Juggling Hound

Pierre: “I dunno Bentley.  It seems kind of dangerous if you ask me.”

Bentley: “I didn’t ask you.  Trust me, I have watched Daddy do this a gazillion times.  I know what I’m doing.”

Pierre: “Gramma is going to freak out if she catches you.  Shouldn’t you be wearing protective armor or at least a football helmet?  I think this is a big ouch waiting to happen.”

Bentley: “You have major trust issues.  Do NOT tell my mom.  Maybe you can video me and I’ll become a YouTube sensation!  Then, I can be a guest on Jimmy Kimmel or even get my own entertainment gig.”

Pierre: “Yeah, that’s probably gonna happen.  I hear the circus is always looking for talent.  Can you do it while walking on a tightrope a thousand feet in the air?  Now, that’d be cool!”

Bentley: I’m sure that I could if I tried.  Let me just practice a few times, then we can string up some rope between those two trees.  Move out of the way and watch this!”

Pierre: “Okay, just be careful and wait until I’m at a safe distance.”

Bentley: “YES!!  I’m a juggling Basset Hound!  Get my agent on the phone.”

*Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a 3 lb, box of Petbrosia dog or cat food.  

Click here.

Dog Toys and Treats

   The boys had an awesome week of dog toys and treats.  We received an upcycled tug toy from Talia’sToys and then a surprise box of delicious treats from our friends at Merrick Pet Care.  It was happiness overload!  They have been anxious to tell everyone about their new treasures.

"I'd better hide this tug toy or Pierre will snatch it from me!"

Bentley: “It was like Christmas around our house this week!  First, the mailman brought us a package.  Of course, we gave him a barking because it is expected, but we were wagging our tails.  I asked Dad to go fetch our special delivery.”

Pierre: “It was special too!  Gramma opened the envelope and pulled out a new tug toy.  I love to play tug o’ war!  There was no way that I could control my excited jumping.”

Bentley: “Mom was showing us the new toy, but I had a sneaky suspicion there was something else in the envelope.  That’s when I saw the little bag of cookies!  WHAT?!  Talia sent us a tug toy AND cookies!  Double score.  My plan was to let Pierre run off with the toy and then the cookies would be all mine!  *snicker

Wrestling Smackdown

   The boys aren’t allowed to wrestle in the house.  Whenever they start roughhousing, we let them take it out to the backyard.  They usually have no problem picking up right where they left off, but with room to incorporate a game of chase.

   Our bedroom is usually off limits to them due to a baby gate.  If we forget to put it up, Pierre runs under our bed and barks at Bentley.  He knows that Bentley can’t get under the bed.  This always starts wrestle mania.  We caught them in the midst of a smackdown the other day.  They look like it’s a real fight, but it isn’t.  After a few rounds, they end up shaking it off and going to lie together.

Round 1 of the Basset vs. Westie Wrestling Smackdown

Basset Hounds 101 ~ Part 5

   In our last Basset Hound discovery series, we are going to help you decide if a Basset will fit into your life.  I’ve had several comments from readers that would like to add a Basset Hound to their family.  As I have previously stated, I am prejudice in my opinion of this lovable breed.  Bentley and I are a perfect match for each other.  I’ve wanted a Basset for as long as I can remember, but they aren’t a breed that is very prevalent where we live.  Years ago, I bought a Basset Hound statue from Home Interiors.  That was the closest I had come to getting one and he was a breeze to take care of since he was ceramic!

   We have had a variety of breeds and I loved each one of them completely.  Our first puppy was a female German Shepherd.  We added a retired police K-9 German Shepherd a few years later.  Madison had two puppies and we kept them both.  Our fifth dog was a miniature Schnauzer.  Grady is a story all by himself and I’ll share it one day.  Then, I was blessed with Tucker, our Golden Retriever.  Bentley came to live with us when Tucker was about seven years old.  Those two were the very best of friends.  You can see that I have experienced quite a variety of breeds before Bentley joined us.  All but one of them has been extremely intelligent, easy to train, with awesome personalities.  

   What is about Bentley that has captured my heart?  That’s a great question!  Unfortunately, I don’t have an exact answer.  He is truly my "soul dog."

Jealousy in Dogs

   A recent study was published last week in PLOS ONE in an attempt to show something that dog owners have known for years.  Our dogs get jealous when we share our attention.  The study observed 36 dogs as their owners ignored them and interacted with three different objects.  In one study, they used a stuffed dog that could briefly bark, whine, and wag its tail, a jack-o-lantern pail, and a pop-up storybook.  

   When the dog's owner gave all of their attention to the stuffed dog, their dog tried to push itself in between the stuffed dog and/or touch its owner.  A small percentage showed jealousy when the owner talked to the jack-o-lantern.  They showed little concern to the pop-up storybook.

   Researchers state this is not definitive proof that our dogs have the ability to feel jealousy.  It is sometimes hard for scientific minds to accept the fact that dogs have real feelings.  From a dog mom’s point of view, I have zero doubt that Bentley and Pierre both feel and display jealousy.

This is our experiment below.

Basset Hounds can Represent

   

  Bentley Basset Hound represents with his 

                                      Barking from the Bayou cap!

A High Flying Tale #FFHT

"The deliveryman can enter our yard IF he has boxes!"

Bentley: “Here at Barking from the Bayou, Pierre and I have gotten used to the deliveryman stopping in front of the house.  We used to think that he could be a chainsaw killer and would give him a good barking.  Since Mom started blogging, he is usually bringing something really cool for us.  We have given him permission to enter our perimeter when he is carrying boxes.”

Pierre: “I’m pretty sure that he considers himself a very lucky guy.  I had to restrain myself on more than one occasion from using my karate skills on him.  These paws may look sweet and fluffy, but don’t be fooled I have a black belt.”

Superman or Superdog

“I’m not saying that I’m Superman.  I’m just saying that nobody has ever seen me and Superman in a room together!”