely long, low set ears and the dark, sad, slightly sunken eyes describe the breed. The third eyelid should be visible but the eye should not have a droopy, protruding eyelid that would be nothing more than a scoop shovel for collecting debris when working in the field.
Although the Basset does have loose skin over the head and body, the standard does not call for superabundant amounts of loose skin or extremely heavy bone. There should never be as much loose skin as in the bloodhound. The description of the head is very specific and not difficult to learn, the standard just needs to be stud- ied. The Basset should have a scissor bite but an even bite is acceptable.
In the last few years, a big improvement for the comfort of both exhibitor and judge has been greatly facilitated by the use of a ramp. In raising the dogs off of the ground and placing them at a higher level a judge may better see and evaluate the breed. Thankfully I no longer see a judge leaning on a Basset’s back to assist themselves in standing up after going over the dog!
The ramp is also valuable in outside shows for the times that the grass covers the Basset’s feet or legs. Consider the fact
by JOAN URBAN
that the Basset’s leg is only to be one third their total height at the withers. Therefore a Basset that is the proper height of four- teen inches at the withers would have front legs that would only be a little less than five inches to the deepest point of the chest. Even if a Basset were at the height limit of 15 inches at the withers, he still would have front legs that were only 5 inches to the deepest point of the chest. An inch or two of grass covering the feet and leg could throw the whole balance off.
In judging the Basset, special attention should be paid to the forequarters as that is where most of his weight is borne. The stan- dard describes a hound that “possesses in marked degree those characteristics which equip it to follow a trail over and through difficult terrain”. In order to do this, he must have a good front. The correct front of a Basset is probably the most difficult to breed and also difficult for a judge who is not familiar with an achondroplastic breeds structure to understand. The Basset shoul- der blade is set on at a 45 degree angle to the ground with 90 degrees separating the shoulder blade and upper arm. He should have a prominent sternum with the elbows close to the side of the chest. The front legs cradle the chest and wrap around it (the wraparound front) but still must leave about a hands width space between the front legs. Both feet “incline equally a trifle outward”. If the elbows are not close to the side of the chest the Basset will be out at the elbow and/or wide in front or both. If
“THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF WORDAGE
IN THE STANDARD TO DESCRIBE THE BASSET’S
BEAUTIFUL, LARGE, DISTINCTIVE HEAD.”
198 • SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2015