Good Basset Hound breeders strive to produce dogs that meet the description of the Basset Hound in the official breed Standard. When "show quality" Basset Hounds compete against other Bassets at a dog show, a judge compares each Basset against what the Standard defines as the ideal Basset. The Basset that comes closest to this ideal is the one that wins.

Show prospects are usually sold for a higher price than a pet quality dog. Some breeders will sell a show prospect outright with no strings attached. Other breeders may sell one for less money but with certain requirements. It is not uncommon for a breeder to want lifetime breeding rights to a particularly outstanding male or to want a puppy out of a good quality bitch, in addition to choosing the sire for her first breeding. If the new owners are novices, the breeder may wish to co-own the show prospect so that he or she has "control" over which bitches a male is bred to or which sire a bitch is bred to. It is not uncommon for a breeder who sells a show prospect to require that the dog be shown to its championship.

Details relative to the purchase of a show prospect should be clearly spelled out and written down in contract form in order to avoid problems down the line. It is important to specify expenses that the new owners will assume and those that the breeder will assume as well as how puppies will be chosen in a future litter, who will cover whelping costs, veterinary fees, etc., if these are part of the sales agreement.

A couple of points concerning your search for a show puppy:

The availability of Basset show puppies is usually low, averaging one or two really good puppies in a litter.

The Basset Hound is a particularly changeable breed in its physical development from puppy to adult. It is safer to purchase an animal that is older (around 6 months) or has already been started to be shown and has a number of solid wins and points towards its AKC championship.