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THE KENNEL
Welcome to Renaissance Bassets!
I began the Renaissance line in 2004, but I had my first Basset Hound when I was 12. Before starting Renaissance, I apprenticed for almost nine years with Frank and Virginia Kovalic of the legendary Stoneybluff line, managing their kennel and showing their dogs. Eventually, we became co-breeders and co-owners of several top-ranked Basset Hounds, including Ch. Stoneybluff Montgomery. The Kovalics had a remarkable breeding and showing program for 37 years and were known all over the world. When the Kovalics retired, I was fortunate to be able to acquire the nucleus of their younger dogs to begin Renaissance Bassets.
The kennel is located on my family farm outside of Jackson, Michigan. The dogs live in the house and have a large, fenced-in area in which to romp during good weather. A converted chicken coop serves as a covered, enclosed space that can be a shelter from the rain or a kennel for visiting dogs. (The old chicken coop now even boasts a working kitchen!) And one room inside the house serves as the nursery, with a whelping box.
The focus of my kennel is on preserving the unique traits and characteristics of the Basset Hound, displaying that devotion through the breeding of show dogs and companions. Actually, all of my dogs are companions first, but many have also finished their championships and grand championships in conformation. (The name conformation is used to describe the activity of judging dogs against each other in the show ring to determine which one conforms most closely to the breed's standard.)
Not every dog, however, is cut out for the show ring. Some may not have the personality and desire to perform well in the ring, and others may not be as close to the standard as I would like — though the untrained eye might not see it. So it's important that all my dogs have the sweet, gentle temperament to be great companions. Basset Hounds are wonderful family dogs, and I'm just as proud of those dogs who serve as companions to their human families as I am of my show champions. You will find in looking over the site that many of my champions are actually family pets, and I am very grateful to the cooperation I have from their owners to advance their show careers when the dogs aren't sleeping on someone's sofa. Furthermore, many of my retired show dogs go on to become family pets.
I'm extremely involved in promoting the breed, and I currently serve as the president of the Basset Hound Club of Greater Detroit.
The health of my dogs is of paramount importance to me. That's why I test my dogs for genetic diseases such as thrombopathia and mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS1), and I encourage other breeders to get their dogs tested as well.
This website provides information about all the activities of Renaissance Bassets. You'll find details about the breed, about some of our show dogs as well as our companions, answers to frequently asked questions about basset hounds, as well as links to other Basset Hound sites and contact information. I'm also on Facebook at facebook.com/renaissancebassets.
Thanks for visiting!
Corey
This site was last updated 1 September 2023.