[Dailydrool] Humphrey, BBQ, Ears

[rebecca lando]

Thanks to everyone who enjoyed reading about Humphrey's attempt to break out
of 'jail' (aka our home) and get himself some pulled pork from the BBQ
restaurant on our corner. We don't know why he felt he needed to go there on
his own, as they foist bags of un-sauced ribs, pulled pork, or pulled
chicken on us nearly every night. (Don't worry, we remove all fat, skin, and
bones before giving any to Humphrey...and even then he only gets about 2
tablespoons of BBQ a night, at most.)

Some nights I'm *almost* tempted to 'drop' his leash and let him run into
the restaurant, as he so clearly wants to do. I know he'd run right into the
kitchen and  stick his big snout right into a bin of ribs. At least he'd die
happy.

On the subject of changing breed standards - if it creates a system for
breeding, across the board, healthier dogs, or even informs the public as to
how a dog's physical characteristcs can affect its health or determine its
demeanor, then I'm okay with it. I almost got in a fight this summer with a
dumb frat boy-type who was literally dragging his bulldog along on a 'jog.'
I asked him if his dog was alright (the poor pup was heaving and snorting
like a dying beast) and the guy couldn't understand why such an 'athletic'
looking dog couldn't jog 3 miles with him in 85-degree weather.

Reading the description of how the UK KC now defines basset hounds really
reminds me of Humphrey. He's a rescue; his whole litter was abandoned, or up
for adoption, taken from Arkansas. We suspect the pups were probably the
result of backyard breeding, or at least careless dog ownership. Humphrey
often gets mistaken for a basset-beagle or a beagle-dachsund, but there's a
little Basset Artesian Normand, actually from Normandy, in our neighborhood
and she and Humphrey look like siblings. Humphrey has slightly longer legs,
a more 'streamlined' body and ears that hang only about 1.5" below his jaw.
He's got extra skin on his neck and at his armpits and elbows, but he's not
nearly as droopy as a standard basset. The longer legs are great, since he
weighs 50 lbs and we live on the 4th floor of a walk-up, and it's nice not
having to clean the tips of his ears constantly. He's a handsome boy and we
love him to death, and only hope that his incredibly long back and possible
questionable breeding won't cause problems for him in the future.

Drool to all in need, and some snow to anyone who wants it, too. Seriously.
Is it spring yet?

-Rebecca & Humphrey
and, okay, Professor Bix, too, who can grumble all he wants but still loves
his Humphrey pup
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