Happy 9th Birthday LEO!

Leo’s 9^th Birthday was on September 24, 2013. Since he is so tuned into my mood, his mood often is nothing more than a mirror of my own. Well, he definitely sensed my excited mood that day, from the minute I woke up, he was EXCITED too!  From the first moment of the day (which always starts with a belly rub) he could tell that we were in the midst of greatness. Since he sleeps on top my feet, he has no other choice but to wake up when I start to stir. He usually comes right up to my face with his tail wagging like crazy. He almost immediately rolls over and waits for his belly rub. I gave him extra belly rubs on the morning of his birthday and told him over and over that it was a special day because it was his birthday! YAY LEO! I’m sure there was no doubt in his mind that it was his birthday! (and not just because I yelled it a million and one times)

He had his usual scrambled eggs and dry dog food for breakfast topped off with his favorite dessert, a few nibbles of the cat food. (He usually gets yelled at for this, but of course since it was his birthday, I let it go.) We went for a nice long walk outside and I told him that after work, I’d be making him a birthday cake. A lot of people suggested that I make him a meatloaf cake, but I decided to go with a white cake recipe by Fanny Farmer.

Since it only makes sense that everybody will want to share cake with LEO on his birthday, why not make something that the whole family would enjoy. Besides, it’s just too weird to put candles in a big chunk of meat and sing! And of course we would be singing! We had to do the traditional celebration and take lots of pictures.
In order to get ready for his birthday party, we blew up a couple of small balloons and tied them to his collar. Now to all the people who know LEO really well, they may be wondering how a dog with such anxiety (and a well-known fear of balloons) could have balloons tied to his collar. Well, although this may not make sense, he is only afraid of the balloons that have helium and float from a string. He doesn’t particularly mind when balloons are tied to his collar. Go figure. We then walked around the neighborhood with his party balloons on. He ran through a grass field, stepping on one at a time causing two little pops but he didn't seem to mind! (Again, he knew it was his birthday)

After our walk, we all gathered around the table and lit his candles. Although I held him up to the table in my lap, he was not allowed to get too close to the cake. My husband was yelling that he would drool on the cake that everybody was going to eat, so I had to respect this and keep him at a distance. He also loves to shake his head back and forth randomly which causes basset slime to go flying across the room and god forbid a stream of basset slime were to land on top of the cake. Well, that would have just ruined a perfectly good party! Yes, I insisted that we sing to him and everybody in my family complied even though they were shaking their head as my husband said, “You are a very sick woman.” Its okay, I don’t mind. If being a very sick woman means that I love my LEO too much, well then, I am perfectly fine with that description of myself. There are a lot worse things that I could be called. All in all, LEO had a wonderful 9^th Birthday!!!

 

Basset Selfies

I have to laugh at the recent craze with all these people who take "selfies", they stand in front of the mirror and just take a million pics of themselves. This does not interest me in the least, but what does interest me is obsessively taking pictures of LEO! I suppose I have no right to talk about these crazy people who take all these selfies because I am the crazy person who takes a million and one pictures of my dog! How on earth can I resist with a face like this?

It's a bit comical how much LEO hates the camera but now that all the new phones come equipped with cameras, I've hit the jackpot. As long as I keep the phone on silent and he can't hear the click of the picture being taken, he's pretty clueless. Although I have to be careful of sudden movements while holding the phone because at times he does seem to be able to put it together that I'm doing something sneaky. The other night at a family gathering, there were many people I hadn't seen in years. It was a little embarrassing when a few of them mentioned that they didn't know what my kids looked like but they sure knew LEO. They were telling everyone that I love to plaster photos of my dog all over my FB Page and, "Imagine, the dog even has his own blog?" Oh well, I still have no regrets! I owe my life to the new I phone because I couldn't even imagine my life without 962 million photos of LEO! JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!

Spiteful little Basset!

This is the face of a fugitive! Golfers beware! It's amazing how spiteful Leo can be! After returning from a night away, he was so disgusted with me for leaving, he broke off the leash and ran away from me! It's not like he wasn't spoiled rotten while I was gone, but I guess it's just not the same! I wasn't even sure he could still run as fast as he did today but there's surely no doubt in my mind now! When he has a will, he will find a way. He wreaked havoc on the golf course and seemed to enjoy watching me make a total fool out of myself as I clumsily chased after him with a pound of salami in my hand screaming "Come back here you bad dog!!!"What was I doing with a pound of salami you might be asking? Well, I was desperate and I knew he was mad enough at me to not come back, so I ran back into my house and grabbed the first thing that I could find. He is usually a sucker for a slice of salami, but salami wasn't even cutting it today. The more I yelled the faster he ran! All I could hear was the angry screams from golfers as he ran through each hole! Finally one of them grabbed him and gave him back to me but not without a lecture to keep my damn dog off the golf course! As if I had a choice!!!!

The last old dog in the neighborhood....

I have a really hard time believing that LEO will be turning 9 years old in just two weeks.

Time has flown by so much since we got him from New England Basset Rescue, 8 years ago this Thanksgiving!  I can’t think of a more appropriate time to have gotten him because he has given me a million reasons to be thankful over the years! Despite the fact that it’s a lot of work to have a dog with special needs, it’s worth every minute of it because he gives it back to me tenfold in Basset Love!  

Yesterday, I ran into my neighbor who was outside playing with her brand new adorable Lhasa Apso puppy. As soon as I saw the new puppy, I figured out pretty quickly what that meant. I was afraid to ask but of course when I did, I found out that her beloved dog, Dunkin had passed away. She told me, she had to make the devastating decision to put him to sleep this past summer.  He was only 9 and he was the third dog in our neighborhood to pass away recently. I have a pit in my stomach as I write this because all three of these dogs were just 9. This is crushing. 9 is so young, even though it’s 67 in human years, it’s still young in my opinion. It's so unfair that dogs can't live as long as humans, isn't it?  I guess it wouldn’t matter much because even if Leo lived to be 100, it still wouldn’t be enough time for me!

My neighbor and I talked about all of the new puppies on the block and she brought it to my attention that out of all the old dogs in the neighborhood, LEO was the last dog still living. This broke my heart. It only served as a painful reminder that he is beginning to wind down now and approaching the last leg of his journey. I am optimistic by nature and I always tell my kids that he will far surpass the average life span of a Basset Hound which is 10-12 years old.  God knows, LEO of all Bassets is anything but average! If strength and longevity could be derived from love and love alone, he would surely live forever!

I have noticed so many changes in LEO as he nears his 9^th birthday. Some of the changes are good, and some are bad, but all point to the obvious fact that he is aging. We can now open up the front door and not panic that he will bolt. He no longer runs away. He can’t be bothered. He really puts off going up the stairs to bed as long as he can. It’s easy to see that the stairs are becoming a struggle for him. Last night he stopped half way up and rested. He has never done this before. He also doesn’t jump up into bed with me as fast as he used to. All I would have to do in the past is pat my hand on the bed, and he was there in a flash. Now, he waits until I coax him up two or three times and then he will jump. He’s doing a lot more moaning and groaning lately. He has always loved to nap, but it seems that he is napping more than ever now. He's really slowed down his game when it comes to harassing our cats. He actually gives them some personal space now! His precious face is almost all covered in white these days. Yet,he remains the most adorable Basset of all time and I actually love the white! He looks distinguished.

Thankfully, he still jumps up on the couch and cuddles with me every morning as I have my coffee.  He is still the first one to greet me with a big happy grin and a wagging tail when I walk in the door from work! Even though, I feel a bit sad that his 9^th birthday is approaching, I also feel blessed and grateful.  I have decided that his 9^th birthday is something to celebrate not  to mourn.  I vow to take a little extra time each day to appreciate all the sweet joy he brings to my life. Although he gets a million hugs and kisses from me on a daily basis, he will get even more. He will have more treats, more homemade dog food, extra walks, cuddles and lots of extra belly rubs. I have always appreciated what a gift he is, even in the most trying times, but for this last leg of his beautiful journey here with us, I am going to really make it as memorable and special as I can!

Doggie Love...

 

After a particularly long day at work yesterday, I came home looking for some comfort.

I usually walk into my house through the front door, and LEO comes running to greet me.
As soon as he hears the door open and my keys jingling, I hear the adorable pitter patter of those little basset feet.  He’s there before I can even shut the door and he jumps all over me and showers me with affectionate sloppy kisses.

It’s usually the very BEST part of my day!
Occasionally, I like to tease him a little by coming in the back door. He sleeps on the couch by the back deck and if I come in that way, I can sneak up on him and surprise him! I love the look on his face when he wakes up from a dead sleep and sees me coming in the back door! He can barely get up off the couch before I am in. He practically wags his tail off as soon as he sees me! So sweet!

Yesterday when I got in from work, I decided to do this and snuck in the back slider.

My husband was in his usual spot, perched on the recliner. He gave me a sideways glance, clearly a bit confused as to why I was coming in the back way. I guess, he hasn’t caught on to my little game yet! Sad but true that I resort to this for my afternoon entertainment!

Normally, Leo is passed out on the couch, but yesterday he wasn’t there. Now, the trick was on me! Where the heck was he? Before I even said Hello to my husband, I said, “Where’s my boy?”

Of course, he thought I was referring to our 13 year old son, so he said,  “He’s golfing with your Dad!”  At this point, I looked at him like he was out of his mind and said, “No, Not Tommy, I meant LEO! Where’s my LEO???” He rolled his eyes and told me that he was upstairs in bed. He said he’d been sleeping all day, the lazy basset. Poor thing was probably depressed that I worked such a long day! It took some time for LEO to realize that I had snuck in, but as soon as he heard my voice, I could hear his dog tags clinking and those little paws hobbling down the stairs.

I immediately jumped into the living room closet! A bit mean, I know, but I wanted to play hide and seek!

The kids don’t like to play anymore as they are getting older! Silly me, how could I forget that Basset’s have that amazing NOSE! Nothing gets by that BASSET SNOUT! My husband cracked up as he watched LEO beeline for the closet. LEO didn’t even have to look around, he didn’t even have to try, his nose took him right to the closet. The door was open a little and he found me in lightning speed.

He was so unbelievably adorable as he jumped up and down all over me. Even my husband, who is NOT a dog lover and not a LEO fan, had a huge smile on his face. It was the cutest thing to watch the excitement that he had won the game and found his MAMA!  In no time at all, I forgot my stressful day and basked in the joy of my LEO hugs!  It’s great not to worry about making a complete fool out of myself in front of my husband, because he already knows the lengths I will go to for my doggie love!!!

Dead Birds & Coffee

 

Ever since we welcomed a kitten into our home, LEO has taken on the role of "Daddy"
Our kitty, Panther definitely thinks that LEO is his father, or maybe even his Mother (who knows) but he follows him everywhere, cuddles up under his belly for a nap and quite simply adores him!
The two can be seen together all over the house, whether it be sunbathing by the sliding glass doors or curled up on the couch snoring. It's adorable when Panther rubs up against LEO and purrs loudly. Sometimes, I think Panther really expects LEO to go over to the food bowl and fill it for him.
The other day while having coffee on the back deck with a friend, Panther was outside in the yard. Of course, LEO wanted to come outside too, so I hooked him out on his run. Next thing I knew, Panther came prancing up the steps and dropped a dead bird down in front of LEO! Yup, a gift for his Daddy! I've heard that cat's like to bring their prey home to their owners to prove their LOVE!  As if to say,"Hey look, I protected you by killing this poor innocent bird!" Thankfully, he didn't bring it over to me! Thankfully, he thinks LEO is his master! Thankfully he proved his love for LEO and not me! LEO was so excited, he immediately picked up the dead bird in his mouth as if it were a brand new chew toy! He shook his head back and forth and threw the poor dead bird. He was heading over to pick it up again, when I realized what was going on! I do not like dead things of any kind. I don't even kill ants! (I pick them up and put them outside which really makes my husband mad) but imagine my horror when I found my precious LEO tossing around a dead bird. My friend is also easily horrified by anything dead, gross or germy! So here we were,two girly girls, trying to figure out how to get a nasty dead bird off the deck. I got a rake and she got a bucket. She jumped a mile high when I raked the gross thing off the deck. I think we both thought the head would rip off or something equally disturbing! I don't know exactly what she planned to do with the bucket other than maybe putting in front of her to protect herself. I raked the dead bird toward the fence and left it behind the rake for my husband to deal with! LEO wasn't happy that I messed with his new toy and Panther gave me the dirtiest look for taking his prized catch of the day away from his Master LEO!

For the LOVE of LEO...

Every morning after the kids leave for school and before I have to leave for work, I am blessed with the luxury of about a half hour of quiet time to sit and drink a cup of coffee. Leo and I have fallen into quite the comfy routine. As soon as he sees the coffee cup in my hand, he’s right behind me. I like to sit with my legs up on the couch and bent to one side. He loves to put his front paws right on top of my feet just to ensure that I can’t go anywhere. We sit like that together for as long as it takes to finish my coffee and it’s as much therapy for me as it is for him.

When the coffee cup is empty, I get sad, not just because the coffee is gone (because God knows that is depressing) but because it’s time for me to get ready for work.  Since his legs are on top of my feet, it’s a huge inconvenience for him to have to get down off of the couch when I get up! He looks at me with his big sad bloodshot basset eyes as if to say, “You’re leaving me already?” I know he’s thinking exactly what I’m thinking, “Why can’t we just sit here and snuggle all day long, how sweet life would be!”

As I head upstairs, I hear one of my favorite sounds in the entire world. The jingle of his dog tags and his short little legs trying to keep up with me always makes me smile. Of course he follows me upstairs and lies down right outside of the shower to wait for me. While it is a bit awkward to have a dog watching me get into the shower, I am grateful that he never laughs when he sees me naked! As soon as I finish blow drying my hair, he heads for the door. He knows it’s time to go. Every day it’s always the same, he tries anything and everything to get under my feet and out the front door.  He hates to be left alone and he’s probably secretly hoping that I’ll say, it’s “bring your basset to work day” Ironically, our office is a dog friendly place, but since he’s so high maintenance, for me, it would be the equivalent to take your toddler to work day! I wouldn’t get a thing done. Besides, he loves to leave his scent in all new places, and somehow, I don’t think that his peeing on the new office carpet would go over well.

When I get home from work, he’s the first one to greet me. (Of course, this has nothing to do with me  yelling, “LEO” before I even close the door behind me.) Again, I hear the sweet sound of those little jingles of his dog tags. He runs to greet me as if I’ve been away for an eternity. He jumps up and waits for his hug, as he practically wags his tail off. Nobody in my house is as happy to see me come home as he is! I love being greeted by him and I don’t care how impatient anybody else gets. They have to wait in line to start making their demands. Inevitably, there are always a million things the kids and husband want when I first get home from work. Everybody’s hungry, there’s homework, questions, concerns, complaints, but not from LEO. Just LOVE, that’s all it is, pure UNABANDONED, JOYFUL LOVE! Hugs, kisses, tail wagging, snuggly love!

Bedtime comes and he’s always passed out on the couch. After I get done putting the kids to bed, I go downstairs to let him know that it’s bedtime. Since he’s afraid of walking up the stairs in the dark, I have to put the flashlight app on my phone and walk him up the stairs. (My husband gets quite a kick out of this little routine) He always laughs at me when I come downstairs to tell Leo that it’s bedtime. But, if I don’t, he will only bother me later by standing at the bottom of the stairs and barking until I come down to walk him up the stairs. He jumps up on the bed and gets into his sleeping spot. Of course it’s right on top of not only my feet, but my legs as well! He sprawls out across the bottom of our bed. Luckily we have a king mattress because he’s really such a long sausage that he takes up a lot of space. It’s not always easy trying to sleep with a basset hound sprawled across my legs but for him, I’m willing to put up with it. He also snores louder than ten men, but again for him, I’m willing to put up with it. My husband snores pretty loudly too, and always complains that he gets yelled at yet LEO never does. I don’t know why he’s still complaining, it’s obvious who the most spoiled rotten basset of all time is!

And these are just a few of my favorite things about my precious LEO! As much work as it is to have a Neurotic, Special Needs Basset Hound, I wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world!

Peek a Boo Bassy!

Poor Leo! He has just returned from another weekend at the Beach in Maine! He hasn't gotten off the couch since. He is completely exhausted and wants no part of anyone, especially the kids. Of course, because the kids know this, it makes them more determined to bother him. (Poor Baby)!
My 13 year old decided that it would be fun to try to engage him in a game of Peek a Boo Bassy! He kept putting his hands over Leo's eyes and then releasing them saying, "Peek a Boo!" The funny thing is that Leo's snoring actually grew louder the more my son tried to play the game with him. This went on for quite awhile until finally my son started to cover his own eyes and get in his face, yelling, "Peek a Boo Leo, Peek a Boo!" Still nothing! Leo snored away and was completely oblivious to the fun game that was going on while he slept. My son got annoyed with him for refusing to play, so he decided to try to put a few things on Leo's head. He tried putting a hat on him, a set of car keys, even a cheese stick! Still nothing! I can't say as though I blame Leo! It is Monday, and in my opinion, he's got the right idea! Put a cheese stick on my head and I'll gladly go back to bed instead!

Dirty Basset

My Mom is NOT a doggie fan! When she was a teenager, her family dog, "Tiny" stole her favorite pair of shoes & chewed them up. She renamed him, "Scupper," meaning thief and his terrible doggie behavior soured her taste for all future dogs. I, on the other hand, am a crazy dog lover! My Mom and I are definitely on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to our feelings about DOGS! But, I will even admit (being the self professed crazy dog lover that I am), there are times when LEO's behavior leaves me shaking my head. People have called me a glutton for punishment, a Masochist, even a Saint. But the truth is, my love for LEO is unconditional and therefore I will put up with all of his antics, the nice, the naughty & the neurotic! This past weekend up at the beach in Maine, he showed us all a little bit of his "naughty" side. After a good long run on the beach, and a nice relaxing nap, he stretched his long basset body, had a great big yawn and got down off of the bed. He nonchalantly headed over to the kitty litter box and before anybody even realized what he was doing, he gobbled up a pretty good sized piece of cat poop! (He had engaged in this nasty behavior when we first got the cat, but hadn't done it at home for a long time) I was pretty surprised that he was doing it again, although everyone at the beach always says that the salt air makes people hungrier than usual. I guess he was really hungry that day, or maybe just feeling like a snack. Sadly, for my Mom, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed this horrifying act. By the look on her face, I knew she had seen him and I feared she might faint from sheer disgust. Even though she knew what he had done, she started to yell, "Oh my God, he went to the cat litter box! He's chewing something! Oh my God, what is he chewing on?" Well, she knew exactly what he was chewing on, but I don't think she could really wrap her brain around what she was seeing. I just looked at her and in a very calm manner, I said, "Don't worry about it, he just felt like having a little tootsie roll, no big deal!" Let's just say, if her taste for dogs was soured before, it's sour with a side of throw up now. She wouldn't even allow me to bring it up again, because every time I tried, she looked as if she would pass out. What a Dirty little Basset!

Beached Basset

Nobody is happier that Spring has finally sprung than LEO! He has rejuvenated himself with a few weekends at the Beach in Maine! He's gotten rid of those winter blues and his anxieties are at an all time low. But then again, whose anxieties aren't at an all time low when they're at the beach. A little sea air, some sun & surf can soothe away almost any worries! As soon as we hit the beach, LEO wastes no time getting those cute little doggie paws in motion. I love seeing his paw prints in the sand!

 I also really love to watch his big basset ears flapping in the wind. I swear those crazy big ears help him build momentum and pick up insane amounts of speed! You should see the looks on people's faces as he whips by in a basset hound blur. Nobody believes me when I say he can run (with those short little legs) just as fast as the big dogs can. Not to mention, he has disproved even his Vet who recently called him a Senior Basset. I've got picture proof of this fact right here! He is only as old as he feels and clearly he feels as young as a spry little puppy! Don't let the growing white hairs on his face fool you, he's far from an old man and he's proving to age quite gracefully! Look at him getting his paws right off of the ground! AIRBORNE!

He loves the unique smells that the ocean brings in and he's always sure to roll in seaweed whenever he has the chance. I'm sure he thinks he's marking his territory when he pees on it afterward, but really all he's doing is getting all that sea stink embedded in his fur.

 

 

This past weekend, he met a beautiful black lab named Bo. Bo was just a puppy of 8 months and he was full of energy! Again, Leo proved he could keep up with the young pup as he wrestled and played for hours without missing a beat! Look at them SMILING at each other!

 

Our whole family enjoys taking walks out to the Island to look for sea glass. Although, Leo doesn't care about sea glass, he loves to go out to the Island to roll around in more stinky seaweed. Since, I'm the designated Doggie Mama, that means I'm the poop picker upper. Although picking up poop is not my favorite job, It did melt my heart to look ahead and see LEO stop in his tracks to wait for me. He didn't want to keep going unless he knew I was coming too! So sweet!

The BEST part of our Beach Adventures is when we get back to the beach house and he is so exhausted but exhausted in the best possible way! He curls up and passes out and It makes me smile to see him so content! If you heard him snoring, you'd be convinced it was a MAN!

And there's absolutely nothing better than bringing a little bit of SAND home in the BASSET EARS!

 

 

Some days, It's hard being this Basset's Mom!

Some days it's really hard to be this Basset's Mom! His anxieties were in full gear last night due to the first spring thunder & lightning storm. He started getting fidgety at about midnight. He was pacing the floors and panting. I knew a storm had to be brewing when he started to get shaky. I tried my best to settle him down and gave him a dose of his anxiety meds. He crawled into bed with me, but instead of lying across my feet like he usually does, he climbed right up beside me and got as close as he could get.  He snored that way for quite awhile. At 2am, he was up pacing again. I decided to take him outside to see if he wanted to pee. I didn't see any lightning or hear any thunder but he was such a wreck, I figured something had to be coming. Again, I settled him back down. He was up and down until 5am and that's when the storm finally hit. He was freaking out drooling, panting, shaking all over the place. (This would have been the perfect time for the "Thunder Coat" if he hadn't already tried it and actually suffered increased anxiety with it on!) Nothing quite like the hot breath of a basset hound on your head at 5am complete with a big slobbering splash of drool on the cheek. It's so frustrating when this happens because I can't put him in a crate since he has crate anxiety on top of all of his other anxieties. Not only did he drool all over the floor, but he peed and pooped as well! How Pleasant! After being up half the night, I started my day by cleaning up that mess before I even had my first cup of coffee! Poor baby, he's been sound asleep on the couch all morning. Well, except for of course the one hour that I went to the gym when he got spiteful and peed on the kitchen floor! I didn't bother to put the gates up because he was so exhausted from the stress of last night! I should know better than to trust him. He hates to be left alone and he always gets me back by peeing on the floor! Some days it's really hard being his mom, but I still hold true that I wouldn't trade him for the world!

Leo's LOVE for Snickerdoodles

I find it so adorable that LEO has a love for Snickerdoodles! Who would have thought a Basset Hound would have a cookie preference. But why not, he has his own thoughts & ideas on just about everything from why he refuses to dress up as a hot dog (with mustard on top) on Halloween to his theory on how Thunder Coats for Dogs cause anxiety instead of relieving it. He hates coffee but loves skittles, why shouldn't he have a cookie preference. My kids love chocolate chip cookies, and since I usually like to have a snack for them to come home to after school, I tend to make these a lot. Occasionally, I get tired of making the same cookies, so I mix it up a bit and make other types. My husband loves Raspberry walnut thumbprints and just about everyone loves my old fashioned Betty Crocker recipe for Snickerdoodles. One year at Christmas, I was making a variety of different cookies and as usual, Leo was lying underneath the stove hoping for some crumbs to drop on the floor. I realized when I pulled the batch of Snickerdoodles out of the oven, he wrangled up enough energy to stand up. Soon enough, as I was placing them on the cooling rack, he began to bark. He didn't stop barking until I threw one down to him. He gobbled it up in about two seconds. I thought it was pretty funny how he didn't stand up or bark once when I pulled any of the other sheets of cookies out of the oven! From that day on, any time I bake Snickerdoodles, as soon as the oven starts sending off the unmistakable aroma, he's up, off the couch and barking his basset head off! And with fierce determination, he won't stop until he's scored one and then he's off and running, tail wagging behind him!

Back to Normal (not that we are ever really normal)

LEO is back to his usual happy morning self, because I'm back where I belong, having my coffee by his side! He loves to hang out and snuggle up by my side while I'm drinking my coffee! He's really relieved that it's nobody's birthday today! :)

What? It's not MY Birthday too?

 

LEO was a little put out with me this morning! He is most definitely a creature of habit. Every morning after I finish getting all the things done for the kids to get them off to school, I sit down on the couch with him & my coffee! Today, it's my son's 13th Birthday, so I changed it up a bit, and sat up at the bar while he had his birthday muffin. WELL! Leo did not like that one bit. He came over to me, stood at the foot of the bar stool and whined. Although his tail was wagging away, as he was staring up at me with confused eyes, I knew he was jealous! Maybe he just wanted to share in the birthday muffins, BUT, they were chocolate chip and that's no good for a dog! After a few minutes of whining at my feet, he jumped up and placed his two front paws in my lap. This was quite the funny image since he's an extra long sausage! He stayed right there like that, just wagging his tail. I guess he didn't understand why it wasn't his birthday too! :) He'll have to wait till September for that! Now that the kids are off to school, I will pour another cup of coffee and go hang on with him on the couch, just as he expects me to do! :)

 

Ya Big Baby

Somebody's afraid of the dark....(shhhhhhh) don't tell him I told you! While he does know that I blog all about his special needs, he would be really mad if he knew I blabbed about his fear of the dark.
LEO absolutely refuses to walk up the stairs to bed, if he doesn't have somebody walking with him. If we forget to bring him up, he will stand at the bottom of the stairs and bark until somebody goes down to get him. You might think, he is struggling with the short legs, or that he is too lazy, or stubborn (two very common traits in Bassets) but nope, he's just straight out afraid of the Boogey Man! I usually take him out for the last time of the night around 9pm, then he curls back up by the fire and snores on the couch. I try to remember to nudge him out of his slumber and coax him up to bed, but there are many nights when I forget. Tonight was one of those nights. I just got myself settled into bed, when I heard the unmistakable BASSET HOWL! "Come get me Mama" sooooo, out of bed I go, and back down the stairs I go. As soon as I get to the bottom step, and say, "Come on", he steps up and climbs the stairs right beside me. He is such a big baby! A big baby that I love more than anything in this world! (Obviously by the lengths I go to for him) Brat! :)

Slow it down Mama!

MY GOD, DO I LOVE THIS FACE! Lately, my poor LEO has been feeling the stress of our busy life. You  might think he would've gotten used to the chaos by now, but I think he's still secretly holding out for a calmer lifestyle for his MAMA! I always find myself thinking about the life lessons I can learn from LEO! If only I could curl up and take a nap by the fire as often as he does. He's taken on a new habit over the past few weeks as a defense to my busyness! In the RARE moments that I make time to actually sit down on the couch to hang out with him, he crawls right up into my lap or onto my chest. He's no light weight either, believe me! He parks himself right on top of me as if to say, "Now, there! See if you can get up and leave me now MOM!" I have to admit, he does make it really hard. I am so in love with that face and those eyes. He has the guilt look mastered and I absolutely hate to have to get up and go again. I feel like I am always running here and there and rarely ever get a minute to breathe! Tonight, I am grateful to LEO for giving me this not so subtle reminder to SLOW IT DOWN and just SNUGGLE once in awhile!

Doggie Bag

Most often, when the waitress asks if you want a doggie bag, she is talking about taking food home, so that you can eat it later. A doggie bag is very rarely actually for the dog! Well tonight, the doggie bag really was for LEO! We brought him home some Chicken Fingers from the Chinese Restaurant! He was so excited, he actually JOGGED to his food bowl to see what the surprise was! I love when he jogs, because the sound of his tags make the best jingling sound! His ears bounce up and down and his short little paws prance almost like I imagine a reindeer would! He grabbed a chicken finger and JOGGED into the living room to eat it! He always prefers to eat his food on the living room floor! After all, why would he want to eat it in the dish and keep things clean! After he finished his first one, it was the cutest thing to see him JOG back to the kitchen to get another! He got more exercise jogging for those chicken fingers than he's gotten in the past week of winter weather! He obviously didn't count them ahead of time, because he thought there was another one. It was almost sad to see him come jogging back to the kitchen full of excitement only to find out that he had already eaten the last one! Oh well! He was still overjoyed and it was sweet to see him smiling an hour later!

Leo the Basset wins a Liebster Award

Leo the Basset would like to thank http://mommysbreak.blogspot.com/
for nominating him for this AWESOME award!!!

The Liebster Award is an award given to Bloggers by other Bloggers! That makes it even more special! Liebster is a German word meaning "Beloved"

 

Here are the Rules:

 

1. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.

2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.

3. Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post.

4. Go back to their page and tell them about the award.

5. No tag backs.

 

 

Here are my 11 Random Facts or I should say here are 11 random facts about Leo:

1. My paws smell like Fritos
2. The space at the top of my snout smells like beef jerky
3. I snore ridiculously loud
4. Sometimes,I sneak into the kids bedrooms in the middle of the night and leave a small amount of pee on their rugs. I do this to get back at them for annoying me when they are awake.
5. I despise dog food more than anything on the planet.
6. I am very skilled at cheeking my anxiety medications and spitting them out on the floor, long after my mom thinks that I've swalled them.
7. I once peed in the shape of a heart on the laundry room floor on Valentine's Day!
8. As soon as I hear the first squirt of whipped cream out of a can, I come running and bark until somebody squirts it into my mouth! Yup, my favorite guilty pleasure!
9. I have to get my teeth brushed with some crazy organic doggie toothpaste because my breath is offensive! I hate having my teeth brushed but I grin and bare it!
10. Once during one of my great many run away excursions, I ran through a family cookout and smelled a hotdog cooking on a grill. I followed my nose and found the grill. I stole the hotdog and kept on running!
11. I absolutely love the beach and my favorite thing to do is roll in seaweed and then pee on it!

HERE ARE MY 11 QUESTIONS THAT I HAD TO ANSWER:

1. Any Nicknames? What are they?

Leo has many nicknames, they include, Jinkies,Sob,Sausage,Sauce,Shleppo,Shortie,Mental Midget,and Bassy

2. Are there any subjects you will Not blog about? Why not?

Yes, Leo has asked that I not blog about his girlfriend. He likes to keep his love affairs confidential.

3. Absolute favorite food? Leo loves his Mama's homemade chicken, rice and vegies! Hates dog food with a passion!
 

4. Any weird talents? What are they? Leo can poop on command when mom sings the poop song! (And she does do it in front of neighbors and other random people!

5. Biggest pet peeve? "Pet" peeve, that's a little ironic. Leo doesn't see himself as a Pet, he's a human in his own mind, and we are his pets!

6. Favorite movie or book? Leo is much too busy being neurotic or sleeping to watch movies or read books!

7. Biggest fear? Oh boy, this could take all day! Leo has many phobias! Let's start with the obvious, Thunderstorms,Lightening, Fireworks, and now let's move on to the others, Cameras,Halloween Costumes,(especially hot dog suits with mustard and catsup on top)The Thunder Coat,(which was designed to reduce anxiety, but it actually gives LEO increased anxiety,Latex Balloons and all Balloons for that matter,being left alone, crates,confined places,cell phones, and any sudden loud noises or unexpected movements. That about covers it, but I'm sure I left some out!
 

8. When did you start blogging? I started Leo's blog a couple of years ago.

 

9. Biggest regret? Probably the day he ran away with his leash still attached and got caught up under somebody's deck and had to stay there for hours!

10. Can you dance? Definitely but only for treats!

11. Celebrity that you can not stand and why? Leo would probably say,The Hush Puppy Basset because He's cuter and could have done tat job and been rich!

Here are my 11 Questions for other bloggers:
Since I will be tagging doggie bloggers, I will make them dog friendly

1. Who is your favorite human in your house?
2. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
3. Favorite place to pee?
4. Favorite place to sleep?
5. Favorite place to run?
6. Do you have friends besides your humans?
7. What is your favorite toy?
8. Have you ever gotten into trouble for misbehaving, if so what did you do?
9. Do you have any nervous habits or phobias?
10. Have you ever had whipped cream out of a can squirted into your mouth?
11. What is your best quality?

 

 

Here are the 11 blogs that I choose to nominate for the Liebster Award

 

 

 

 

http://2punkdogs.blogspot.com/http://


www.dogbloggers.webs.com/


http://www.dogabouttownnw.com/wordpress/


http://modernscottiedog.com


/http://assistdogautism.blogspot.com


/http://calvy.wordpress.com


http://www.demonflashbandit.blogspot.com


/http://shaggydogblog.tumblr.com


/http://sams-voice.blogspot.com/


http://www.btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/



http://www.daytondogblog.com/










 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait..Aren't you supposed to hunt these things?

One of my friends sent me this picture of her Basset Hound, "Lafayette"
He apparently doesn't know he is supposed to be a HUNTER of Bunnies!
He and this adorable little white cottontail are cuddle buddies & it's just the cutest thing I've ever seen! Basset Hounds really are such lovable breeds! :) I LOVE MY BASSET HOUND and wow doesn't Lafayette remind me of my LEO!

This face gets me every time!

Because of this face....I am defrosting chicken so that I can make a weekly supply of fresh homemade dog food for this sad basset boy! He has perfected the look and it gets me every time! Besides, I realized that instead of sitting around complaining in a blogpost about being a bad basset mama, I could get up and just DO IT!

Bad Basset Mama

Bad Basset Mama Confession:
I'm a really bad basset mama! I started making LEO homemade dog food a few months ago. I got so tired of him eating the cat food all the time, because he seemed to be less than thrilled about any and all store bought dog food that I would bring home for him! It is very obvious that he does not think for one second that he is a canine! He believes that he is 85% human and 15% cat. I'm not sure if he is part cat strictly by copy catting or if it's from eating all the cat food, but you should see him bathe himself! Anyway the point of my confession is that after making him homemade dog food for months, I have totally slacked off. I have a million things going on with the release of my new book on Motherhood and yes he's miffed that it's on motherhood and not Bassethood but I simply don't have the time to cook for him. I've been back at trying all types of different dog foods but again he's not a dog, so this becomes a huge dilemma! I usually mix in something human to make it more appetizing and he will eat it but inevitably he still goes for the cat food. Today, as he was gulping down the cat's food yet again, I grabbed it away from him and dumped a little into his dog food bowl mixing it with the latest kibble I'm trying! He was having none of it! So, while he will happily eat the cat food from the cat's bowl, he will not eat it from his own bowl! Go Figure! I'm at my witt's end and I know this is totally my fault! I have a feeling I will be cooking for him again soon and this will literally have to be done at midnight as that may be my only chance of getting to the task! My husband tells me that I have created a monster. He says he will eat the damn dog food when he gets hungry enough! While true, I think I have to concentrate on the bigger issue at hand, how do I let him know that he actually is a dog, when in truth, to me, he has been and will always be my little boy!

Like I said, I'm a bad basset Mama! Guilty of Loving him way too much and SPOILING him rotten! It breaks my heart to even pour dog food into his bowl but unless I can clone myself, this may have to suffice for awhile! So grateful that while I've spoiled my kitties, they are perfectly content with their catness and eating the food that was made for cats who just wanna be cats! :)

Basset with a Sweet Tooth

I couldn't figure out where Leo was getting all the candy today! First, I caught him chewing gum! And it wasn't just ordinary chewing gum, it was the big pack of RAINBLOW gumballs! He had the whole package between his paws and he was ripping it open with a vengeance! He did manage to chew two pieces before I could grab it away from him. It's not totally uncommon for LEO to find candy since I've got a couple of candy eating kids in the house, but I've never really seen him eat gum before? Either his anxiety was in full gear or he was simply bored. (The kids went back to school today, so nobody has been harassing him) A little while later, I caught him with a small package of sour patch kids. He was trying to figure out how to rip the bag open without much luck! I think if he had succeeded, he probably would have found out soon enough that he wouldn't care for sour patch anything! A few hours later, I discovered him biting into a box of Nerds! What a little devil. This was the last straw, I had to get to the bottom of it! I searched the house in efforts to find the "source" of  his candy party, and finally the mystery unraveled before my eyes. I found a stash of candy hidden in the cat condo. (Yes the cat has a condo) It's cozy and plush, but he hardly ever goes in there. Apparently, my daughter decided that it was a brilliant plan to hide her Valentine's Day candy on her brother. She knows the cat would never eat her candy but she didn't think the plan through very well, because LEO loves candy and even moreso, he loves a challenge. He's pretty exhausted now from all that candy stealing so he's sound asleep by the fire. I feel kinda bad that I took it all away like a mean mom but honestly, I brush his teeth with doggie toothpaste and I really have enough to worry about without worrying about whether or not I will end up with a doggie dental bill!

Leo's great snow adventure

We had so much fun in the snow today! Leo was neck deep finding his way and smelling all the good doggie scents buried beneath the snow! This picture reminds me of exactly how he looked today only of course this is not really a picture of LEO because LEO has such issues when it comes to cameras that it's always a challenge to photograph him. He goes into panic mode and runs even faster unless of course I am slick enough to have my phone with the camera and the setting is on no flash and no noise because if he even sees the light or hears the click, he will lose it! Today's walk or I should say run was pure delight! The kids came along and they happily ran after him! I told them that this is exactly how life should be, just being in the moment and experiencing pure wild abandonment and joy! LEO absolutely loves the snow and at one point my 9 year old daugher insisted on taking the leash. For a little guy, he sure can run fast. With ears flapping in the breeze, he took off running and took her with him for a ride. Lucky for her she had her snowsuit on and didn't mind the make shift taboggin ride using her body as the sled! Such a great day exploring nature at it's finest! As for now, he is passed out on the couch, dead to the world! With that peaceful relaxed sleep that can only come after a wonderful adventure in the great outdoors! :)

My Senior Basset

Leo is 8 1/2 years old now and I couldn't believe it when my Vet told me that he is now a senior basset. This depresses me! I can see that he is getting a lot more white all around his face! I don't want him to get older! He is forever a terrible two year old to me, my little toddler! I can't wrap my brain around the fact that at 8 1/2 he's a senior already! They want him eating senior dog food and having senior blood work! Maybe just a way for the Vet to get some more money but even so, I am faced with the fact that he is getting older and I hate that!  I want him to live forever! Despite all of his phobias, post traumatic stress and anxieties, I love him more than life and would be lost without him! He is sound asleep at my feet right now after having a mild anxiety attack over some rain earlier tonight! No thunder, No lightening, just some rain! POOR BABY!

My "Pee Pee Valentine"

Since Valentine's Day is fast approaching, I can't help but to remember fondly, how LEO peed in the exact shape of a HEART last year ON the very morning of VALENTINE'S DAY! So what if it was on my rug in the laundry room...It was funny, how could I not laugh! I'm wondering if it was really just a coincidence or a brilliant demonstration of his creativity! Would it be too much to ask for another one this year! Probably! After all, how many of us can say that we got a PEE PEE Valentine in our lifetime! In 9 days, I guess we'll see what he's got in store for mommy this year! :) That would be hard to top!!!

Mr. Handsome!

This is my most favorite and real life LEO face. He was so peaceful earlier tonight when I got home. After suffering lots of separation axiety today, he was perfectly content to hang out on the couch and listen to me tell him all about my day! He listens so intently and loves so unconditionally! Everyone in the house gets a little jealous at how excited I am, when I come home to LEO! I always look forward to the sound of his dog tags jingling like bells as his short little legs run out to greet me. He wags his tail so hard, it almost seems as though it could wag right off!  He is always the first one to get my hugs, and kisses (even if his jowls are a little swampy) I love him just the same! And when everyone else in the house complains about his Basset Smell, I have to confess that I actually like it!  He may be the most Neurotic Basset that ever lived but he's definitely the most loved!  (by ME!)

 

1/2 Basset 1/2 Cat

This crazy dog cracks me up! We brought a stray cat into our home 2 years ago, and LEO wanted nothing to do with him. He's been ignoring him since the day he moved in, and he's been incredibly jealous any time I show the cat "BOO" love! BUT: About 7 months ago, my 9 year old daughter got a kitten named PANTHER. Instantly BOO hated the kitten so the kitten desperate for some type of mothering, gravitated toward LEO. (Even though LEO is a boy and clearly needs mothering himself) the kitten fell in love with LEO and LEO accepted him with his heart wide open. (Probably just to make BOO mad!) The kitten now seems to really believe that LEO is his mother and they are inseparable. They've been hanging out together so much that LEO has started to sneak cat food and eats it whenever he thinks nobody is looking. He has also started giving himself baths just like a cat. 7 years & I've never seen him do this! Now, every morning, I catch him licking his paws just like the kitten does. I guess the kitten is not the only one who thinks that LEO is his mother. Panther has successfully transformed my NEUROTIC BASSET HOUND into a CAT! :)

The Unwelcomed Guest

As I was trying to get out the door today to visit my friend Cathy, Leo practically knocked me down as he attempted the great escape! I felt terrible Basset Mommy guilt because he hates to be left alone. His separation anxiety has actually been getting worse lately. I knew Cathy would probably be happy to see him, so I figured no harm in taking him along. As soon as I put him in my car, I had the unmistakable feeling that regret would be just around the corner. He wagged his tail, shook hair all over me, and jumped back and forth between the seats. We weren't even on the road two minutes and I already had a nice streak of jowl slime on my dashboard.
We pulled up to Cathy's house and he was so excited he almost wagged his little tail off. He jumped out and smelled all the good doggie smells buried under the snow. He was so over the top when he got into the apartment that he ran all over the place like a mad man smelling everything he possibly could. Since we were doing our Christmas exchange, there were lots of gifts under the tree. He poked his big black wet nose into all of the pretty gift bags until he found one in particular that peeked his curiosity. I didn't have a clue what was in it, but by the looks of him it appeared that he was about to  find out. I intercepted the gift (since the tag surely did not say LEO) and was about to put it on the coffee table, when I realized that it was really WET! He had drooled into the bag and unfortunately there was a book inside. He got the pages of the book wet and slimy, and the whole package stunk like swamp jowels. I soon discovered that there was a bag of trufles inside with the book !Well no wonder, he drooled! This little incident wasn't his only Basset Fopar either. He jumped on the couch like he owned it and before he got thrown off, he left his signature big trail of slime on the cushion. He also not so politely used Cathy's daughter's pant legs as a napkin. After all of these wonderful pleasantries, he headed for the door. He paced back and forth while he cried and wimpered as if to say "Ok, I wrecked the party, now let's get out of here and pee in the snow" He cut our visit short and even after all that, he was lucky enough to get a quick belly rub! Even more surprising, it wasn't from me, but actually given by the forgivingly sweet girl that he so rudely SLIMED! I think my friend Cathy was less than pleased with his company and if I had to venture a guess, I'd say, he shouldn't be expecting another inviation any time soon!

LEO the Basset's Holiday Stress CONTINUES!

A few things I forgot to mention in yesterday's "Holiday Stress" blog. He also buried that new bone he got under my sheets in my bed. It made quite a disgusting mess and he didn't seem in the least bit concerned when I scolded him. He also tore apart one of the kid's Christmas Stockings and started a fight with each of the cat's. He backed the older tiger cat into the corner and stared him down, wagging his tail but barking repeatedly at him until the cat finally got brave enough to flee! He then chased the little kitten off of the couch and all around the house again barking the whole while!
He then went into the playroom and watered the rug with a huge pee on New Year's Day, but unlike on Valentine's Day morning when he peed in the shape of a HEART, there was no theme here, I looked for anything resembling a party horn, a hat, or maybe the number 13, but NOTHING! Oh well, there's always hope for this coming Valentine's Day! We'll see if it really was intentional or not! :)

Bassets suffer from Holiday Stress too!

 

The Holiday stress has certainly seemed to get to our favorite Basset, LEO! He has had much more frequent time outs lately. Yesterday he got into my son's bedroom and found a bucket of Christmas Candy on his desk. He climbed up & helped himself. By the time I got there, he had already eaten through a miniature chocolate santa claus (wrapper and all) Although he got several gifts from Santa Claus himself, it seems like he was left wanting. The thing is, he really did look SO excited with his new Pig Ear (which my kids could not understand) They were so grossed out by the fact that he found enjoyment in chewing on a Pig's Ear but he LOVED it! He also got a great bone which should be keeping him busy. Instead he seems more interested in rummaging through the kid's goodies. He has had to spend a little more time in time out these past few days. I think once the kids get back to school, maybe he will relax a bit! (Oh and by the way, his time out is no other than THE COUCH!!!!) Happy New Year!