Six Weeks Evaluations: The International Candies Litter : Reisen (Hank)

At Six Weeks of age we evaluate our litters using a six point set of criteria. Five of these points are derived from the American Kennel Club Standard for the breed. One point is given that is subjective and purely based on what we like to see for coloring and aesthetic qualities. It is difficult to look into a puppy's future and see what they will truly become, but at six weeks there is enough of the traits emerging in appearance and personality to give it a good guess.

Our breeding program has been aimed toward breeding a smaller form of Basset Hound, something that won't exceed forty pounds when fully adult and perhaps less than fourteen inches at the shoulder. In this litter we only see two pups of this smaller form developing, four which will be of the more normal American Basset size (perhaps fifty pound fully grown and fifteen inches at the shoulder) and one standard sized little boy who will likely top out at sixty pounds. All of the Candies show very good traits, but as is the usual, the sire (Rocky) brought into the mix all that we expect in an American Basset Hound. The very long ears, head shape, boxy nose shape, and heavy foreleg size are all of Rocky's very good features. Lilly, the Dame, is a good example of the smaller form Basset and has very good features as well.

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Hank is a very special little boy. One of the rare Bassets with Heterochromia, a condition where one blue eye exists next to one brown eye. To be honest, the AKC Standard calls this a fault and I will deduct half a point from his evaluation, but the fault is merely formal and not any sort of a problem. In fact, We like how his one turquoise eye catches the sunlight and shines like a blue jewel.  Otherwise, this is as good a Basset puppy as we have seen so far.

Structurally Hank is a well built Basset Hound. He is of a medium size, so expect a fifty pound boy when fully grown, but not nearly as large as a European Basset. His head is domed well and his snout is boxy and carries significant fews, even at this young age. His ears are very good and hang exactly as they should at the back of his skull in they drape very nicely almost to the ground. He has a strong neck (a bit sub optimal) which are rooted in very substantial shoulders,. The whole thing is supported by nicely formed and heavily boned forelegs, His body flows backwward smoothly to his narrow waist and chunky hips. His stance is not all that we wish it were, but keeping him well excersized will certainly help him stave off any bone health problems later on.

Hank is covered almost entirely by deep Mohagany fur with just a few white accents and excellent skin folding. He has a symmetrical facial coloring pattern which is really more like a Redbone Coonhound in appearance. Hank has no white tip on his tail which makes him something unique in Bassets. Hank has quirky good looks and a quirky attitude to match. 

Hank is as playful as they come. He never shirks a fight, never fails to explore a hole he finds, and always wanders off, so lock the gate.  If there is some mischief he can find, he will be in it. He will be leaving us with his brother Harvey and we are sure the two of them will come to rule their new homes.

Of the five AKC derived points for form Hank gets four and a half (the eye). He gets half a point for pretty due to his unique coloring and lack of a white tail tip. Five of the six points available but there's nothing at all wrong with him. We do not recommend breeding because the aesthetic traits are not prime examples of the breed.