Basset Hound Conformation

Basset hounds are a marvelous breed to show in conformation competition. They are the original wash-and-wear breed: a quick bath, a few swipes with a hound's glove, and a little trimming around their legs and tail make them more than ring-ready. (Compare that to the seven or eight hours required to prepare a poodle!) Bassets have traditionally been a breed which can be successfully handled to their championships by non-professionals. Many of us suspect that this happy circumstance is due to the fact that basset hounds are the Great Levelers of the dog show world: the best professional and the rankest amateur often look equally silly attempting to convince a stubborn hound to stand nicely. Still, the thrill of watching a beautifully-moving basset strut around the ring is one not to be equalled by many other experiences. When bassets are good, they are very very good!

A Pictorial Representation of the Basset Standard

The Field Trial Hound (by Marge Skolnick)

Thoughts on Judging Breed (by Andrea McE. Field)

A Look at the Basset Hound (by Dr. Leonard Skolnick)

Conformation books for purchase through amazon.com: all proceeds donated to basset hound rescue

Conformation Information
on the Web

Results of the BHCA Nationals

The basset standard, which (along with the standards of all other AKC recognized breeds) is kept at the AKC web site

For the novice, AKC's Getting Started Showing Your Dog can help whet your appetite for things to come

It's always nice to know the rules. Check out AKC's Rules Applying to Dog Shows and their Policies and Guidelines for Registration, so you'll know what you're getting yourself into

In order to show bassets, you have to get to dog shows. AKC provides a useful page listing dog show awards and an events calendar

Here's the point scale for conformation shows, provided by AKC

For some peculiar reason, dog clubs are especially popular among conformation exhibitors. Take a look at AKC's geographical list of AKC show and obedience clubs to find one near you

If you're between the ages of ten and eighteen, or you have a child who is, you might want to learn about junior showmanship, in which young handlers are judged on their handling skill. (And juniors who can handle bassets can handle anything!) Check out AKC's Getting Started in Junior Showmanship for information about this enjoyable sport, as well as the Junior Showmanship Regulations

As always, Cindy Tittle Moore's conformation FAQ is a great resource

M. C. Wakeman's Actual Dog Show is a terrific visual guide to dog shows--it's a perfect site for baffled novices!

MB-F's InfoDog is one of the best dog sites on the web. You can even make an entry for any AKC show, even those that aren't superintended by MB-F!

Other superintendents on the web are less cool than InfoDog but still worth checking out:

Last updated November 17, 1999