Description:
Trooper is a really beautiful Bassett/Beagle mix. I love Bassett mixes ~ my two dogs are Bassett/Lab and Bassett/Bulldog. The Bassett makes a great mix with other breeds as it adds a laidback potential to those that tend toward hyperactivity, you know, like Beagles!!! Trooper is a bundle of energy, not shy at all. He is great with other dogs but likes to make cats squeek, so let's put him in a feline-fee home.

Volunteer update: Trooper is a great dog. Very friendly and playful. He is a talker when he is in his crate but if out in the home or with his people he quiets right down. He loves to run and play!

Volunteer update 11/1: My day with Trooper was awesome. The Canine Center (where I train my dog Mia) was at the event and we did some basic agility moves with Trooper. Trooper was rockin' awesome!!! Would anyone ever expect to see a basset/beagle mix doing jumps over agility equipment??? It was cool! We did many trials of "Trooper sit. Trooper come. Trooper jump." and he was perfectly food motivated. As a matter of fact, Trooper is quite strong and agile for a low rider! I don't know if it was because we were working together on these little exercises but Trooper seemed to bond with me specifically. When I walked around the event setting up stuff in the earlier part of the day, he would bark after me. Thankfully Trooper does not have the bay or howl of his genetics. His bark was not loud and he sounds muffled. I'm not sure if he prefers females to men but I know he need structure, training and consistency. This dog would be perfect in a home where there will be older children or a couple willing to spend quality time training him. If there is another dog in the home, I would recommend feeding the dogs separately to avoid unnecessary conflicts/food aggression. It was only 2-3 hours for this young family but it was enough to give them the information they needed on the next dog they want to rescue.

Foster update 12/17: Trooper is doing well in his new foster home. They tell me he is VERY playful and finds the most simple tasks fun and a chance to start play! He is housetrained and they say he has not tried to chew anything up in the home. He plays well with other dogs but plays rough and jumps all over them. Some dogs don't find this very fun? He does well with their 5 year old. He said the first time they came out in the backyard Trooper was stunned to see the swing set and jump between their daughter and the swing set and started to growl and bark at it..trying to protect their child from the really dangerouse swing set...funny but a true sign of his character! They have not seen him with cats..but he tries to chase the stray cats in the neightborhood. There one downside they find and are working on it. On walks Trooper finds it fun to play tug of war with the leash, but after a few corrections he walks properly! He seems like a great dog!

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the name Basset Hound comes from the French word "bas" meaning low. Some sources suggest the Basset Hound may have originated from genetic dwarf dogs presented in litters of other types of French hunting hounds, however, we do know that it is a rather old breed, descended directly from the Bloodhound. Shakespeare described the Basset Hound with the following poetic image: "Ears which sweep away the morning due." According to research, the true fame of the Basset Hound began in 1863, when it was presented at the Paris Dog Show. Its popularity spread to England where a lively dispute arose between two factions of breeders: Those who wanted to keep the Basset Hound a hunting dog, and those who wanted to transform it into a companion dog. Situated between these two factions were the American breeders who proceeded to develop an extremely pleasing companion dog without sacrificing any of the qualities of the hunter. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885. Its natural bent is for hunting both in the den and in the open. It is therefore, used for the hunting of fox, hare, opossum, and pheasant. Bassets can hunt in packs or