<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:Helvetica Neue-Light, Helvetica Neue Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, Sans-Serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19072">After we'd had Rolph for about five months and he had completely turned our lives upsidedown. The combined advice of those members of the Daily Drool who helped us through the early days was that to get him a companion would be a good idea.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19114">Knowing so much more about bassets by then (I couldn't have known less when I got Rolph, even though I've had dogs since I can remember), I went to Basset Hound Welfare, the UK's "Kennel Club Approved" basset rescue and talked to my local rep. As bassets are not common in this country, I expected a long wait.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19177">About two weeks later, I received a phone call about a three-year-old tricolour bitch, called Blossom.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19178">As she was three years old, we intended to keep her name. She hadn't been neglected or abused, she had just become surplus to requirements once a baby arrived.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19233">Once home, she was sniffing round the house and I went to call her name, but as I did, I found myself fighting not to say "Clara". Blossom did not respond to her name. My daughter tried. Blossom didn't even look up. This happened a few more times and every time I went to say "Blossom", I fought very hard not to say "Clara". I NEVER said it. Then my daughter suddenly called "Clara!" and the new dog went trotting over to her.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19290">I asked my daughter why she used that name and she answered "I don't know. But every time I went to say Blossom, my mind wanted to say Clara. In the end, it just came out."</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span>We never bothered with Blossom again. No one will ever make me believe she did not choose that name herself. It isn't a name I would ever have thought of giving her - but I must say, it suits her very well.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19040" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19337">Sally, with Rolph and Clara, UK</span></div><div></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1427380875303_19005"> </div></div></body></html>