[Dailydrool] My years with the Drool

[Pamela McQuade]

Our first basset, Lady Jane of Roo, came to us when we were caring for my
dad, who had Parkinson's. We wanted to give dad an interest in life, and he
said something about wanting a dog. That was all it took.

Many years before, he had wanted a basset, and I decided to make that dream
come true, though I knew nothing about basset stubbornness or any of the
other hound habits that make them such a challenge. My dad wanted to call
her Lady, and I added on the Jane, since there are so many dogs named Lady
in this world

We got Jane (who turned out to be no lady) from a pet store, only because I
did not know where to find a rescue and did not find any bassets in the
local shelter. The Web wasn't as pervasive in the late nineties, or I would
certainly have gone the rescue/shelter route.

We learned our mistake right away because Jane had an URI that turned into
pneumonia. But getting her from the store hooked up up with the great vet
who had somehow ended up caring for the miserable dogs in this shop (she
eventually took a hard line with the owners on some of the dogs they sold,
and the store closed a while later, without our vet feeling sorry, I am
sure, since she had ended up taking in many of their sick dogs, helping
them get healthy, and finding homes for them).

Jane made it through the pneumonia and bonded to a certain degree with my
dad, but she was really too much dog for him, in his frail condition. As he
became more ill, she completely bonded with my husband, Drew--probably
because he did none of her training. (Train a dog, they said in the
training books, and it will bond with you. Well, that didn't work with
Jane; she always obeyed Drew more than me. I think she thought he had
rescued her from that store, because he played with her first. She never
knew that I was the one who lobbied to get her.)

I discovered the Daily Drool because I was looking to understand bassets
better, and all you old-timers were a huge help. For the first time, I
understood that Jane was stubborn, and maybe I didn't need to berate myself
constantly for not being a better trainer. I started to learn about that
special basset personality.

When Tri-State was looking for foster parents for hounds I convinced Drew
that we should try it. I meant it when I said I really didn't want another
hound, just wanted to help the homeless ones. But Belvedere, our first
foster, took one look at me and said, "Mama!" He had been passed around way
too much because he was a pottying challenge. I just said, "It stops here."
And as he became more secure, he improved a bit, though he was never
perfect, and the vets could never figure out what caused his trouble. He
had a little food aggression and a lot of separation anxiety. But he
figured out right away that Jane was daddy's girl and I needed a dog. He
and Jane fell for each other in a couple of days. So he had to stay.

Over the years,we kept fostering, and along the way we also adopted Holly,
Alexis Grace, Abner, Cleo, Dexter, and Horton. We never had more than three
dogs at a time, because no dog could come who also could not be a foster
failure, and space and finances limited us.

We have loved each of them dearly, though sometimes we had challenges, as
with Abner, who was the sweetest boy until he blew his back. After surgery,
he bit me three times, and one unwise vet suggested after time two that
most people would have put him to sleep, but I felt I had put him through
the back surgery, and it was up to me to stand by him. Toward the end of
his life a surgeon suggested that we try glucosamine and chondrotin, which
would help his back bones be more slippery and might end the pain. It did,
and he never tried to bite again. I could kick myself for not using it
sooner.

Cleo is the only one who left us before her life ended. She could not get
on with our blind Dexter. I rode herd on her constantly until I became ill
and landed in the hospital over a large part of one summer. Poor Drew was
trying to care for the animals, visit me in the hospital and rehab, and
work full time. He couldn't be there to keep Cleo under control. We asked
our friends the Howerings to take her in just until I was well. Cleo made
the decision that theirs was her real home, and since Beth and Bill had
just lost one of their dogs, their hearts were just a bit empty, so they
adopted her with Tri-State's blessing. I was sorry to lose her, but she was
so happy with her new people that it was an obvious, if painful decision. I
simply wish she had had more time with Beth and Bill.

Horton is an only dog, at least for the time being. Like all of the dogs
except Jane (who loved Drew best) and Dexter (who loved us both), he bonded
to me. He too had a hard life at first and connected with me more than
anyone else in the world. Though he fears people, especially men, he is a
sweet boy.

I am so glad to be part of the Drool. You have blessed me in so many ways!
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets
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