The Jelly Belly Litter: Six Week Evaluations: Tangerine

Tangerine at Six Weeks

 Abigail (Abba) Zabba and Rocketdog Rockford (Rocky) Rhoades got together for the very first time and gave us nine wonderful Basset Hound Puppies. As we have done in all previous litters we evaluate the puppies at six weeks. There are a few good reasons for this, the first being that the pups develop some personality traits by six weeks of age, the second being that the pups display some key physical characteristics which they are likely to carry through life. Each puppy in this litter will be evaluated as an individual using a quasi-objective standard. It is a good idea to read about it by clicking here. It's a good idea to understand how we look the pups over as individuals. There are some things worthy of stating about this litter in a more general sense.

The Jelly Belly litter has been an easy one for us. All of the puppies came into the world in an effortless fashion. We had no still-born pups and none needed any sort of help at birth. Each and every puppy was naturally inclined towards feeding and none needed to be shown the way. They all were healthy at birth and only one had anything at all to report in their veterinarian checkup last week. All of the Jellies were up and walking with their eyes open and ears attentive -right on schedule. And since we have been able to take them outside, once the weather turned nice, we now know something about their outdoor personalities. The whole group are winners.

Tangerine on Day 1

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At six weeks Tangerine is a fine little girl. She came to us second in this litter weighing 12.9 ounces. Since then she has gained quite a bit of weight and now tips the scales at seven pounds, nine ounces. Structurally she is very good with a long body which tapers smoothly from shoulders to tail. Her strong neck sits over what is likely to become a deep sternum and her hips are set nice and low as she walks. Her stance is very strong and this is a good indicator of long termed hip bone health. But like all Bassets, lots of exercise is important to keeping the weight off and the joints healthy. Tangerine's head shape is very good with a nicely domed head. But the dome height is less than what one expects in a higher quality Basset Hound. Her jaw is well set and she may develop a more boxy snout shape as she grows but at present she appears somewhere between her Sire and Dame for appearance. If she goes toward her father she will have large pendulous dew flaps (fews) hanging well over her lower jawline,  Her ears set nicely at the back of her skull, but again not appearing on the neck as a European Basset might. Her ear length and drape are very good. She is a lovely little girl. 

Her coloring is very nice, but merely adequate with little distinctive pattern to it. Her facial fur is somewhat symmetrical with what is termed "God's Thumbprint" toward the back of her head. She is a pretty little Moo Cow covered in white with large black spots and some ermine speckling which will likely increase with time. I do not see her gaining much new brown fur as she ages, but at present it is hard to tell with any certainty. Her ear color is black and appears to have little brown to them. She may be able to keep those black ears as she grows and this would make her quite lovely as an adult. Not a show winner, but certainly a lovely little girl. 

Tangerine is a little girl who chooses to stay back from the fight, but can handle herself well when challenged. She follows humans well and seldom wanders off unless it is to stay closer to the house. She is not given to running but chooses to sit back a bit and assess the situation. She seems patient and only slightly playful in the tangle with others. She is sweet and cuddly always. She will make a great family pet and ought to do very well with her new family.  Clint Hake chose Tangerine for his new family member and we are glad to send her to them. 

Of the five AKC derived points in our six point system Tangerine gets four; losing one half point for a less than optimal domed head and one half for an ear setting which is also less than optimal. She does get half a point for beauty which makes her a four and one-half point puppy. Tangerine is a pet quality Basset puppy and she might be bred with a superior male if the pairing was available. But we are recommending she not be bred since she is not the best example of the breed and her bloodlines are not top notch. She will make a fine addition to the Hake family.