Arnie (2011)

Arnie has been with us three weeks now and is settling in well. We have re-christened him Barney; it just seems to suit him. He's a character and makes us laugh all the time. He gets so excited when we come home, even from a brief trip to the market, that during the first week he'd jump on the dining room table. (Despite having been found with heartworm and pneumonia, he's now very strong and healthy.) He's become very talkative in the mornings and when he comes home from a walk. Like most bassets, he's a terrible watch dog, but we knew that before we adopted him. He loves to play fetch with any toy, but easily yields it to us. NorCal Beagles told us they thought he might be between 2 and 4 years old. We think he might be a bit younger. He's a constant chewer, and we've found more than few slippers, flashlights, and other household objects in his mouth. But, he's also very smart. When we say "no," he doesn't chew on the same object again. (He also has a houseful of rawhide bones, stuffed toys, and balls to play with.) He loves walks, so we try to walk him about one-to-two miles a day, and that helps with his high energy level. I work at home, and after a walk, he's content to nap on the floor next to my desk when I am on the computer. He's made friends with all the neighbors by escaping out of the front door, into their open garages and in through their back doors into their kitchens. Fortunately, we live in a quiet cul-de-sac with dog-loving neighbors, and his friendliness just wins them over. We owners are learning to be more vigilant about opening the front door. Barney has a beagle head and basset body. When he plays, he thinks like a beagle, but he has the lovable stubbornness of a basset and that desire to be a lapdog despite his 44 pounds. So although he still needs a bit of training (we're working on that) we're so glad to have him in our home. Barney's is intimidated by only two things: spray bottles and cameras, so we haven't taken many photos of him, but I've attached three here. Thanks again to both Golden Gate Basset Hound Rescue, where we first saw him a cross-listing, and to NorCal Beagle Rescue, which fostered him. Jeanie Wakeland