[Dailydrool] Our Elsinore's anniversary

[Elizabeth Lindsey]

Yesterday we celebrated our Elsinore's seventh anniversary. It was  
seven years ago yesterday that we brought her home from Basset Hound  
Rescue of Alabama (they knew her as Alexis) to be the worthy  
successor to our late Jane Basset, who died the July before. It's  
hard to believe we've had Elsinore for seven years. It doesn't feel  
that long, and then I think of all the things she and I have done  
together in that time--obedience classes, pet therapy work, dance  
lessons, waddles, hikes on the Appalachian Trail, wading in the  
Atlantic..... Elsinore is not a basset to lie around. She's a do-er  
and likes to be kept active, and she especially likes to keep active  
with me. Early on she decided she wants to be my heart dog, which is  
incredibly flattering.

We're guessing Elsinore is about ten years old now, though she has  
the activity level and stamina of a young dog. Until about 8pm. In  
the last year she's started putting herself to bed in her crate at  
about 8 at night. We can be sitting on the sofa having a lovely time  
cuddling, but 8:00 comes, and she gets antsy until I put her down on  
the floor. If I don't immediately follow her back to her crate and  
give her a bedtime biscuit (to prevent barfing up stomach acid in the  
early hours of the morning), she'll leave her crate to come find me  
and then dance impatiently at my feet, her dance steps subtly moving  
her back in the direction of her crate. She'll come and tell me she's  
ready to be in bed several times, with increasing urgency, until I  
finally give up and get her biscuit and lock her in her crate. The  
amazing and wonderful thing is that she'll stay quietly in her crate  
until 7:30 the next morning. When I peek in on her, she's asleep. If  
that's the only sign of aging she's showing, she's doing very well  
indeed.

We celebrated yesterday with extra attention and a dog friendly  
banana-spice cake. We would have done more, but it was chilly and  
drizzly all day. Not a great day for a walk. But Elsinore's basset  
friend Owen was here to help her celebrate, and that made the day  
just fine for her. Elsinore and Owen first met the day after we  
brought Elsinore home. The two of them hit it off splendidly and have  
really delighted in each other's company from that day on. Of course  
the first blush of love doesn't linger long. They've gone from  
sharing a crate to grumping at each other, but the affection and bond  
are still very evident. It was good that Owen could be here for  
Elsinore's special day.

I wonder what this next year will bring for our Elsinore? Only good  
things, I hope!

Elizabeth


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