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.