My favorite part from Pedigree Dogs Exposed

2009 November 10
tags: ,
by retrieverman

Source.

The reaction of the basset club chairperson is absolutely hilarious!

“We have improved them.”

Really?

 

 

from → dog breeding, dog breeds

5 Responses leave one →
  1. 2009 November 10
    Independent George permalink

    I would have significantly less problems with the dog fancy if they’d just quit the pretense that dog shows have anything to do with the original function of the breeds, or that they’re ‘improving’ the breed.

    I’d still have an issue because of the health effects of inbreeding, but that’s my left-brain reaction; what provokes the emotional side of my brain is the pretense and self-delusion.

    Reply
    • 2009 November 10
      retrieverman permalink

      Bassets are supposed to run in heavy cover, right?

      Well, with that much loose skin, they’d be cut to bits by the time they came out of the thicket.

      Reply
      • 2009 November 12
        glencuanpointers permalink

        Up to very recently there were three packs of working Bassetts in the UK. One of these was based near Moira in Northern Ireland.I saw them working several times before the pack disbanded and was split up, some going to the two other packs on The Mainland. The Moira pack was hunted more or less in the same way as you would hunt beagles in open farmland the hare being the main quarry. The sport was mighty and while I didn’t see a hare caught there were some good runs.The Bassetts I saw were even less flabby than the one above in black and white. It’s hard to tell if they were actually leggier or if it just seemed that way because they were fit. Unfortunately I don’t recall ever hearing the height of the Moira dogs mentioned.

        Reply
        • 2009 November 12
          retrieverman permalink

          I read somewhere that some of those packs have been crossed with harriers and beagles over the years to make them a little lighter.

          The French have a bunch of working basset breeds, and every one of them has longer legs and less loose skin than the show basset.

          Reply
    • 2009 November 10
      retrieverman permalink

      Here’s a basset that is actually used for work.

      http://www.gopetsamerica.com/dog_breeds/basset_fauve_de_bretagne.aspx

      And if they knew this breed existed where I live, they would be in very high demand.

      Reply

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