After a short stay in a nursing home, Siegfried Peter died on 3 January and with his passing the world of dogs, and in particular Basset Hounds, has lost a true gentleman and much valued friend. Siegfried was born in 1938 in Insterburg in what was then East Prussia, moving with the family after hostilities to West Germany, eventually settling in Schoningen in Lower Saxony, which was to be the home of the Le Piqueur Basset Hounds of Siegfried and his partner Klaus Weiss. (Klaus died in 1998, over whose untimely loss he never really fully recovered).

Siegfied and Klaus were well-known in dogs in Germany and Europe and popular and regular visitors to the Basset scene in the UK since the late 1960s, Siegfried attending Crufts over a period of 50 years and Basset Hound Club events over the same period. He loved the UK and valued his memberships of The Basset Hound Club and The Kennel Club, his last visit to the UK being in 2023 to attend the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately, his restricted mobility prevented him attending the Basset Hound Club’s 70th Anniversary championship show and celebrations in 2024, much to his annoyance!

He admired the Basset Hounds in the UK from where he obtained several quality hounds which were to win well in Germany and other European countries and have an input on the breed there. Siegfried and Klaus had broad knowledge of UK Basset pedigrees and having followed the Basset scene in the UK in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s and with the benefit of much valued advice from Miss Keevil of the Grims Bassets, in the ‘70s he and Klaus obtained from Maureen Ashton the tan/white bitch Avenwood Dulcissima (Ch Fredwell Ideal ex Ch Avenwood Dulcis who was BOB Crufts 1969) and from Ann Mathews the red/white blanket dog Hardacre Red Admiral (by her famous Ch Hardacre Valorous). Relatively recently, from Debbie Newman Siegfried obtained the tan/white dog Woferlow Samual Pickwick (Ch Woferlow Border Patrol ex Woferlow Sweet Sensation). Needless to say, all these hounds obtained their titles in Germany. The number of German/Int Champion Bassets to carry the Le Piqueur prefix are too many to mention but perhaps the most famous was the record holding bitch, Multi Ch Speedy Wood Chalet who was often featured on Siegfried’s Christmas cards.

Siegfried was the easiest of guests to accommodate, the most generous and kind host and (who says Germans do not possess a sense of humour?) had a lovely subtle sense of humour. He was a popular judge of several breeds all over Europe while in the UK he judged Bassets many times including Crufts, The Basset Hound Club and The Basset Hound Club of Scotland. Over the years he played an important part in the establishment and development of the Basset Hound Club of Germany. However, his interests were not restricted to Basset Hounds and was instrumental in the development of the Bloodhound and Briard in Germany and their respective clubs while he was also involved over a long period with some of the large general dog show societies in Germany. However, the uncertainty as to the future of pedigree dogs in Germany concerned and worried him deeply.