[Dailydrool] Other breeds

[Elizabeth Lindsey]

While our Elsinore and young Charlie are partial to playing with  
other bassets, neither has met a dog they haven't liked. They'll play  
with anyone who wants to play with them, regardless of breed. I've  
seen them at the dog park play just as happily with a beagle or a  
terrier as with a German shepherd or a Great Dane. Charlie is  
especially fond of buppies, sometimes in a "da Moose" kind of way but  
sometimes less offensively, too.

It's quite freeing to have dogs who don't discriminate and can get  
along with everyone. Soon after we adopted her, our late, great Jane  
Basset was bitten on the rump by a black lab that exploded out of  
nowhere while we were all out for a walk. Jane was on a leash, but  
the attacking dog was not, of course, and Ken had to kick it away.

After that, Jane was afraid of big, black dogs for the rest of her  
life, whether they were actively threatening her or not. A few years  
of the attack and she let her fear expand to include all big dogs of  
any color, and she began to go on the offensive whenever she saw one.  
It made walking her difficult because we'd have to cross the street  
if we saw a big dog approaching us; otherwise Jane would say  
something incredibly ugly to it. It's really nice not to have to  
worry about that happening with Elsinore and Charlie. I can count on  
them getting along with everyone.

Elizabeth