Norman Artesien Basset

FCI:

Norman Artesien Basset - Group VI. – Scent hounds and related breeds, Section - Small sized Hounds.

General Appearance:

This is a hard-working, unexpectedly agile and highly intelligent short legged hound with a very fine sense of smell to hunt excellently cooperating with the hunter, in a variety of hunting on grounds and fishing. In its country of origin this great hunting dog still popular at work in the pack or individually. It is used for hunting small ground game (hare, rabbit), but also roe deer, which it can point the thickets for larger breeds inaccessible. Hunters appreciate as other short legged hounds its slower movements in comparison with hounds with long limbs. In difficult areas in nature it is able to keep up with other hunting dogs

Another advantage is that it easily and with absolute certainty penetrates difficult areas in nature covered with dense vegetation. It works carefully and accurately, it is relentless. It has an excellent sense of smell, it is tightly following scent and sonorous, melodic voice to announce its finding. Moreover, it is very clever, docile and easy to train.

Temperament/ Behaviour:

The upbringing and training of any par force (by force) methods, any pressure on it will bring more harm than good because they disrupt its relationship with owner-trainer. Gentle approach with it, it can get a lot more, because character is helpful and kind. With its education and training can deal with less experienced owner or an absolute beginner, if it respects at least the basic rule from beginning, but the fierce consistency, and not commit serious mistakes. You must begin at an early age, and quite violently, using games. The aim should be to create a relationship between dog and owner. Its foundation must be mutual understanding and mutual respect.

Body:

In relation to the considerable length of the body's compact dog proper body structure with a head showing great generosity Norman hound height at withers related to the length of the body such as 5: 8. Height at withers is 30 to 36 cm (with a tolerance of + / - 1 cm in adults or quality individuals).

Weight of body is from 15 to 20 kg. Although height at withers does not exceed 40 cm, not a small breed, but a medium-sized dog on short legs.

The head is dry, has a slightly arched and moderately broad skull with a distinctive peak. Bite should be scissors, which means that upper incisors covering the lower teeth so as to touch with their back surfaces of their front surfaces, and both the teeth must be fixed in the jaws.

Eyes are oval, large, dark colour (body corresponding to coat colour). Their expression has to be calm, serious. Its whole face is all Basset typical "sad" expression. Lower eyelid may be looser, so sometimes you may see pink conjunctiva, but not too much.

The earlobes are deployed as low as much as possible, never above the eye line. By bases are narrow, slightly curled Corkscrew, soft, thin, very long, at least as long muzzle. It is preferred by individuals whose reach if they are violently stretched forward to nose tip.

The neck is fairly long, with a dewlap, which shall never be too big. The back should be broad and solid. The loin is slightly arched, croup should be slightly sloping. The tail should be fairly long, thick at the root towards the tip tapers evenly. The attitude reaches the tip to the base. It is carried as sickle. It should never be neither over back or on the bottom of a long coated.

Chest should be long, reasonably spacious, consisting of long ribs. The imaginary cross-section is oval. Its depth is to height at withes as 2: 3.

The forelegs are short, thick, with a little (really just quite a few, but clearly) an offset paws. The hindquarters when viewed from behind in a vertical attitude. The imaginary vertical line it is running from the seating bump in the pan takes place in the centre of the lower leg, ankle, instep and toes.

The coat is short, close-fitting with not too soft. Fawn with black blanket and white “tricolour”) or fawn and white (bi-colour). In the tricoloured dog, the head should be largely covered with tan hair and show a circle of darker hairs on each temple. The black blanket or the black patches should be composed of solid black hairs or black hair with “grizzle”, realising thus the former characteristic of “hare pied” or ”badger-pied”.

Faults include the above flat skull, excessively broad muzzle, very strong (deep) longitudinal front furrow, light coloured eyes, round shape, bulging with too exposed haw (loose lower eyelids), ears flat, at the end of excessively rounded, thick, high set and broad at the base, short neck, topline , soft body or movement, swinging sideways.