Meet Henry and Georgia

If you've been reading my blog from the start you've seen a few references to Basset Hound collectibles, or "Basset Crap" as it's affectionately called.  That started when we got our first Basset Hound in 1999.  He was initially found wandering by a neighbor.  She tried for several weeks to find his owners but no one claimed him.  She already had several dogs and we had recently lost our Chow mix to cancer, so Bruiser came to live with us.  Our lives haven't been the same since.  About a year after we got Bruiser along came Walter, a rescue from the local animal shelter.  Sadly, we lost both of them and our sweet old Lab Emma a few years ago - all in the same year which almost killed me.  A wonderful man that I know through work is active in animal welfare in a nearby town and after learning that we had lost both Bruiser and Walter, he promised to let me know if they ever had a Basset at their shelter.  Well, less than a month later I got the call.  We drove to Seminole and picked up a relatively skinny Basset boy who whined all the way home.  Henry won us over totally in spite of months of treatment for erlichia - a result of tick bites he got while he was on his own. A few months after Henry moved in, Georgia joined our family thanks to the girlfriend of our nephew.  She hated that Georgia was on her own all day while she worked, and felt she'd be happier with Henry.  They LOVE each other and play wildly.  So without further ado, here are Henry and Georgia.

Georgia and Henry

Georgia looks like she's wearing a wig, but she's just wrapped in a faux fur throw.

Howliday 2010

I've avoided blogging about them because this could easily become a blog ALL about them.  I'll resist, but I wanted to share that they went to doggie day care today for the first time.  Before they could be added to the "regulars" list they had to pass a temperament test.  I imagine it as just like waiting to see if your child will be selected for the school they want to attend.  Henry passed with flying colors and was even referred to by the handlers as a "social butterfly."  Georgia, however, was timid and stressed at first with the big dogs.  After being moved in with the smaller dogs, she quickly relaxed and started playing and later was moved back in with the bigger dogs with no problems.  I'll be working full time for the next few weeks, so the plan is for them to attend doggie day care a couple of times a week.  Spoiled?  Not our dogs!