<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><DIV>Last Saturday, we were outside all day doing yard work and then spent the evening devoted to playing with the dogs. Maya plays with her stick and only her stick. Cassie used to love playing with balls and the bassets would chase her until their little legs couldn't run any more. So, missing that interaction, I'm trying to re-teach Sophie and Schroeder how to play ball with them being the lead, not their sister Cassie.</DIV>
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<DIV>Let me just say that attention span is not one of their star qualities right now, LOL!. Oh a bird, Oh what's that smell, Oh a bug, Oh Maya is barking lets go see, what is that noise, Oh another bird, look poop! Yes, they have basset ADD when they are outside right now. BUT I try.</DIV>
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<DIV>So I bring out the tennis ball that Schroeder and Sophie love to chase in the house. I throw it. They get slightly excited and chase it. Once it stops rolling, Schroeder turns around and looks at me. Like a good slave, I go pick it up where it stopped. SIGH. I throw it again. Sophie has already moved on to sniffing something else. I still have Schroeder's attention. He chases it again. I get excited now. Maybe, just maybe.</DIV>
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<DIV>So I walk over to it again. Jeff and I decide to stand together. We throw the ball, he chases and picks it up in his mouth. We crouch down and with arms open are yelling praise like there is no tomorrow. He starts to run towards us with the ball still in his mouth. I think we almost peed our pants from excitement....</DIV>
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<DIV>Then, out of nowhere, little miss Sophie comes running at him and basically knocks him over with a side tackle and ball falls out of mouth. Damn... We were so close. I already had the music of chariots of fire playing and then it crashed like a cassette type getting eaten inside the cassette player.</DIV>
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<DIV>Ugh...So close...We're gonna try again....</DIV>
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<DIV>Anyone else ever try this with their basset? LOL...</DIV>
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<DIV>Love and drool to all in need..</DIV>
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<DIV>Annette, Maya, Cassie (ATB), Schroeder & Sophie</DIV>
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