[Dailydrool] getting older and having hounds

[Donna Lindy via Dailydrool]

It’s a little late to be chiming in on this topic but I have
some suggestions.  First, if it turns out that your spouse
or significant other can’t agree with you about having
another hound, then get involved in basset rescue - you 
can transport, help out with adoption days or even foster
a hound. Fostering would give you a hound to love (and
maybe your other person would connect with a foster and
let you keep him or her).

Forever fostering an older hound or a hound with some 
issues might be a way to go if expense is a concern.  Do
keep in mind, though, that some hounds are high maintenance
and if you are older, you may be less mobile and that may
be of some concern.  But those seniors are so grateful. 

Here’s something that my next door neighbors do -
the husband doesn’t want to have a dog in the house full
time.  The wife does.  Their next door neighbor on the other
side has a doxie (longhaired and cute as the dickens but 
notabasset). When Toby’s family goes out for a long evening,
goes out of town, has company, etc. Toby moves over to
the neighbors’ house for that night or for a few days.  They
also see him on a daily basis.  They have an agreement
that if something happens to Toby’s family, then the 
neighbor will take Toby (there may be some sort of financial 
arrangement for his expenses that has been agreed upon). 

If that’s not going to work for you, how about basset
sitting for a few days at a time?  You could let your 
local rescue know that you are willing to babysit bassets
while their family is on vacation, recovering from surgery,
etc. That way you could enjoy a hound for a few days or
weeks and you’d probably get to keep him or her or them
more than once. 

This is something I’ve been thinking about since my
fall - although I am walking my dogs now I am not as mobile
as I used to be - nor am I any younger!  Bill is leaning toward
not getting any more hounds but I am not too sure about that
although I think 16 paws might be too much for me these
days.  In the end, I usually win so we will see what happens!
But there does come a time when you have to at least
assess your ability to take care of a hound or 3 or more.
They definitely cost more than they used to and things just
happen that you don’t plan on, like a bad fall or health issues.

Once you get basset hound love in your blood, it’s hard
to get rid of it!

Donna, drool fueler for just Sunny and Maggie these days