Proper nail care is made more difficult by the fact that bassets seem to be particularly touchy about their feet and often actively resist nail trimming.  There are several ways to minimize this resistance.  Most importantly, the basset should be taught from birth that any part of his body can be touched by his people.  From the day your puppy comes to live with you, you should, as part of play and petting, run your fingers all over his body:  over legs and feet, between toes, in his mouth and along his teeth, around and in his ears, etc.  Second, nail trimming must be done regularly, ideally every 2-3 weeks.  When done regularly, your basset will learn it is inevitable, and he will become familiar with the routine and fight it less.  Third, he should always be rewarded for allowing his nails to be done.  At our house, the bassets volunteer to be first on grooming day in order to get the biscuit reward when grooming is done!  Fourth, the nail trimming process should be as painless as possible. 

First, you must get control of your basset.  Have him lay on his side on your grooming table or other raised surface.  It may help to have a second person help to steady him and distract him by taking to him, singing into his nose (I know, that's weird, but it works for us!!), or allowing him to lick peanut butter off fingers.  If you must do nails alone with a very uncooperative dog, I recommend working on the floor.  "Sit" on the dog by sitting on the floor, rolling him onto his back or side in front of you, then putting your legs over him to hold him still.  You can also sit on the floor with the dog sitting between your legs facing away from you.  Lean him back against your body and wrap your legs around his tummy with one arm around his neck and the other holding the foot to be groomed.

When using a clipper, be sure not to cut into the dog's quick.  This is very painful to him and will not make the process any easier the next time.  If you are unsure of where to find the quick, you may want to just shave off a thin sliver of nail at a time until the nail is short enough.  Be aware also, that if nails have been allowed to get long, the quick grows along with the nail.  You may not be able to get the nail short enough without cutting the quick.  In this case, trim back just to the quick every other day – the quick will recede, allowing you to get the nails to a proper length.  In any case, do have styptic powder handy just in case you get too close.  You can get a "bleeder" even if you don't cut into the quick.

Preparation should begin well in advance of the show.  Your basset should be groomed regularly, especially during the spring ‘molt' to insure the coat is in tiptop shape.  All the loose dead undercoat should be carefully removed, using one of the many stripping tools available.  I prefer to use a Magnet brand or Pedigree brand stripping knife, or a grooming stone, although when the dog is shedding heavily I will also use a slicker brush (and brush against the grain of the hair), a flea comb, or the fine end of a simple plastic pocket comb.  Follow the stripping with a thorough brushing with a rubber brush - I like the Zoom Groom for cats - and a few good swipes with a hound glove or good quality bristle brush.  This will need to be repeated several times before the coat looks fresh and new and shiny.  Nails also need to be attended to regularly (ideally once every week) to prevent the quicks from growing out and to keep the nail nice and short.  You should not hear the nails click when the basset walks across a bare floor.

The day before the show, do your major show preparation.  This will minimize the last minute grooming on show day and mean you will get to sleep an extra hour or two before getting up for that 8:00 AM ring time so common for bassets.  You should check teeth and ears and make sure both are clean.  Don't get lazy and just clean the front teeth - some judges are ‘tooth fairies' and really root around in that mouth, counting teeth and checking even the back molars.  Then, with a small scissors, carefully trim the long hairs between the pads on the feet.  Trim from the underside of the pad only.  Do NOT trim the long hairs around  the tops of the nails - this will make the nails look longer!  Next, trim the long hairs on the end of the tail.  I gather all the long hairs together and cut in one more or less smooth cut just beyond the end of the tail itself.  If the dog has an unusually short tail, you may want to leave it a little longer.  If your dog has a tail that droops too low over his back, you may want to get that tail tip as short as you can so it doesn't touch.  Do NOT trim the hair on the underside of the tail - it is supposed to be longer and brushy!  Next, using a thinning shear, trim the long hair on the back of the upper thigh and the butt - from just above the hock joint to the curly-cues on either ‘cheek'.  This will help define and accentuate the rear angulation and give a neater look.  Now you're ready to do the nails.  Most show-folk use a rotary tool - the Oster Nail Trimmer, or the Dreml or Craftsman Rotary Tool.  The cordless model is quieter and less likely to upset the novice dog.  The corded model has more power and is quicker.  The addition of the Flexi-Shaft attachment makes it more maneuverable and easier on the hand.  Use the cylindrical sanding drum with a coarse sandpaper sleeve.  Grind back all sides of the nail, even the bottom, at a slight angle, until you leave just the tip of the quick exposed.  This quick tip will then dry up and recede, allowing you to shorten the nail even more the next time.   Never hold the grinder on one spot for more than a second or two - it gets HOT and will be uncomfortable for the dog.  If you MUST, you can also trim the whiskers, although this is certainly not necessary (I haven't trimmed a whisker since about 1981).  If you do, trim very short, leaving absolutely no stubble.  Stubble is very unattractive and inexcusable.  Use a blunt scissors, and putting a finger inside the lip, push the whisker out while cutting to get right down to the skin.  Bassets are very adept at sucking in their whiskers when they are trimmed and then popping them back out when you think you are done!  Also , be sure to get ALL the whiskers.  Don't miss the ones on the side of the cheeks, or under the chin.

Next, give your basset a good bath.  Any dog shampoo will do just fine.  Some dogs benefit from a medicated shampoo.  Sometimes a flea shampoo is advisable.  There are special shampoos for black coats or white coats or brown coats - not really necessary, but they may make you feel like you are accomplishing something.  If your dog has lots of white, you may want to use a whitening shampoo with optical whiteners, or you can add a few drops of laundry bluing to the final rinse.  The most important thing is to get the dog impeccably clean and to Rinse, Rinse, Rinse.

On show day, you should begin your last-minute grooming about and hour or hour and a half before judging if you opt to do the full groom job.  Some people may opt to skip some steps, but I find it produces a less than finished look.  All the grooming can also help keep you busy and get any jitters under control.  Once you are proficient, it will take you about 15 minutes to put the final touches on each dog.  He should have at least ½ hour to rest after grooming is completed.

First, check carefully to see if your basset has gotten dirty.  Bassets have an incredible ability to find dirt and especially if your basset is a kennel dog, it is almost assured that he is no longer spotlessly clean.  The white feet are most likely to get a bit grubby overnight.  Puppies tend to get odd things ground into their backs and hips during play.  Clean any soiled areas with a good waterless, rinseless shampoo.  I like Self Rinse Plus the best.  Using a spray bottle of cleaner, thoroughly wet the soiled areas and scrub vigorously with your hands, working up a lather.  Then towel dry.  Check ears (inside and out) and wipe them clean with the towel.  Caked dried dirt  or dried drool can be easily removed from the ear leather with the Magnet stripper or Grooming Stone.  Check the teeth - bassets do eat dirt.  Just because his teeth were clean last night doesn't mean they are clean now.  You don't want the judge to find mud when he checks the bite!  Wipe any matter from the corners of the eyes.

Now that your basset is again scrupulously clean,  check for any loose hairs and remove with the stripping knife and/or Zoom Groom, finishing up with the hound glove.  Then, set out your supplies to chalk the dog.  You will need Chalk Mate or Cholestrol Hair Conditioner, a small, stiff  brush such as a vegetable brush (some people use a shaving brush), and a container (a small fruitcake tin works well) of "chalk".  You can purchase grooming chalk from a supply vendor or you can save money by making your own.  I find the homemade actually works better.  Mixing up a batch of chalk is NOT an exact science.  No two people use quite the same recipe.  I doubt I ever make it exactly the same twice.  I use approximately 6 parts cornstarch, 2 parts baby powder and 1 part baking soda.  I do NOT measure - I just dump.  Shake the closed can or stir the chalk to mix well.

Put a snood on the dog to keep the ears out of the chalk.  Scoop out a small dollop of Cholestrol - about the size of a pea.  Rub it between the palms of your hands to coat them, then rub it into the white areas on one foot and leg.  Repeat for each leg.  Other white areas which have become stained or discolored, such as throats or blazes, can also be chalked.  Now set the foot on the upside down lid of your chalk tin to catch the extra chalk.  This makes for less mess and you can reuse what you catch by dumping it back into your tin.  Dip your brush into the chalk and using the brush, work the chalk into the coat by brushing against the grain.  Thoroughly coat the white areas of the foot and leg.  Then go on to the next foot.  When you are done, leave the chalk in the coat.  Most of it will fall out during the rest period before show time.  If it doesn't, use a soft brush such as a shoe brush to remove excess chalk just before going into the ring.  The chalk itself should not be visible.  However, the coat will be cleaner and whiter and will stand off from the leg a bit, giving the appearance of more substance.

When you are done chalking, apply coat polish to the unchalked areas.  Many people use mink oil spray.  I find this softens the coat slightly and tends to attract dust.  I prefer to use a non-oil based product.  I have used a horse product for many years.  It gives the coat extra shine, and repels flies and dirt.  The brand I use now is called Laser Sheen and is applied in a light mist with a spray bottle.  You then work it into the coat with the hands and then smooth the coat with the hound glove. Finally, squirt a few drops of a sterile eye irrigating solution into each eye.   Now put your basset back into his crate for a nap.

When you go to the ring, take along either a piece of velvet or a damp chamois to give your dog a last wipe to remove any fresh dust or chalk residue.  Remember to remove the snood just before you enter the ring and you're ready to win!