Love these photos of Basset hounds, want a smile take a look at http://www.vh1.com/celebrity/2011-03-16/50-photos-of-basset-hounds-running/

Terrific!What a range of expressions!

:-D :-D Oh my goodness, there are some real faces in that lot!

Eek, I'm sorry but this certainly drags up the 'fit for purpose' arguement again.  There is no way that isn't uncomfortable for some of those dogs.
Sorry to put a dampener on it.  It just made me sad:(

> Eek, I'm sorry but this certainly drags up the 'fit for purpose' arguement again.

I thought this lot seemed out of the unexaggerated box but perhaps that is what you meant as I doubt these would make it in the show ring :)

There were one or two that just looked like overweight Jack Russell's!!  Got to love the ears though :)

"Fit for Purpose"

Well they were certainly fit enough to enjoy themselves, did not look to see if they were good examples or not I was just enjoying happy dogs.

No I didn't mean good examples of breed, I meant the skin being so loose on some of those dogs (the ones with the ridiculous faces) that there is no way that wasn't painful to be running.    Imagine your eyelids flapping around while you ran? Or loosing sight because your forehead skin had covered your eyes?  Not so funny now was all I meant.  That was the first thing that came to my mind when I seen those photos.
And I'm sorry again that I ruined it.  I wouldn't have ellaborated had you not throught I meant it a different way:)

Don't think they would have been running with such glee if it was painful, hounds are not stupid.

Dunno, I'm not particularly keen on having a run without my bra? Flappy skin is flappy skin, after all.  Same as jowls(which are a GREAT part of aging!!).  Would like something to strap them down when running too!!lol.
Just my opinion.

I thought a lot of them looked really very overweight and as cracar said lots of skin flapping around - can't imagine many of them doing a day in the field. 

That said they do all look happy and their faces gave me a smile.

I'm not particularly keen on having a run without my bra? Flappy skin is flappy skin, after all

Well I would have said there is a difference between breast tissue and loose skin or even the flesh that forms bingo wings, yes, slack breasts hurt but bingo wings don't.

Sorry Jackie can't log on  - takes me to a music site - it always makes me smile to watch Bassets charging around, promised myself that one day I will contact one of the remaining packs for a day out.

I think they look lovely Nova and it made me smile too.

Hi Lacy it does look like a music site but scroll just a short way down and you will see the hounds - there are 50 photos of very happy hounds.

> Sorry to put a dampener on it. It just made me sad:(

Me too, some of them had far too much skin, some grossly overweight and poor no6 with those terrible eyes :-(  It is lovely to see the less exaggerated ones running, like no 13, but of course they don't make such humorous pictures!

Jackie thank you, yes this morning I could scroll down, had seen many before, great pictures.

Think bassets are an acquired taste, as someone said to me once 'a bit like marmite you either love or loath them'. Sadly for the breed there are far too many suffering from heavy exaggerations and other problems. People seem to have lost sight of their origins. As in other breeds - but perhaps more so in the basset - there is a big difference between the original working pack hound to the majority in family homes.

http://www.albanybassets.co.uk/gallery1.php

But I can't imagine the house without them!

They remind me of the Basset Artesian Normand, to me a much more attractive Basset without all the loose skin. Some examples: http://www.bassetartesiennormand.com/de-berenice/  I met them in Holland and thought them charming.

Think the difference in the amount of skin depends on the sort of terrain they hunted in, loose skin protected the inner hound. Excessive amounts are perhaps an example of what happens when pet dogs are bred with no reference to the standard some features become exaggerated hence the oversize ears and too many skin wrinkles which in turn can lead to slack eyes.

> Excessive amounts are perhaps an example of what happens when pet dogs are bred with no reference to the standard

I don't think we can put these exaggerations down to the pet market entirely.  There are plenty of excesses in the show ring where they should be taking the lead on breeding for health and welfare first and foremost.

They may be in the ring but they should not be winning as any excesses are not to the standard, it is impossible to false breeders to breed to the standard but it is up to judges not to reward them. Same old story if a judge likes the hound with loads of excess skin then they will reward it but they will not be around for very long as judging like that is not judging to standard and the KC is at long last tightening up on this.

Totally agree :)

Is it over simplistic to say that judges are often breeders who have breed dogs with excess in the past ( & done well) but can't see or acknowledge that changes are necessary for the health & benefit of the breed. Realise my knowledge is 'limited',  don't show or attend but those I do see (the chosen at Crufts & those we meet) are heavy - often very over weight - plodding individuals who sadly it's laughable to call a hound.

Is it over simplistic to say that judges are often breeders who have breed dogs with excess in the past

Who said that, I didn't?

> Who said that, I didn't?

I know you didn't, I did. Should have put a ?.