meet the...Basset Artesian Normand
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 7: Scenthounds and Related Breeds
Sub-group 7-C: Short-legged Hounds and Dachshunds
Origin Country France
Weight Males: 33-44 pounds. Females: 33-44 pounds.
Height Males: 10-14 inches. Females: 10-14 inches.
Other Name(s) Artesian Norman Basset, Artesian-Norman Basset, Basset Artesien Norman, Basset Artesien Normand, Norman Basset, Norman Artesien Basset
Breed Type Pure
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Origins
The Basset Artésien Normand is one of several antiquated members of the Basset family that includes the Basset Hound and the Basset Bleu de Gascogne. These dogs are easily recognized for their short hound coats, as well as their short stature, long noses, and long hound ears. In fact, the Basset family gets its name from the French word bas, meaning short or low-set.
These French hounds are the descendants of the legendary hounds of St. Hubert from 1000 CE. St. Hubert’s Hounds were descendants of the Spartan Hounds, which were ancient scent hounds. These scent hounds were described as being short-legged and having deep voices. They were brought from Greece to Constantinople, and from Constantinople to Europe and France.
The French bassets were developed in France as scent hounds used to hunt game such as rabbits and foxes. While their short legs may hinder their overall speed and agility, there is one major advantage they have over their leggier cousins—the Basset family can hunt in dense brush and thickets much better than larger hounds. Furthermore, their scenting ability is outstanding, being second only to that of the Bloodhound.
Prior to the 1790s, the longer-legged hounds were primarily used to hunt alongside the noblemen’s horses. It is believed that the short-legged achondroplastic mutation that results in the shortened long bones of the Bassett’s legs is the result of a genetic alteration of the Norman Staghounds of their day, which were also descendants of the St. Hubert’s Hounds. The benefits of such short-legged dogs were realized when the French Revolution of 1789 afforded the common man the chance to hunt (albeit on foot, rather than on horseback). These shorter-legged hounds were easier to keep up with and made excellent small-game hunters, providing a commoner’s family with a tasty meal for their efforts.
The basset-type hounds continued to rise in popularity from 1850 to 1870, during the reign of Napoleon III. In 1863 the first dog show was held in Paris, France, and as a result the French bassets were promoted to the international stage. After their warm reception at the Paris dog show, basset enthusiasts begin to implement controlled breeding practices, which were very tedious but resulted in refined, short-coated, short-legged bassets. The Chien d’Artois, a straight-legged scenting hound, and the Basset Normand, sporting Queen Anne style legs, were also developed around that time. Eventually the two were bred together to produce the Basset Artésien Normand breed.Breed Characteristics
Head: Rather long and almost dolichocephalic in skull type and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is slightly arched in profile or when viewed from the front, and of moderate width, with a somewhat pronounced occiput. The head is clean and dry, without excess folds, wrinkles, or drooping/sagging skin.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, and may range from amber green, or medium to dark brown in color, depending on coat color. The eye rims are well fitted with no sign of looseness. The haw of a hunting or working dog should never be exposed, as it could catch debris. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are to be penalized. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: The ears are set low on the skull, level with the line of the eye when in repose. Standard hound-ears that do not exceed the length of the muzzle are preferred to the excessively pendulous ears that drag the floor when the head is down to scent, as these ear types trap dirt, food, debris, and are prone to infection.
Muzzle: The muzzle is long, full, deep, and broad. Upper and lower jaws have good bone substance, appearing strong and well developed, never appearing snipy or weak.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black, or self-colored according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened. The nose protrudes just slightly beyond the vertical line of the end of the muzzle.
Neck: Moderate in length and strongly muscled, with a slight arch. The neck tapers just slightly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed but not prominent.
Body: The body is deep, narrow, compact, and of good substance. It should never appear wide, bulky, or heavy. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads. Excess bone and knuckle are undesirable. Forefeet may orient straight ahead or may be just slightly toed-out.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup, but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. Carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, but never tucked or carried over the back. Tail is long, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints or beyond, when held down. The tail may be straight, gently curved, or forming a slight sabre.
Movement: The Normand Basset is a working breed and, therefore, should be capable of effortless and efficient movement with great endurance. Any structural feature or exaggeration that diminishes the dog’s ability to move freely is incorrect. The characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The Normand Basset is a very pack-oriented breed, whether that pack is other dogs or humans. They are known to be very sociable, outgoing, and affectionate. Excelling in scent work, they adore any opportunity to exercise their nose. Their hunting and scenting instincts can be quite strong, even in lines no longer used for hunting. This makes them a great dog for hobby-scenting work. Many hunters today find them an excellent candidate for blood-trailing game lost in the woods, since they are easier to keep up with than the longer-legged hounds and can navigate easily through dense or low brush and briar. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 7: Scenthounds and Related Breeds
Proportions: The Norman Basset is a rectangular, short-legged dog with the length of the body (from forechest to point of the rump) exceeding the height at the withers. As a working hound of shorter stature, the dog exhibits moderate bone and good substance. It should never appear excessively heavy in bone, clumsy, or constrained. Extremes are to be penalized. The body is well put together, well balanced, and, despite a short stride, possesses great stamina.
Head
General Appearance: Rather long and almost dolichocephalic in skull type and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is slightly arched in profile or when viewed from the front, and of moderate width, with a somewhat pronounced occiput. The head is clean and dry, without excess folds, wrinkles, or drooping/sagging skin.
Expression: The expression is alert, friendly, calm, and noble.
Stop: The stop is moderate, never abrupt.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 1:1, with the topskull being equal to the muzzle.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis may range from parallel to slightly divergent.
Muzzle: The muzzle is long, full, deep, and broad. Upper and lower jaws have good bone substance, appearing strong and well developed, never appearing snipy or weak.
Lips or Flews: The upper lip may just cover the lower jaw, but should not fall well below the jawline or appear overly pendulous and hanging.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black, or self-colored according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened. The nose protrudes just slightly beyond the vertical line of the end of the muzzle.
Cheeks: The cheeks are smooth and clean. The cheeks should not appear chiseled or coarse.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, white teeth. Bite may be level, scissor, or reverse-scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth as a result of routine work is not to be penalized.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, and may range from amber green, or medium to dark brown in color, depending on coat color. The eye rims are well fitted with no sign of looseness. The haw of a hunting or working dog should never be exposed, as it could catch debris. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are to be penalized. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: The ears are set low on the skull, level with the line of the eye when in repose. Standard hound-ears that do not exceed the length of the muzzle are preferred to the excessively pendulous ears that drag the floor when the head is down to scent, as these ear types trap dirt, food, debris, and are prone to infection.
Body and Tail
General Description: The body is deep, narrow, compact, and of good substance. It should never appear wide, bulky, or heavy. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Moderate in length and strongly muscled, with a slight arch. The neck tapers just slightly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed but not prominent.
Topline: Level from withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, and may be flat and level, or slightly arched, yet supportive. The topline is never swayed or roached.
Croup: The croup may be flat, or have a slight slope.
Underline: A slight tuck-up may be present, or the underline may run parallel to the topline. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight. The distance from the ground to the underline should equal at least 1/3 of the body height (from the withers to the ground) to allow for adequate ground clearance.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup, but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. Carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, but never tucked or carried over the back. Tail is long, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints or beyond, when held down. The tail may be straight, gently curved, or forming a slight sabre.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: Forequarters are always in balance with the hindquarters. Forequarters are well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. Shoulder blades are approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm, which are dwarfed. Wrinkling and excess skin on the forequarters is undesirable.
Elbows: Elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers or the depth of the body may be 2/3 to the distance of the elbow to the ground.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, of moderate bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: Upper thigh and lower thigh are equal in length, strong, sturdy, of good bone, and well-muscled. Wrinkling and excess skin on the hindquarters is undesirable.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one paw-length behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: Angulation of hindquarters is always in balance with angulation of forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads. Excess bone and knuckle are undesirable. Forefeet may orient straight ahead or may be just slightly toed-out.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: The coat is short, smooth, and close to the body throughout. The texture is soft and glossy with a dense, protective undercoat. Coat will be slightly longer on neck, forming a light ruff, and on the tail. No fringe or feather permissible.
Coat Color or Pattern: Tricolor (tan with black saddle and white markings) or various shades of tan with white markings. With or without ticking.
Movement
The Normand Basset is a working breed and, therefore, should be capable of effortless and efficient movement with great endurance. Any structural feature or exaggeration that diminishes the dog’s ability to move freely is incorrect. The characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The Normand Basset is a very pack-oriented breed, whether that pack is other dogs or humans. They are known to be very sociable, outgoing, and affectionate. Excelling in scent work, they adore any opportunity to exercise their nose. Their hunting and scenting instincts can be quite strong, even in lines no longer used for hunting. This makes them a great dog for hobby-scenting work. Many hunters today find them an excellent candidate for blood-trailing game lost in the woods, since they are easier to keep up with than the longer-legged hounds and can navigate easily through dense or low brush and briar. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
