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to CyberHound Choosing the "perfect" field trial or hunting basset can be a difficult task. I would like to take this opportunity to state that I am nowhere near an expert in choosing a puppy, nor do I claim to be. After talking to several owners and breeders alike I found that there were several constants when it came to picking out a pup. I also found that there were many differences of opinion, but more on that later.
Almost every field trialer will tell you that the pedigree and the breeding are the most important factors to look at first. Some look at only the sire of the pup, his accomplishments, style of running and nose and are happy with a reasonably good bitch, although most people I talked to look at the pedigree of both the sire and the dam. In addition, many will watch one or both of the parents in the field to judge whether or not they like the style of the dogs. Talking to other field trialers may be helpful in finding out any background of the breeder and the dogs that they might not know.
When breeders refer to the nose of the hounds involved, they are talking about the dog's ability to follow the scent of game. Some dogs are capable of following a cold track, not always a good thing. The style of the dog tends to be a personal choice among trialers. It refers to how the dog actually follows the scent line. Some like a more aggressive hound and others prefer a more cautious style of tracking. But it doesn't matter which style you prefer, you need to judge how well the dogs follow the line: do they wander too far afield or away from where they lost the rabbit, do they get enough done and pursue the game?
Last but not least, conformation is always considered. Does the pup have any obvious serious flaws? Do the front legs bow or are the shoulders turned out? Is there any weakness or unsteadiness in the hind legs? Are the hind legs stiff? Although conformation is not as important to the field trialer as it is to the show dog fancier, it is important to the dog's health and well being. The very serious flaws can affect the dog's performance in the field along with its endurance. Flaws will affect the dog's ability to go through the tougher brushpiles and any skirting of brush is not a desired trait. Can these dogs run for an hour or more? Absolutely. Although many field competitions don't take that long at a single time, they must be able to run again and again if necessary to choose a winner.
Now for the differences. When I asked several people how they decide which pup to choose from the litter when the rest of the criteria have been met I was given varying opinions on how to choose the next champion. They range from the serious to the funny. So in attempting to provide an informative article, I decided to check different magazines for ideas. The result was the same. The following is a list I compiled so that you may pick the one that may help you in the future:
The funniest story came from a magazine called the Rabbit Hunter where the writer told a story that the best way to choose a pup was to throw all the puppies in a nearby creek and the one that swims out first will be the best choice.
Whatever method you choose to pick your next pup, I wish you luck, because the one thing that everyone I talked to agreed on was that there was no perfect way to pick out the next great dog. If there were, nobody would have any mental midgets in their kennel. We would all have great dogs; unfortunately, however, great dogs are very hard to come by.