[Dailydrool] packs

[Donna Lindy]

Our first bassets, Chuck and Bob, were litter mates and loved 
each other dearly.  Chuck was a mess if Bob went to the vet 
without him and he would always leave 3 or 4 pieces of kibble
in his bowl for Bob to have.  So cute.  We always felt Chuck
was the alpha but if he were, he was pretty laid back about it.
 
We have bassets number 9 and 10 right now. Over the 
years, I have to say the girls have been the alphas.  
Pauline waddled through the door at 7 months and got
right on 11 year old Bob’s couch even though he snarked
at her. She looked at him like he had 3 heads and just
got up there anyway. She reigned supreme from that day
forward over what eventually became a pack of 4 and stayed 
that way until we lost her just before her 13th birthday in 2010. 
I will say that we humans treated Bob as the alpha by feeding
him first, greeting him first, etc. I do think getting 2 younger 
dogs if you have an older hound is a great idea. Elmo and
Pauline played together and rarely bothered Bob but I truly
think his interest in them added more years to his life.  We lost 
him just before his 14th birthday.
 
Gracie would challenge Miss P occasionally but we think it really 
had more to do with a  glitch in her brain - she was a seizure 
dog and all of her fights were over food.  We took this quite 
seriously and have a gating system in our basset room to isolate 
dogs if needed. We had a no dog in the kitchen rule for food prep
times as well as everyone eating in their own spot, with
Grace behind a locked gate.  She did eventually become
the alpha after Pauline left us.  

Our next alpha is one of current girls, Maggie.  She is a
wonderful hound!  Controlling her arthritis pain did wonders for 
her snarking once she settled in.  We were her second foster home
and it took her a good while to stop masking her pain. Sunny was 
submissive and although Maggie did bully her a bit in the beginning, 
they settled into a peaceful co-existence.

After losing Sunny last year, we had just about decided to
not get another dog.  And then there was YaYa.  I don’t know
how many of us have just known a dog was meant for them.
That is YaYa for me.  Her owner died suddenly and unexpectedly
and I know my Bridge kids, especially Sunny, sent her to me.
Maggie did growl at her once she came in the house but you
tell Maggie no one time and she knows not to do it again (She is 
a GREAT dog!). So Maggie just ignored YaYa which was great.
She gave YaYa her space although she kept an eye on her. If
YaYa went into the yard, she went too, but to the other side of
the yard.  Now they are good buddies and will sleep near each
other although not with each other. Maybe that will change
this winter!

I wanted another a male when we got Maggie and I told
the rescue I wanted a male this time.  Well, so much for
that! But maybe this is the way it’s supposed to be - 5  boys,
5 girls over 32 years.  Started with 2 boys, probably ending
with 2 girls! 

My boys were all wonderfully sweet and snuggly and agreeable.  No 
interest in being the alpha. Could not have been happier with all of them.

Life with bassets - it’s been a great life!  Yes, it’s very hard to 
lose one, much less 8. The younger ones are the hardest. 
But the joy they bring makes it a small price to pay even though 
when you are going through it you think never again.  

Donna, drool fueler to Maggie and YaYa