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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I read the post from Judy and Archie talking about how new
Droolers and/or lurkers should post about their houndies, and I was inspired to
tell you all about Oswald. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Oswald is about 3 years old and my boyfriend Keith and I adopted
him about 6 months ago. When we adopted him he weighed 58 lbs. He
was like a big walking sausage. We’ve since been walking him
regularly and he’s developed a waistline, but we haven’t weighed
him again yet, so we don’t know exactly how much he’s lost so
far. Oswald likes other doggies, but doesn’t really like kitties
except to bark at them or chase them if we’re on a walk. He
doesn’t like to go very fast, but we’ve been getting him to walk a
lot faster now that he’s been walking more. He doesn’t run
around the house much, but likes to play after a walk, or sometimes just
because. If he sees me putting my shoes on at 3 pm, he knows it’s
time for me to go to work and subsequently time for him to bark at me for about
5 minutes straight. Good thing our neighbors and I have different work
schedules and they are already at work by the time I go. Oswald’s a
very picky eater. He doesn’t like to eat unless you are sitting
right next to him and there is a treat mixed in with the food. You still
have to plead with him for a little while, but after about 5 minutes,
he’ll usually eat. If not, we let it go since he’s still a
bit overweight. Often when I’m walking him people will say things
like “Wow, that sure is some <i><span style='font-style:italic'>healthy</span></i>
dog you have there. He sure doesn’t miss a meal does
he?” It shows what they know! <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>He has a fairly low activity level I believe.
I’ve never been owned by a basset before, but watching videos of other
houndies, I’ve noticed that he mostly just lays around while other dogs
around the same age are often doing the Basset 500. Oswald doesn’t
have much agility either. He never jumps up very high. When he gets
excited and looks like he’s trying to jump up, he gets about 2 inches off
the ground. He has a difficult time jumping up on the couch
sometimes. He’ll do this thing where he gets his front two legs up
on the couch and then walks his back legs back to get momentum before jumping
onto the couch. Sometimes it doesn’t work, and that’s really hilarious,
but he tries again sometimes, and other times he’ll give up to go lay on
his bed alone. He also has issues getting into the car. We have to
do a sort of wheel barrow thing with him. First we lift his front paws
onto the seat and then we lift the back ones up and sort of walk him into the
car that way. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>He gets to go play with his cousin dogs at his
grandparents’ house, about once a week. There are 2 Rhodesian
Ridgebacks, a miniature Schnauzer and a cat who gets barked at a lot by
Oz. He gets along well with the other doggies, and will deal with the
kitty if he has to…he mostly likes the tootsie rolls the kitty leaves for
him in the litter box.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Overall he’s the best dog we could have asked
for. He’s a perfect personality match with us and he’s got
nothing but love to give. We love him very much back too.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>--Kat L.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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