[Dailydrool] Bull imitations

[Anne Savidge]

   My parents' Clover (ATB) never did the "kick up leaves" thing, but she had an act that my father referred to as her "rodeo bull routine." Clover was a very energetic basset for a long time, and she and Dad played together daily. He always started this by sitting down in his favorite recliner and gently tapping her on the side of the head with an old work glove. Then they'd get into a tug-o-war.

   When she got kind of worked up, Clover would start jumping backwards, forwards, and to the side on all fours, springing like a rodeo bull that's trying to throw a rider. This was always accompanied by much grumbling and barking, which sometimes scared visitors who didn't know bassets. After she had bounced around like a dog on 4 synchronized pogo sticks for a few minutes, Clover would then attack the cushion of her soft-sided dog bed. Why she liked to wrestle with it, we never knew, but she loved it. 

   And always, without warning, Clover would simply stop and flop down for a nap. Dad referred to it as "her quarter running out" since she really was like some kind of carnival attraction that just stopped after the designated time.

   Do people with dog breeds other than bassets ever get this kind of entertainment? I doubt it.

Auntie Anne