Practical Canine Anatomy & Movement
Basset Hound University
and the
Breed University Template (BUT) Program
Basset Hound University (BHU) is a practical education concept developed by the Basset Hound Club of America.  The goal of BHU is to provide home study programs in Basset Hound breed education.  The University is designed as an on-going school of learning in which courses on owning, breeding, competing and judging Basset Hounds are available year round.   BHU is dedicated to preserving the past and educating future breeders, owners, exhibitors and judges of the Basset Hound.
The concept of Basset Hound University is similar to correspondence degree programs, where Basset Hound breeders, owners, exhibitors and judges can take courses and complete them at their own pace at home.  BHU is designed to be used as a model for parent clubs of all breeds of dog.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Basset Hound University come into being?

The Basset Hound University concept is the result of some very successful education workshops which the Basset Hound Club of America gives during their National specialties. Components of these workshops include classroom presentations and discussion, hands-on practice with live exhibits, use of angle measuring tools, and most importantly, evaluation of the attendee’s dogs, which provide that essential component of “how does what I’m learning apply to my own Basset Hounds?”  Since starting the workshops in 1999, attendance has steadily increased from 40 to 60 to over 100 attendees, which is a very enthusiastic turnout for a National specialty which averages about 300 dogs. When members expressed interest in an on-going, year round education program, it led to the development of the Basset Hound University concept.

How is BHU set up?

BHU is divided into a system of “schools,” each of which is run by the 3 education committees within the Basset Hound Club of America: Member Education, Public Education and Judges’ Education.

How are the courses in Basset Hound University designed?

Which courses have been completed?
Basset Hound University courses use a workbook, and sometimes, a workshop approach.  Workbook exercises incorporate easy to answer formats such as true and false, multiple choice, fill in the blanks and matching questions. Breeders, owners and judges send their completed written exercises for each course to BHCA “faculty members” to be reviewed.  For a list of completed courses, press the continue button at the end of this FAQ.

Certificates of Completion
With a goal of providing education in all areas of Basset Hound interest, Certificates of Completion are offered for courses on breeding, conformation, owning a Basset Hound, judging, and performance, which includes tracking, field trialing, hunting, obedience, rally, agility and versatility. Certificates of Completion are awarded to anyone successfully completing the workbook exercises for each course.

What is the BREED UNIVERSITY TEMPLATE (BUT) program?

The Breed University Template  (BUT) program is an important feature of the Basset Hound University concept. The goal of the BUT program is to provide course models which can be used and modified to meet the needs of any breed club. This approach saves time regarding the development of course materials and workbook exercises.  In this regard, the educational courses and materials which have been designed for Basset Hound University can be modified to fit any breed of dog.

Can you give an example of how a TEMPLATE works?

All templates in the BREED UNIVERSITY TEMPLATE program use courses that have been developed for Basset Hound University.  In the interest of sharing, BHCA is making all of their breed specific educational courses available to other breed clubs.  This can save a club literally hundreds of hours of work.  A TEMPLATE is a CD copy of each of the courses.  All of the BUT CDs are currently in a Powerpoint format and are easily modified. For example, if a club is interested in developing an Owner’s Guide for their particular breed, the Basset Hound Owner’s Guide can be used as a model.  The Powerpoint program for the Basset Hound Owner’s Guide can be downloaded and then changed to fit any other breed of dog by adding different copy, clip art and photos, although much of the general dog information may be used as it is currently written. A particular club may decide to only use part of a particular template. The goal is to inspire or help in any way that works for that particular club.  Also available are many marketing tools to help you introduce the Breed University concept to your dog club.

Our club is not interested in developing “home study programs.”  Can the Breed University Templates just be used to create informative literature pieces?

Yes. This is easily done by simply eliminating the workbook exercise portions. The BUT program makes it possible for any breed club, regardless of its size or educational expertise, to produce high quality educational materials for all areas of breed interest and for purposes which best serve a particular dog club. The goal is to share materials with the hope of furthering education for all breeds of dogs.

Is it possible to develop a “paperless” Breed University?
The answer is “yes.”  In fact, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America has had an outstanding paperless University for a couple of years.  CD formats and website programs are all possibilities.  

How can we order the BREED UNIVERSITY TEMPLATE

(BUT) Program?  
An order form is available on the Basset Hound Club of America Basset Hound University website: www.bhca-bhu.org or contact Claudia Orlandi at: domorlan@gmavt.net BUT Templates can be ordered in 2 ways: (1) a club can order the template CD for just one particular course or (2) a club can order the BUT Template Toolkit, which is a package containing the books and template CDs for 7 key courses as well as the ABC’s of Dog Breeding and the Practical Canine Anatomy Home Study Programs.  We recommend the BUT Toolkit Program because it is more economical and also includes marketing materials such as artwork, a booth design, a price list, and awareness bracelets, all of which are meant to give you ideas with regard to developing your own University.  In short, the BUT Toolkit Program will help you introduce the Breed University concept to your club.

Are there any obligations with regard to using the Basset Hound University templates?

If you use the BHU materials as a model, we ask only that you acknowledge BHCA Basset Hound University in that particular publication or literature piece.  It goes without saying that we would love to hear your comments or suggestions or receive samples of your own University materials!

What are the benefits of a Breed University program?

Benefits include:
1. On-going education.  Going beyond the once a year seminar, a breed university allows  breeders and owners to participate in year round education programs.
 
2. Mentor Support.  A Breed University provides educational tools and courses that can assist mentors in educating newcomers to a breed and help start them off on the right foot.
 
3. Judges Education.  New breed judges have an on-going localized source of club approved breed education.
 
4. Convenience.  Busier than ever breeders and owners can study at home and complete courses at their own pace.
 
5. Widespread geography.  The university correspondence school format addresses the challenges of breeders and owners living in all parts of the country.
 
6. Flexibility.  Individuals choose courses of interest to them, from breeding to judging to performance to conformation to owning a particular breed of dog.    
 
7. Standardized learning. Courses are standardized, with everyone learning the same information from club approved books and materials.  The university concept organizes information provided by a club’s education committees.
 
 
8. Student recognition.  The university program provides a goal-oriented format, in which students can have the prestige of earning a Certificate of Completion in their breed area of interest.
 
9. Affordability. University courses can be comparable in cost to seminars or institutes, and in some cases, may cost even less.
 
10. The Voices of Experience Legacy. University programs can help harness and pass on the knowledge and experience of a parent club’s most successful breeders and dog people, preserving their legacy for future generations.
 
 
 
Visit the Basset Hound University Website at:
 

Click Continue to see the various BHU Schools and Courses