It Only Takes A Look

One of the most interesting things I have noticed about basset hounds is that if one of them is mad at the other, it only takes a look for them to get the message across.  Today, I saw one of the basset hounds walking down the hall, where the other one was sitting.  As he neared the end of the hall, the basset sitting in the hall lifted his head and looked at him.  That one look must have relayed the message that the basset was not allowed down the hall.  He turned around and ran back to the living room.  Not a peep was uttered by either basset.

Dinner Routines

The basset hounds have specific routines that they follow at dinner time.  It starts when one of them comes to tell me that it is time they are fed.  Every night at 6:00 p.m.  The lowest member of the pack will come to me and start whining, his way of telling me that he wants to be fed.  If I do not respond to him, the other two basset hounds will come over and whine too.  
I will then take the basset hounds out to the garage for dinner.  As I am preparing their food, the oldest basset hound will dig through his basket of stuffed toys, choose one that he wants, and run back into the house with it.  He will take it and place it on the couch.  It is as if he is saying, “I’m saving my spot”.  He does this every night.  The other two will sit by me while I fill up their bowls.  When I am almost done, the middle basset will bark, signaling the oldest basset that dinner is almost ready.  He will then run back in from the house so that he doesn’t miss his meal.
The basset hounds follow this routine every night without fail.  I don’t know if they all sat together and discussed what part each would play in the dinner routine, but it is interesting that each has his own particular role.

Why do they do that?

Tonight it was time to give the basset hounds a bath. As soon as I took a pile of bath towels out of the closet, bassets scattered. One ran outside, one ran to a chair in the living room, pretending to sleep, and the third jumped up on the bed. When I called them, they had all lost their hearing. Not a look, not even an ear perking up!
However, no basset hound can resist a treat... even if the ploy has been used over and over again! So, I go to the treat jar, rattle the lid, bassets come running. I give each basset a treat, run and close off the doggy door, and start herding the bassets to the bathroom. Did you know that basset hounds can walk in slow motion?
Once the bassets are in the tub (no I don't wash them all at once), they sit still and look at me with sad eyes, letting me know I am torturing them until their bath is done.
Then, they give a big shake, spraying me, the bathtub, and the entire bathroom with water, jump out of the tub, and run around the house, slipping and sliding as they go. While they hate the thought of having a bath, when the ordeal is over, they love the feeling! They run and play with each other, until they realize they haven't received a treat. they then go to the treat jar, and bellow at me to give them a treat!

What a life.