Breeding a better basset hound in Mount Carroll

MOUNT CARROLL – They say it’s a dog’s life. It is for Dondi Polzin of Mount Carroll.

Polzin raises basset hounds under the name Stud Hound Bassets, and has plans for another dog-based business in Mount Carroll. She is serious about breeding good old-fashioned bassets, and making sure her dogs find good homes.

Originally from the Elgin area, Polzin came to Savanna as a horse trainer in 2005. In 2010, when her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer, she rented a farm from one of her former horse-training customers to be closer to her parents, Don and Lil Polzin, who lived in Lanark.

Six months after her mom died in 2011, her dad was diagnosed with bone cancer. She sold all but two of her 23 horses and moved to Lanark to be with him. He died in June.

“It was rough these past few years,” Polzin said. “Cancer is a devastating disease. It’s a big problem in dogs, too.”

She got her first basset hound when she was 17, and had him for 15 years.

“He had every problem a basset hound could have — bad odor, drooling, a bad back, bad joints, allergies, crooked legs, and not the best temperament. When he passed away, I thought, ‘What did the breeders do to this dog to make him like this?’”

She began raising basset hounds in 2007 as a hobby, and discovered that they are not the dog they were meant to be. Originally from France, the basset hound was once considered a superb hunter.

“Bassets have the second-best nose, after bloodhounds. They should be short, close to the ground, and be able to track for miles, forever and ever, and not have any issues. They shouldn’t be overweight or broken down.”

She also discovered that some professional breeders were raising bassets “to look cute, more droopy-eyed, floppy, with waddling penguin-type legs. They can’t run for more than half a block without stopping to rest. ...”

Line breeding was destroying a once-noble breed, she said.

“Line breeding is like cloning. It’s not natural. Something is going to go wrong. That’s where the temperament problems come from, as well as all the others.”

She started seeking out lines that were not registered, older lines that still were true to the breed.

“My dogs have amazing noses; round, clear eyes, not droopy, sagging eye lids; low drool; no odor; no allergies; no back problems. And they have very strong hips and shoulders. They are large-boned, solid, and really smart, too. They have strong, straight legs, not turned out.

“The first female that I kept for breeding came from my 19th litter. It took me that long to find what I wanted in a dog. I’ve been very picky.”

There are many responsible breeders who are true to their breed, but there are many who are not, she said.

“Puppy mill owners are not responsible breeders. They just do it for the money.”

Polzin waits 6 months before she worms or vaccinates her puppies.

“I don’t believe in pumping them full of drugs before their own immune system gets stronger. I think that’s where the cancers develop, as well as from inbreeding.”

Her dogs are bred and raised to be family-friendly. After all, they are her family. Bassets can be friendly, outgoing, and playful dogs, extremely tolerant of children and other pets.

“All my dogs are raised in the house, all paper trained, and all of them learn to go outside. I spend time with them. When somebody gets a dog from me, they will get a dog that’s handled all the time, in a home. Puppy pads are a bad invention. It teaches puppies to go on cloth. I teach them two unique smells: Ink and outside!”

She said she sold an 8-week-old puppy to a couple who trained their other dogs to ring a bell at the door when they had to go out.

“My dogs are really smart, but we weren’t sure how long it would take for the pup to pick up on that. They called me 2 days later and said the puppy had already learned to ring the bell.”

She talks to her dogs. In turn, they know how to respond to people.

“Dogs are only as good as their owners!” Polzin said.

In the past year, Polzin has expanded her options by developing online strategic marketing, using blogs and other social media to promote her breed.

“I have sold dogs all over the U.S. and Canada. I’ve sold them to a wide variety of people.”

A unique part of her marketing is called the V.I.P. Puppy Fly service.

“I will not let my dogs be shipped in the cargo hold. If you can’t come and pick them up and take them in a carrier on the plane with you to take them home, then you have to hire me to bring them, or you can’t have my dog.”

Her Facebook page is full of videos and success stories of happy families and their new additions.

“I had a couple whose dog had just passed away viewing my site. The lady just loved my dogs, and told her husband that when they get another basset, she wanted to get one from me.”

The dog they saw was a female named MooMoo, who was a very special puppy to Polzin.

“She was born dead, and I gave her mouth-to-mouth to resuscitate her. I knew she had to go to somebody special, too.”

The man called Polzin to buy MooMoo, but he wanted it to be a surprise. Polzin posted that the puppy had been purchased, and the woman was heartbroken. He promised that they would get a dog from Polzin someday.

“He is a pilot, so one day, he asked his wife to fly with him, just to get out for a short trip. They flew into the Tri-Township Airport in Savanna, where I had the puppy waiting inside. I can’t even tell the story without crying. But the video is on my Facebook page. It was so beautiful to see her reaction when she realized that was her puppy. That’s what I love to do.”

Polzin is not considered a breeder, because she has only two females. In Illinois, it takes six breeding dogs to get a breeder’s license.

“I would never have that many. I am trying to specify the type of dog I want to breed, not just raise a lot of them to sell. I want to breed a better dog in the long run. A better basset. Let’s get the classic basset hound back.”

Polzin had a busy weekend with her only two females. Her 4-year-old dog Mollie delivered – nine puppies Friday, then Southern Lily delivered nine more on Saturday, a week early.

Polzin has other business plans for her Mount Carroll home. She has discussed proper zoning procedures with city officials, and is obtaining a business license for a dog-walking and pet-sitting service. She was also approved for a doggie day care, but a fence surrounding her yard must be installed first.

“I’m also doing a dog taxi service for people who can’t take their dog to the groomer or veterinarian. The vets are waiting for that service to start!”

She said if she ever wanted to conduct any dog training, it would have to be in a separate business location, probably in the downtown area. She has her eye on a location, but will take things one four-legged step at a time.