Rocketdog Bassets: 2022

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Six (or Seven) Week Evaluations: The Snack Cakes Litter

We have been juggling Farm life and puppy raising for seven weeks now. Farming takes a lot of time, visitors take a lot of time, and writing evaluations and articles takes a lot of time. Somewhere there is a world where I am not so busy but I don't live there. So this Six Week Evaluation is about one week late. I apologize. Click on any picture and you will be taken to that puppy's Evaluation page.

Six Week Evaluations: The Snack Cakes Litter: Chocodile

Beatrix O'Honey (AKC) and Rocketdog Rockford Rhoades (AKC) gave us seven wonderful babies in this litter and we couldn't be happier with the results at six weeks. This is Beatrix (Bit) O'Honey's (AKC) second full litter and Rocky's first. We evaluate all of our litters using a six point pseudo objective standard and it is a good idea to become familiar with it by clicking here.

Bit O'Honey, out of the Dog Hills Farm in Idaho, is a good -pet quality Basset Hound. Outside of a few minor structural issues Honey is correct to form in most respects when compared to the AKC Standard for the breed. This makes her puppies pet quality and we will not be offering breeding rights for any of this litter. Honey paired with our younger male Rocketdog Rockford (Rocky) Rhoads (AKC), from our own Rocketdog stock. Rocky is a very good quality Basset when compared to the AKC Standard. His sire ClarkeBar Grizwold (AKC) is a very good quality, smaller form, male whose characteristics are all true to form; ClarkeBar is a very good example of the breed. Rocky's dame, Grizelda Laffee Taffee is a small form Basset out of Country Corner Bassets in Idaho. Taffee is a very good quality Basset, with exceptional Basset traits, who has thrown three wonderful litters. Many pups from ClarkeBar and Taffee were of show quality and have exceptional Basset characteristics. Our expectation is that Rocky's genetics, will shine through Honey's minor flaws, but that none of these will be better than very good as they grow into adulthood.

Chocodile came to us on September 11th, 2022 at around 3:00 A.M.. Chocodile came to us unexpectedly and we didn't get him weighed until the next morning. We had checked Honey carefully and thought we were through, but suddenly there was a wet little Chocodile. Despite this his weight the next morning was 10.5 ounces. He nearly doubled in weight every week since that night and today weighs a very healthy 10.2 pounds.

If what you need in your life is a puppy that is inherently trusting, an easy going sort, someone who is a good listener, then Chocodile is the puppy you need. His ever-wagging tail and pool deep eyes will reassure you, give you a sense of well being, and affirm your faith. Chocodile is a wonderful puppy and by far the best version of Basset Hound life forms. But he is also nobody's plaything. He can be found in the middle of whatever snarling mass there is in the kennel. He is fearless and fun. He doesn't complain, he gets even. In every litter there is one which I would rather just keep for my own. Chocodile is the one for me.

Structurally, Chocodile is very good, bordering on great. His sternum could be a little deeper, but this might self correct as he grows. His stance is nearly perfect, showing his aggressive side without having to prove anything. He's got a bit of cool to him. His leg bone size is very good and his paws tell us he will be a proper sized American Basset when he grows into those feet. Chocodile's head is well formed, if not well domed. His ears are perfectly set and his jaw is quite strong. He has the neck of a champion hunter and it begins a line that flows smoothly down to his low set hips. He is very well put together.

As for pretty, for this puppy it is all in the eyes. He engages people directly. But there isn't much you can say about his appearance which would be derogatory in any way. I am not sure he would win at show, but it might well be worth the work to bring him along. His skin folding is good, bordering on very good, his coloring is as expected and mostly symmetrical. Should he continue to keep these qualities he might be a contender.

But I must say, for as good as this puppy seems to be at six weeks, he will not be eligible for breeding due to his parentage. His Dame is not a particularly good example of the breed and his Sire, though a good American Basset, is not of show quality either. While all of this is true, the Dame and Sire did combine to make a better puppy in Chocodile. He will undoubtedly become the pride of any family who get him and I am envious.

Six Week Evaluations: The Snack Cakes Litter: SuzyQ

SuzyQ came to us on September 11th, 2022 at around 12:20 A.M. after an uncomfortable pause in whelping and weighed a scant 9.1 ounces. She has nearly doubled in weight every week since that night and today weighs a very healthy 11.1 pounds.

Little SuzyQ is a delightful puppy. She is a bit quieter than most of her littermates, a bit more careful in how she approaches the world too. But when she plays she goes all in and can hold her own against the more aggressive pups. But her focus, if such as this appears in Basset puppies, is in cuddling up with a human person. She is the epitome of what is called a "pet". The perfect puppy for a family, a robust, but somewhat retiring, family pet.

SuzyQ is very well built physically. Her stance is very strong. Her hips are slender and flow smoothly from her strong sternum, large foreleg bones, and great big feet. SuzyQ will likely become a fairly large American styled Basset Hound and her bone structure is entirely in agreement with this. Though her head is not highly domed, her jaw set and ear set are pretty close to perfect. She show all of the attributes of her American Basset Sire and few of the traits found in her Normande styles Dame. A very well built puppy.

Aesthetically, SuzyQ is nothing special. This is not to say that she is not very pretty. Her skin folds are spectacular and her fur has its good points, but is is likely that she will be average in appearance as she ages, this is to say very pretty. But her beauty is in her personality and bone structure. She will not win at show, but might take a ribbon home if challenged.

SuzyQ receives all five of the points derived from the AKC Standard, there simply is little wrong with her build, she receives one half point for beauty. SO all in all a five and one half point evaluation. She will make a wonderful addition to any family lucky enough to have her and everyone she meets will think her a pretty little girl.

Six Week Evaluations: The Snack Cakes Litter: Little Debbie

Little Debbie came to us on September 11th, 2022 at 12:40 A.M. and weighed a healthy 10.7 ounces (the largest of the pups). Her arrival was quite stealthy, she came into the world without notice of a sound. She nearly doubled in weight every week since that night and today weighs a very healthy 10.6 pounds.

Little Debbie is of the patient type and more interested in sitting with people than hard play. This is not to say that she isn't playful. She engages in hard play when challenged, but doesn't seem to seek out the fight. Little Debbie is a cuddle monster and loves her people and creature comforts. She is well suited for an older single person or couple than a large family of children.

Structurally Little Debbie seems very well built. Her stance is quite strong and this is often a predictor of future hip bone health. Little Debbie had adequate foreleg bone size and her paws are quite large, indicating that she might develop into a good sized Basset Hound. She will not likely become very heavy, as neither of her parents are prone to overly heavy bodies, but sufficient exercise is a good idea to avoid a fat Basset. Her head is well domed, her ears and jaw are se very well too. Overall she is more of her Sire than of her Dame, carrying more of the American styling traits than those Normande traits found in her Dame. She is a well built Basset girl.

Aesthetically Little Debbie is quite pleasing, though not of the show dog variety. Her beauty is in her structure. Her coat is a bit tight, owing to her mother's Normande lineage, and her fur is not well defined between browns, blacks, and whites. She's a lovely puppy, but not of the sort that wins at show.

Little Debbie receives all five of the points derived from the AKC Standard, she is very well made, but she doesn't receive the aesthetic point, despite being a lovely dog, because her appearance is a bit of a mixed bag of Normande and American traits. Little Debbie will become a pretty little girl and a fine addition to any family lucky enough to have her.

Six Week Evaluations: The Snack Cakes Litter: Twinkie

Twinkie came to us on September 10h, 2022 at around 10:00 P.M. weighing a good 10.1 ounces. Twinkie was a fast mover right from the start. He has nearly doubled in weight every week since that night and today weighs a very healthy 10.1 pounds. Twinkie has been adopted by someone who had taken a puppy from a previous Rocketdog litter. His name will be Three Putts for Par, but we'll call him Putt Putt.

Putt Putt is all about the love. He has a patient manner with people and loves being handled. He is also a hugger, meaning that he throws himself against you when held. Putt Putt is a wonderful puppy. He is an active sort of boy, given to hard play. This will come in useful when he arrives at his new home where another very active Basset Hound waits for a playmate. Putt Putt is certainly up to the task. His tail is of the ever-wagging type. He is not serious in any way.

Structurally Putt Putt is very good, but carries the flanged rib flaw which his Sire carries, meaning he will not likely do well at show. His Sire has grown into a very strong Basset and this minor flaw will not interfere with his development in any way. His stance is very strong, showing the likelihood that he will not develop hip bone troubles as he grows. His foreleg bone and paw size is very good, though he does not appear to be headed for becoming a heavy weight Basset Hound. In his head shape he favors his Dame who has the look of the Normande Basset in the face. His ear and jaw set are quite good.

Aesthetically Putt Putt is a lovely little boy. He is covered in a slightly tight coat of fur. Again, more of the Normande Basset styling than the European. His fur is headed for becoming equally brown, black , and white, which is more of his Sire. He is not a show quality puppy, but he is lovely none the less.

Putt Putt receives four and a half of the five points derived from the AKC Standard, one half point for beauty. Five of the six points makes Putt Putt a very good pet quality Basset Puppy. He will undoubtedly become a wonderful playmate for his new sister and absolutely become devoted to his new human Dad. We are very glad to see him going where he is headed.

Six Week Evaluations: The Snack Cakes Litter: Cupcake

A lovely brown eyed girl.

Cupcake came to us on September 11th, 2022 at around 2:20 P.M.. weighing a good 10.2 ounces. Cupcake was strong headed at birth. She simply didn't want to be held or told what to do. She has nearly doubled in weight every week since that night and today weighs a very healthy 9.1 pounds.

Cupcake is a quiet puppy, not given to too much noise making. But when she does involve herself in play she handles all her litter mates very easily. She prefers to watch others at play. She like snuggling, blankets, and soft toys kept all to herself. She grabs things with her paws and hugs your hand when she is picked up. She is a nice little Basset girl.

Structurally Cupcake is well built, but not strongly built. Her sternum is not deeply set, her stance, perhaps the best way to predict hip health later in life, is not aggressively set. Cupcake is not heavy of bone, as is desirable in Basset Hounds, and her foreleg bone size and paws tell us she will be slenderly built. She is much the same puppy as was her Dame in the manner in which she is shaped. Her head is not well domed, but her jaw and ear setting are very good. Overall she will be a good pet, but shows nothing which might develop into anything like a show winner. We are not offering breeding rights for any of this litter, but because of the minor flaws in her lineage we would not wish to see Cupcake bred in any event.

HoHo has adequate skin folding, though nothing like some of her litter mates. This also follows the form of her Dame, which carries quite a bit or the Normande Basset styling. Her fur has a great deal of brown to it and her head will eventually become completely brown. She will have to rely on her personality, which she has plenty of.

We're suggesting that Cupcake will be a wonderful pet, as was her mother. She will supply the love and will likely become a great companion for a family. She will not likely become overly heavy in weight, and this should be avoided by keeping her diet in check and with trips to the dog park.

Cupcake receives four and a half of the five AKC derived points owing to her lack of heavy bone structure, none of the aesthetic points. She is no less than a pretty girl, but not an especially pretty girl. We love her mother and the family that adopts Cupcake will find a very good pet in her.

Six Week Evaluations: The Snack Cakes Litter: HoHo

What a face!

HoHo came into our world on September 10h, 2022 at around 9:35 P.M. weighing a very good 11 ounces (our largest puppy). HoHo was a fast mover and good hunter right from the start. He searched out and found his mother quickly. HoHo was hungry and this hasn't changed much since he came to us. He has nearly doubled in weight every week since that night and today weighs a very healthy 10.5 pounds.

HoHo has a reserved personality. He is never far from whomever is play fighting, and he can be very vocal when at play, as is his Sire. Expect a bit of a barky dog in HoHo. He is active and playful all his waking hours and, though he does like to cuddle, shows no particular interest in settling down for a good rubbing.

A very strong stance.

Structurally HoHo is very good. Were it not for the trait of his lineage he might become a candidate for breeding, but we will no offer rights to breed any of this litter due to both parents having slight flaws which might transmit to future litters. But there seem to be nothing wrong about this puppy at seven weeks. His bone structure is very strong, His highly domed head, ear set, jaw set, foreleg bone size, paw size, and sternum depth are great. HoHo's stance is quite strong, he will not likely develop hip joint problems as he ages, but he might if his weight is not controlled a bit. Lot of exercise will be important to his long term prospects.

Lovely coloring.

Aesthetically HoHo is beautiful. His ample skin folds are covered in mostly black fur. At this point he doesn't show much brown in his head and should he keep his mostly black and white marking, he will be spectacular as an adult. His Sire's Dame has this sort of beauty and we hope for the best with HoHo. He is not likely to win at show due to traits found in his parentage, but he might be a contender given the proper attention.

HoHo receives all five of the AKC derived points, and the point for beauty as well. There simply isn't anything wrong with this puppy at this point in time. He receives all six points.

Six Week Evaluations: The Snack Cake Litter: DingDong

Beatrix O'Honey (AKC) and Rocketdog Rockford Rhoades (AKC) gave us seven wonderful babies in this litter and we couldn't be happier with the results at six weeks. This is Beatrix (Bit) O'Honey's (AKC) second full litter and Rocky's first. We evaluate all of our litters using a six point psuedo objective standard and it is a good idea to become familiar with it by clicking here.

No signs of brown fur in his coat.
The white bit toward the rear end
is his tail tip. It never stops.

DingDong came to us on September 10th, 2022 at around 9:45 P.M. weighing a good 10.8 ounces and was very active from the start. DingDong was a wriggler and very hard to hold onto. He has nearly doubled in weight every week since that night and today weighs a very healthy 11.1 pounds.

His personality is unique in this litter. He is, and always has been, very active. At birth he was a real mover and since then he has shown himself to be a roamer and curious about everything. He is always happy and seems to prefer men, who he snuggles down tight with. Lock your gate, he'll find a way out of the yard anyway. Obedience training is a very good idea.

You can see the slightly flanged
rib in this picture.

Structurally DingDong is very well built with only one slight flaw, a flanged left side rib. His sire carried the same slight defect and so DingDong is not suitable for show despite his absolutely adorable skin folds, perfect head dome, and well set ears that stretch all the way around his nose. His jaw set looks perfect at this point, but other litters of this Dame have had juvenile jaw setting issues which cleared up when adult teeth emerged.. His stance, the way he stands when at rest and perhaps the best way to predict hip joint health as he grows, is very aggressive and strong. His foreleg bone size is very heavy and his paws are large and promise a fairly large Basset Hound. His sternum is deep and strong as well. Aside from the slightly flanged left side rib he is nearly perfect physically.

A very strong stance.

Aesthetically Ding Dong is lovely. DingDong has ample skin folds and his coloring, though nearly all black and white, will eventually change to include much more brown as he grows into adulthood.

Using our pseudo objective evaluation system DingDong receives four and a half points when judged against the AKC Standard and, though he is a lovely puppy, one half point for aesthetic qualities. Breeding is not a good idea for this litter in general, and doubly so for DingDong since he carries a fault which persists through generations. He will make a wonderful companion for anyone wanting an active playmate and we suspect a Boy will find a real friend in DingDong.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

The Snack Cakes at Two Weeks

Click on any picture to see it larger.

HoHo

Honey and Rocky put together a very nice little litter. We had eight, but sadly little MoonPie failed to thrive. We hand fed him for three days but were unable to do him any good. And then there were seven.

DingDong

The seven which remained have all done very well, doubling in weight at two weeks is an important milestone. The puppies have all opened their eyes and have become very effective eaters. All of them had a nose for Mom in the first few days, but at two weeks they all move very well in hunting her down.

For those interested in taking one of our pretty pups, this litter is priced at $1100.00 each and there is a $200.00 discount for each puppy taken as a pair. Same sex is the only rule for taking two and you can take it from us that two Bassets is half the work.

SuzyQ

There will be no breeding rights offered for this litter. Bit O'Honey has had three health issues in her total of litters, so breeding her further is not a good idea. The worst type of health issue is the failure to thrive we described above, The other two were minor Jaw setting things which resolved themselves when the adult teeth came in. But we don't wish to see Honey's lineage go forward into something worse. She will be spayed in a few months and then she will stay with us.

LittleDebbie

All seven of these snacky monsters moving around under their own power, all eyes are open too. So we are about a week from removing the whelping bed from their pen so that they can begin walking around. For now they eat, sleep, and a few of them are beginning to play.

CupCake

Next up for the pups, in development, is ear opening. So far they find everything by nose. This gets some aid from opening eyes, but it takes a little while before things work in concert. Once the ears are open we will see them begin to understand their little world. But baby Bassets are all about the nose. A few have been handled enough to give them a positive reaction to being handled. Eventually all will love being picked up and cuddled.