fat bassets

8743 Views 35 Replies 9 Participants Last post by hillyb, Jun 7, 2006

hillyb

Discussion Starter · Jun 6, 2006

ok i notice that alot of these bassets are bigger than lulu rounder and saggyer than her does that come with age or we not feeding her well enough she is rather thin fo a basset though she weighs almost 50lbs
what do you all feed your dogs and how much and how often?

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Betsy Iole

· #6 · Jun 7, 2006

Differences in appearance are also related to breeding. Bassets bred by BYBs and puppymills tend to be smaller, with less skin, lighter bone and shorter ears. They look sort of basset-y, but not classically so.

Well-bred bassets look more like Steinar's girls--substantial, with lots of skin, heavy bone, and a classic basset head.

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Betsy Iole

· #9 · Jun 7, 2006

Responsible breeders strive for a balance of proper conformation and movement, and they don't breed for the pet trade.

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Betsy Iole

· #16 · Jun 7, 2006

Show bassets in the US don't tend to run as large as their European cousins. IME, the largest US bassets tend to be seen in the western US. If you're interested in size, and you don't want to import, you might check out some western breeders.

Steinar is right--many poorly bred bassets seem to more closely resemble the Basset Artesian Normand that the Basset Hound. But, there are very few Basset Artesian Normand breeders in the US and correspondingly few true representatives of that breed.

Another ploy that unethical breeders will sometimes use is to try to pass off poorly-bred dogs as "field" bassets.

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Betsy Iole

· #18 · Jun 7, 2006

Originally posted by hillyb
i just didnt know if the really wrinkely bassets come with age or if they arent like that as puppys they wont ever be?

If they don't have lots of skin and wrinkles as puppies, they won't have lots of wrinkles as adults.

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Betsy Iole

· #25 · Jun 7, 2006

Originally posted by Booya
i don't think wrinkles in general are necessarily a characteristic of a pure-bred basset

Here is the Basset Hound Standard, written by the Basset Hound Club of America, which states

The skin over the whole of the head is loose, falling in distinct wrinkles over the brow when the head is lowered. A dry head and tight skin are faults.

A "dry" head is a head without pronounced wrinkles. I've attended judging seminars where judges are instructed that wrinkles on the legs are also characteristic of the breed.

The wrinkles are a reflection of abundant skin, which supposedly allows the basset to move more easily through dense cover when tracking game. Of course, it's possible to overdo skin and wrinkles, and then you get into the types of skin problems Sharpei have.

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Betsy Iole

· #30 · Jun 7, 2006

You're asking good questions, hillyb.

Most people (myself included), when they buy their first basset, don't realize how big a difference there is between bassets bred for the pet trade and bassets specifically bred to conform to the breed standard.

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Betsy Iole

· #32 · Jun 7, 2006

Conformation refers to how closely a dog's appearance, physical structure, movement, and temperament compare (conform) to the breed standard (see above link). The breed standard describes the ideal basset hound, and conformation show breeders try to produce bassets that come as close to perfectly meeting the standard as possible.

There are many different types of dog shows, trials and tests. In conformation shows, dogs are judged according to how closely they conform to the standard for their breed. This is the type of show most people think of, when they think of dog shows. It's what you see every year on Westminster. Other types of dog "shows" include field, obedience, rally and agility trials, and tracking and hunt tests.

Several CyberHound members show their dogs, and some also breed. I got started by showing a pet basset in obedience. I noticed pretty quickly that she didn't look very much like the conformation bassets. I started asking the same questions, and that's how I became interested in conformation. Currently, my bassets participate in obedience, conformation, and tracking.

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Betsy Iole

· #35 · Jun 7, 2006

There are several fine breeders in Missouri who are members of the Basset Hound Club of America.

When you're ready, check out the website for the Basset Hound Club of America and then click "Finding a Basset".

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