[Dailydrool] Our Elsinore's Fifth

[Elizabeth Lindsey]

Today we're celebrating our Elsinore's anniversary. Five years ago  
today we drove down to Huntsville to meet Meg Harris, who was  
fostering Elsinore for Basset Hound Rescue of Alabama (Elsinore's our  
'Bama Babe). Elsinore, known then as Alexis, had been found as a  
stray on the streets about a week before. There's no telling how long  
she'd been living on her own, but when we took her home, she settled  
in immediately with perfect house manners. In fact, she's yet to have  
an accident in the house, and if she ever does, we'll take her right  
to the vet and tell him to check for a UTI.

We figure Elsinore had been someone's pet at one time, and whoever  
used to have her did a wonderful job with her basic training and had  
loved her. The only baggage she brought with her was food and bed  
aggression, something she picked up while she was on the street and  
something she lost after a couple of years with us. Sometimes she'll  
still grumble at us when we pat her while she's on her bed. But since  
as soon as we stop patting her, she forcefully nudges our hands for  
more pats, we don't take her growls too seriously and tease her about  
being our growly girl.

Elsinore has experienced much personal growth over the last five  
years. She's made friends with all of Jennifer's dogs, adjusted to  
having an eternal buppy (young Charlie) in the house, been through  
three obedience courses and one pet therapy course, earned her Canine  
Good Citizenship certificate, gotten a job begging for pats at the  
local hospice once a month, traveled extensively, become an  
accomplished singer of classical music, and learned to dance. From  
the very beginning she's tried her hardest to read our verbal and  
body language and give us what she thinks we want from her. Sometimes  
she misses the mark, but she always gets an A for effort.

We're guessing Elsinore is about seven or eight now. BHRA and our vet  
felt she was about two or three when we took her home. Elsinore's  
keeping mum on just how old she really is, but her face is quickly  
going white. By the time our late, great Jane Basset was as old as we  
think Elsinore is now, she'd already had one of two TECAs (total ear  
canal ablation surgery), started biweekly allergy shots, and would  
have her first of two ruptured disk surgeries in another year. So  
far, all that Elsinore, Jane's worthy successor, has suffered has  
been the removal of a pellet from her back and the resulting  
occasional sciatica flare-up thanks to the scar tissue that formed  
where the pellet had been. I'm hoping the second half of our  
Elsinore's life will be as trouble free as the first half has been.  
We wish for her the lifelong good health our Jane never got to enjoy.

Unfortunately, it's raining off and on all day today, so we won't be  
able to mark our Elsinore's anniversary with a walk in the woods (or  
anywhere else, for that matter). But I've given her a smoked pig rib  
(which should help with her drool production for all the ailing  
hounds out there), and I've just made her some anniversary brownies  
out of a mix my sister gave us for Christmas (it's brownies for dogs,  
so it's carob, not chocolate). We'll put five baby carrots in it and  
sing to her after dinner. And then we'll spend some time on the sofa  
with her half on, half off our laps, which is what she loves just as  
much as walks in the woods. She can never have enough hands on her.

Elsinore feels the best way for all her Drool friends to celebrate  
her anniversary is to enjoy a treat of their choice, whether it be  
smoked pig ears, Frosty Paws, McDonalds hamburgers, or chocolate or a  
margarita (for the humans). If you go with a liquid libation, please  
raise it in a toast to our Elsinore. May we be able to enjoy the  
pleasure of her company for at least another five years.

Elizabeth