The Jelly Belly Litter: Six Week Evaluations: Mocha

Mocha 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.

At the time of this article we still have two male puppies available for new families. Just send us a note using the Email widget to the left of this and we'll get you all the information you need.

Mocha is a wonderful little American styled Basset puppy who follow his Sire in nearly every way. He is still available and looking for a family.  Though not anything close to show quality, this is the puppy I would choose to keep (if I were allowed any more dogs than I already have). He is simply a fun little boy and will make a great Basset pet once he is chosen. At birth Mocha was only around eleven ounces and he hasn't missed any meals since then. Today he weighs just over six pounds. 

Mocha on day one

Structurally, Mocha is a pretty good example of the American styled Basset puppy. He is heavy in the foreleg bones, strong in the chest, and well tapered from his wide shoulders to his chunky hips. His neck is thick and supports a highly domed head. His ear setting is nearly perfect, sitting just behind the skull and ear length is great. Mochas jaw setting is strong and he facial fews will likely be quite pendulous. Mocha's stance, the way he stands when at rest or play, is very strong (almost as a bulldog in appearance). He is low in the backside and very wide in the front. 

As good as Mocha is in structure, he is not in fur coloring. He will soon display quite a bit more brown in his fur as black fur is replaced. His facial fur is asymmetrical. but Mocha is not at all an ugly dog. He is simply not built for show.  And what he lacks in beauty he makes up for in personality.

This is a fun puppy. Playful, fearless, aggressive, and always happy.  He is fast on his feet and never a bit timid. If there's a hole he will explore it. If he had thumbs he would probably climb trees. When there's a scrap, he is in there somewhere and usually on top. He is a ball of funny fur which entertains me to no end.  He is as cuddly as they come, but is often too enthusiastic to stay on a lap for long. He is quite happy alone though I wouldn't leave him alone for very long. Mocha was the first to pick up a stick and carry it around, first to find the kibble dish, first to find the water dish. He's a wonderful little boy.

Of the six points in our quasi-objective system I give him five of the five available AKC derived points and a half a point for beauty and beautiful personality.  Five and one-half points is perhaps the best of this litter. We are not recommending breeding Mocha, but would not be averse to it if he develops into something better than he is today and a suitable female with a bit better genetics were available. There is simply nothing wrong with this puppy.  Keep him well exercised and close by and he will develop quickly into a best friend for children or adults.