Éclair Six Week Evaluation

 With just a few exceptions, every puppy in the litter that Grizeld Laffee Taffee (AKC) and ClarkeBar Grizwold (AKC) gave us is perfect. This litter also gave us three of the smaller formed Basset Hounds we are looking for to begin breeding a stable smaller formed Basset Hound. The Standard Basset is fifteen inches at the shoulder, we hope some day to produce a thirteen inch variant which retains all the charm of the European styled Basset Hound. 

Eclair is  quite small when compared to the large Bassets in this litter. She weighs in at a healthy 7.7 pounds at six weeks, about a pound heavier than the two smallest pups, but two pound lighter than the largest of the group. And we think she is just about right. She has a lovely personality. She simply loves being heldm hugged, and talk to in a quiet voice. Eclair is a snuggler of the first order. 

Before moving on from here, you might want to familiarize yourself with the criteria we use in evaluating our puppies. Click Here for the Six Point Evaluation page. The American Kennel Club goves us our Standards for form, then we add one point for looks. With a puppy like Éclair, it is all about the looks. But first we look at form.

If it were not for the asymmetrical coloring in Eclair' face, she would have perfect features. Her soft domed head, extraordinary ears, funny nose and exaggerated fews all show us what the form ought to be. He facial structure is perfect in all but coloring, and it would be hard to dislike the coloring that is. Her soft eyes and huggable nature they contain will surely make someone fall in love.

For her smaller size, her foreleg bones are a nice thickness and her paws are nicely larger than her size requires. Her middle area is where the only formal flaw is found. Éclair has a flanged rib which currently keeps her from flowing smoothly from front to back. This is a serious flaw in the AKC Standard, but since she is still so young the whole thing might work itself out in the coming year ahead. Her hind quarters are perfect and she will doubtless have a wasp waist and athletics chest. At present, she is not of show quality.

Not one for picture taking, Éclair was difficult to get a good side view image. Her stance is marginal, but good. She must be exercised to maintain good hip health. Her smaller size might hold back the bone and hip problems many Bassets have in old age, but only good exercise will keep the weight off which is the primary cause of these troubles.

Not all of Taffee' pups were perfect, but the truth is that this puppy will doubtless become a constant companion and the love of someone's life. She might be bred providing a suitable male is found whose bone characteristics are heavier than her own (do not breed down in this important trait). Care ought to be used in deciding a male because both of her parents come from the same kennel, while sharing no direct lineage. For form Éclair loses one half point for flanged ribs, but she gets all of the beauty point, so five and a half points of the six. We have whole litters with no one pup of the lot this good. Not all of them need to be show dogs.