just the right spice

Adopting our 7-year old basset hound, Basil, was the best idea we've ever had.  Before I finally convinced my husband that we should get a dog, (actually seeing Basil's picture on the BROOD website was the clincher), we talked about **hypothetically** what we would be looking for. Since we both work, we needed a dog who would be comfortable being left by himself. We didn't want to come home to find our drapes and whatever else a puppy could find, in shreds.  An older dog doesn't have the same chewing needs as a puppy does, and is a little more relaxed. We are a fairly laid back couple, so we also wanted a dog who would be content sharing the sofa on movie night or napping while we do schoolwork late into the evening, not romping around all the time and demanding constant attention. Our third reason for wanting an adult dog was that we didn't think we had the time to spend training a puppy; walking three times a day is one thing, consistently training is quite another. We also wanted a pal who already understood the human-dog relationship. 

For example, Basil knows how to communicate when he needs a potty break, when his water dish needs refreshing, when he needs a pig ear, when he needs a puppy cookie, when we're crowding him on the couch, when it's time to wake up and take him downstairs in the morning, ...We've actually relinquished our bed to him and are now sleeping on the floor....his foster warned us that may happen. (You were right, Charlene!) :)

Basil is the perfect dog for us (he doesn't actually make us sleep on the floor). He has all the characteristics of a basset that we were looking for and then some. He cracks us up on a daily basis with his antics.  He gets so excited when we get home from work that his tail actually wags in circles. He lets me wrap him in a blanket like a baby when he's sleeping on his day bed. He'll break into a gallop for no apparent reason when we're taking him for a walk (maybe to see if we're paying attention). He plays tug-of-war with his towel when he gets dried off after a bath. He cuddles with me when I'm taking a nap on the couch...it's endless. 

Basil really has a gift for making people smile.....us, our neighbors, strangers driving by us on a walk... Knowing that his prior life (before BROOD) was probably filled with such terrible sorrow that it's remarkable he's even alive, we feel extra-lucky to have him with us. We plan to hold onto him for a good long time. He is a great friend and a very sweet dog.