DEANERY BASSETS
1976 - 2006
A RECORD

My love of bassets began accidentally in that I went looking for a Labrador Retriever pup. Finding none at the time I happened upon a local litter of bassets. I saw the mother and the litter and that was it! Some weeks later I purchased Pippin. That was in 1973. By 1976 I started to show Pip and in that year he sired a litter all of whom were placed as pets. In 1977 I went to Long Island, NY to the Tal-E-Ho Kennels. At the time they were one of the top winning and producing basset kennels in the U.S. Their Am & Can Ch Tal E Ho's Prancer was in residence and he was twice U.S. National Specialty Best In Show and won the Canadian Speciality also.

I arranged to purchase Prancer's daughter Track Star. She arrived some months later but only lived 18 months. The next year I bought a Prancer granddaughter from Scottsmore Kennels in Quebec. She had to be spayed at a year due to pyometra of the uterus. So far I was batting zero in my search for a foundation bitch and spending a great deal of money in the process.

My work then took me away from Newfoundland for 2 years. I placed my three bassets in homes keeping ownership of Pippin. In 1981 I returned to Newfoundland on the way stopped in New Brunswick to acquire Angelique de Kevilo from Olive Klevorick. Angelique was a daughter of multiple Best In Show Ch Chantinghall Simon Templar and a granddaughter on her dam's side of Ch Halcyon Hill's Ichabod Crane who in turn was out of Ch Lyn Mar Acres Extra Man and the great Ch Tess Von Skauton. Ichabod had a great show career in Canada and was one of the greatest black stallion bassets I have ever seen.

I then began to think of how to breed Angelique. I went back to the U.S. and the Tal-E-Ho line I admired by way of the Sanchu Kennel in Pennsylvania at that time (breeder judge Kitty Steidel). I purchased Sanchu's Prince Noir with strong lines to Tal-E-Ho and to the great Am Ch Slippery Hill Hudson.

Prince arrived at 7 months in 1982. At nine months he had 2 Best Puppy In Show wins and finished his title. In 1984 he and Angelique produced 6 bitch puppies out of whom I kept Ch Deanery's Amazing Grace.

In 1986 when I again bred Angelique I decided to go to her dam's side of the pedigree back to the Von Skauton Kennel of Garry & Dawn Towne, Weedsport, NY. Only 3 live pups resulted. I kept and finished Ch Deanery's Lord Dudley and Ch Deanery's Lord Samson CD (Ed Banfield) both were multi group winners and placers for years.

In 1986 I again went to the Von Skauton's and bred Ch Deanery's Amazing Grace to Am Ch Gabriel Von Skauton. Two of the five puppies are still in my bloodlines, Ch Deanery's Contessa Victoria and Deanery's Duke of Grace.

In 1987 Grace was bred to Samson resulting in 8 live pups and Ch Deanery's Lady Naomi whose descendants are now prominent.

In 1988 Grace's daughter, Ch Contessa Victoria was bred to my foundation bitch's brother Kevilo's Bentley resulting in 7 pups, three of whom became champions including a very typey and small black bitch Ch Deanery's Princess Pebbles, so named as she swallowed a small rock blocking her bowel when very young. Pebbles' offspring are very much with my breeding plans presently.

Contessa Victoria was bred again this time in 1989 to Ch Deanery's Lord Samson CD resulting in another 7 pups including Ch Deanery's Sir Alfred who was for years winning the breed and group for his owners (Campbell's) and was in top 10 bassets in Canada for 5 years running.

In 1990 I went back to the Von Skauton Kennel and bred Ch Deanery's Lady Naomi (Grace X Sampson) to Am & Thailand Ch Elwil Bronson Von Skauton. Ch Deanery's Mother Superior came from this litter and had a strong influence on future Deanery bassets.

In 1990 the Townes graciously allowed me to take their black blanket tri Am Ch Isaac Von Skauton with me to Newfoundland. I showed him to his Canadian title and when he returned to the U.S. he won a basset Speciality. Isaac was bred to Naomi in 1990 and produced my "Christmas litter" including Am & Can Ch Deanery's Pere Noel and Ch Deanery's Lady Ruth.

Pebbles, in 1991 was bred back to her uncle Deanery's Duke of Grace, a small but typey black tri which I favor. In doing this I was doubling my lines back to two greats of the breed, Am Ch De Alo's March Hare Von Skauton and his sire Am Ch Heine Von Skauton both U.S. National Speciality Best In Show winners.

This breeding gave me Ch Deanery's Oh Henry a black blanket tri with a great front, rear, topline, feet, and temperament. Down the Deanery genetic road this would produce find bassets for the Rocklinhollow Kennel in Nova Scotia and for Deanery. Henry is a much loved family pet and was shown very little and bred only twice.

In 1992 on the advice of the late Mrs. Pat Waterhouse an all breed judge and owner of the great Heathrow bassets of BC. I bred Ch Deanery's Mother Superior to Am & Can Ch Rosshire's Anchors Away ROM a Quebec dog with a great show record. (#2 basset & #5 hound)

This produced a great litter of nine. Only four were shown and finished and it is a shame many of the others were not shown. The most influential was the bitch Ch Deanery's Deaconess ROM who produced such great specimens bred to Am Ch De Alo's Lehi Fyre Dragon but more of that later.

In 1993 I launched out into the deep again breeding Ch Deanery's Lady Ruth (Isaac X Naomi) to Am, Can, & Ber Ch Bone A Part's David Copperfield #1 basset and #1 hound then in Canada. This was the first litter in Newfoundland born from the use of chilled semen and I believe the first Canadian basset litter so born. Seven pups were born on Father's Day that year. Two males finished and an unfinished bitch Lady Sarah was the only one to pass on her genes and the quality that was in this breeding. It is very difficult to get owners to show and even more difficult to get them to prepare their dogs for showing by attending handling classes and matches. As a result many good dogs are lost to the gene pool.

In 1994 I became aware that the son of England's top dog all breeds was owned in Quebec. I bred Mother Superior to him. Only 2 pups were born and both went to pet homes. The combination did not work for me although other breeders had success from Ch Fredwell Fitzherbert. Over the years other litters failed to measure up in various ways and so I never "Bred on" from them.

At Christmas 1994 Garry Towne (Von Skauton Kennels NY) bravely drove to Newfoundland with Am Ch De Alo's Lehi Fyre Dragon fresh from his US Nationals Best In Show win. Fyre Dragon went back to some of the older dogs of the Von Skauton line and had Tal E Ho and the great Am Ch Beaujangles Ten ROM in his background. I hoped that some of that would blend with Ch Deanery's Deaconess and it did big time! Deaconess gained her ROM and of the six pups shown three became American and Canadian Champions and three finished just in Canada. The American winners were Deanery's Ben News; Deanery's Heaven Scent; and Deanery's Nutmeg who all gained their American titles under breeder judges and at basset specialties. Heaven Scent (Snifter) finished in four weekends but sadly developed calcified discs and was never bred. Am and Can Ch Deanery's Nutmeg carried the flag for this litter and her daughter and grandchildren are my current hopefuls.

In 1996 Deanery's Sarah (David Copperfield to Ruth) was bred to Ch Deanery's Oh Henry. This produced a lovely black tri Ch Deanery's In Ernest, the foundation of Rocklinhollow's Kennel (Dennis Cook) in Nova Scotia. He won groups as a pup and was #3 in Canada in '97 and #4 in '98 with very limited showing.

In 1996 a son of Am/Can Ch Deanery's Pere Noel was bred to Ch Deanery's Indulgence producing only three pups including Ch Deanery's Lady In Red.

In '97 I again used Ch Nord Von Skauton this time with Deaconess but while six pups were produced with great temperaments they were not of show quality. This was strange as in the first 3 generations of that pedigree there were really great dogs but the chromosomes just did not combine properly. As Garry Towne remarked, "If it was easy, everyone would be at it."

In 1999 Ch Deanery's Lady In Red was bred to Am Ch Lyncrest Joshua Von Skauton. Another litter of eight resulted and only Ch Deanery's Emily has been retained and she may be shown in the US before I decide who to breed her to. I had great hopes for this litter as Joshua carried a number of lines back to the very influential US stud dog Am Ch Hiflite Briarcrest Extra Man ROM a US dog with the record of producing the most champions in the history of the breed to date. Only the future will tell whether these hopes can be realized.

Am & Can Ch Deanery's Pere Noel (Isaac X Naomi) was only bred twice and to American litter sisters belonging to the Townes at Von Skauton. These breedings produced five American Champions and one Canadian titleholder. The American wins were all under breeder judges at basset specialties which is both the best and the most difficult way to finish a US title. In turn these descendants of Pere are now producing quite a number of US title holders for the Townes and for the R Paws Kennel of Pauline Rumelhart.

One such winner was Am & Can Ch NYC Mohawk Von Skauton (Pere X Am Ch Willis' Le Red Hot Dragon). He was co-owned by Garry Towne and Douglas Taylor (breeder/judge) of Switchstand Bassets. Mr. Taylor finished "Hawk" in the mid west. "Hawk" then came to Newfoundland where I won 5 Best In Shows finishing him #2 basset in Canada in '99 with very limited exposure. Hawk was transferred to my ownership and won 3 more Bests for a total of 8!

In 2000 Hawk was bred to Am & Can Ch Deanery's Nutmeg (Fyre Dragon X Deaconess) and produced a litter of 5. The bitch I kept Deanery's Cornucopia finished easily as a puppy and she is now nursing a litter of three by Ch Rocklinhollow's Sir Winston.

A second breeding of Nutmeg to Oh Henry, mentioned above, produced only one pup, Deanery's Cabot owned by Ed and Sonya Banfield here in Newfoundland. Cabot did not finish his title but when bred produced nicely. Nutmeg sadly died soon after of lung cancer.

In 2001, 2 very special pups were born from Am Can Ch NYC Mohawk Von Skauton, my multi BIS winner and Ch Rocklinhollow's Eve of Deanery. (A daughter of Am Ch De-Alo's Lehi Fyre Dragon ROM and Ch Deanery's Deaconess ROM. Fyre Dragon won the BHCA BIS in 1994.

Am Ch Deanery's Atlantis, a gift to the Townes (von Skauton) would go on to win 3 Specialty Bests In Show in the U.S. and a ROM at the 2004 Nationals in the U.S. Atlantis, campaigned by the Townes, was in the top ten of U.S. Show bassets for 3 years.

I kept Ch Deanery's Angelique from that litter of 6.

Eve produced a repeat litter for me, 7 this time, and Ch Deanery's Holly finished and produced very nicely. Eve then went to a retirement home in Ottawa.

In 2002, Ch Deanery's Cornucopia, bred to Deanery's Quincy, produced Ch Deanery's Melody, owned by Sue Edginton of Bagabones Bassets in Winnipeg. Sue is now breeding on from Melody's offspring.

In 2003, I had the opportunity to acquire Am Ch Tarnoff's Night Wind from Ms. Carol Ceneviva in Pennsylvania. "Windy", a big boned, black hound was a Fyre Dragon grandson and his blood and eye tests were excellent. He finished in Canada with me and was bred to Ch Deanery's Cornucopia, a Fyre Dragon granddaughter. This breeding produced 3 American Champions, one for Carol Ceneviva, one for the Townes and one for Brian Visokay (L'lle de Feu) of New York.

In 2004, Angelique was bred to Cabot producing 4 pups. Two finished - Ch Deanery's Prince Charming 2nd and Ch Deanery's Maid Marion who won a BPIS.

Ch Deanery's Cornucopia was bred again to Am Can Ch Tarnoff's Night Wind in 2004 and produced one huge pup who had to be born by section, Ch Deanery's Night Storm, a carbon copy of his father.

In 2005, Ch Deanery's Holly produced 6 pups from Ch Deanery's Prince Charming 2nd. Prancer finished from this litter and won several groups and BPIS along the way.

In 2006, Ch Bagabones Bella of Deanery, a daughter of Melody owned by Sue Edginton, gave me 4 pups from Ch Deanery's Prince Charming 2nd. Forester is being shown, has a group 1st and BPIS win to date.

And so the beat goes on!

My primary aim is to breed healthy happy bassets and to find good and permanent homes for the ones I cannot keep. Only rarely have my dogs gone to show homes and then many of the owners have not had the time or money to campaign them.

Deanery is Permanently Registered.

Reverend Patrick J. Kennedy
P. O. Box 370
Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada
A1N 2C4

PHONE: 709-368-5371
FAX: 709-368-5181
E-MAIL: info@deanerybassethounds.com
WEBPAGE: http://www.deanerybassethounds.com/