Any hound color is acceptable. The distribution of color or markings is not important. Viewing from the front, you want to see a wrap-around front. The front legs are crook’d. Forelegs are short, powerful, heavy in bone and close fitting to chest so that legs wrap around the ribcage. Wrists are closer together than the shoulder joints. A crook is necessary for the Basset to get its short legs as directly under the keel as possible and provide a low center of gravity. The front feet should equally turn out a trifle. The nose is darkly pigmented, black is preferred. The bite is scissor or even. The skin over the head is loose with wrinkles over the brow when the head is lowered. The dewlap is very pronounced. It’s time to put your hands on the Basset. I start from the front and feel the forechest. Make sure there is bone there and not just loose skin. Check the bite for a scissor or even bite. The eyes should be dark brown. Lighter colored eyes are acceptable if they conform to the colors of the dog. I move to the side and feel the shoul- ders and that the elbows are close to the ribcage. Continue moving down the ribcage checking for rough or flanged ribs. Check to see that there is sufficient length of keel. Viewing from the side, the rear pas- terns should be perpendicular to the ground, with a well-let-down stifle. I move around to the rear and see that the legs parallel and straight down from hindquarters. The forequarters
AKC BASSET HOUND BREED STANDARD PRIORITIZES FAULTS AS Serious Faults Steepness in Shoulder
Fiddle front Elbows Out Feet down in pastern
and hindquarters should be approxi- mately the same width when viewed from above. On the down and back, going away hind legs are parallel, (the Basset does not single track). Hind feet follow in line with front feet. You should be able to see the black pads of the rear feet. Coming back, front legs do not pad- dle, weave or overlap. There should be no single tracking. Prominent forechest gives fill. Bas- sets with little forechest and/or straight front legs will appear wide. If there is a mismatch of the front feet, you will see it when the dog stops. A good handler may be able to hide the problems with the front when stacking the dog, but not so on the coming back. Correct movement should be given high priority. Most of the serious faults deal with movement. For copies of the Illustrated Stan- dard, narrated PowerPoint Presenta- tion on CD, or Judges’ Pocket Guide, please contact the author and JEC chair, Richard Nance at Richard@ BoBacBassets.com or 505-685-9422. Cowhocks Bowed legs Steep, poorly angulated hindquarters Undershot and over shot bites High set, flat ear Faults Dry head with tight skin Broad, flat skull Very light or protruding eye Flatsidedness Flanged ribs Saggy or roached topline Permissible but not desirable Deep, liver colored nose conform- ing to the coloring of the head Lighter eye than color of coat Disqualifications Knuckling over Distinctly long coat Over 15" at highest point of withers
When viewing the Basset from the side, look for proper placement of the front asssembly. The front legs should come down from the base of the neck. He is twice as long as tall, measuring from the forechest to point of buttocks and from ground to withers. A balanced Basset should have matching front and rear angles. The tail is a continuation of the spine with slight curvature. If the dog looks too tall, over 15" at the withers is a DQ, call for the wicket. The head is large, well proportioned and of medium width. The length from nose to stop is approximately the same length as stop to a pronounced occiput. The ears are set low, long and when drawn forward, fold well over the end of the nose.
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