Play Date

We had a play date this past Saturday. I was delighted to meet fellow Humans under the influence of Bassets and a very busy teenage Corgi.

My Hounds (my pack, not my property) did not spend much time on introductions and pleasantries. They promptly started marking territory in a garden where they were only guests, except for The Butter, who immediately looked for a spot where she could lie down and block access to an entrance. All that frenzy and assertiveness in her house must have been what unnerved little Basset Gabriella for the rest of the afternoon. Corgi Dristan tried to rectify the situation by telling everyone who the real top dog in the house was.

Basset Christopher is a Tibetan monk chanting a continuous silent mantra. Absolutely nothing could 

unsettle him in his meditations. Whenever I stroked his head there was a little cone of silence around 

the two of us.

My hooligan pack was invited onto the patio couch which made them think that it belonged to them. Bofa 

even claimed our Human hostess for a while by putting his head on her lap. I was a little jealous. Whenever I 

try it he thinks it is a joke and tries to flatten me while barking at me. He was naturally also the one who 

broke through the baby gate and went 

on a speed cruise of the house with Dristan in tow.

Butter was friendly and open to all until I started paying attention to the new kids. She resumed her usual role 

as my body guard and growled at Gabriella when Gabriella finally relaxed and tried to come and collect a 

cuddle. I did manage to stroke that puppy skin before having to withdraw in order to keep the peace. 

Horton tried to hypnotise our Human Hostess into giving him as much lovies as possible. He succeeded. 

She seemed to be under his influence for quite some time. 

The Nougat was alternately happy, grumpy and silent. I think my puppy’s skin still hurts. She was declared my

 most beautiful Basset though.

I expected a day of relentless frenzy and barking but the pack decided to chill out after a while and was 

silent for the most part, lying around, soaking up sun and attention.

When we left there was a moment’s chaos as everyone broke through the gate simultaneously and 

ran in all directions, leashed or not.

That night Horton had chase-the-rabbit dreams. I dreamed of a visit with the Cooksons where humans drank 

wine and beer and Christopher the Basset smoked a peace pipe. 

The rest behaved themselves like the dogs they are.

Claiming the couch and someone else's human

Sorry Dude, no couch available at the moment. We're borrowing your mum, okay?

Butter meets Gabriella

Pardon me Christopher, if you can just partially lie on the side-table so that I can use your bum as a pillow...

Butter meets Dristan

Pardon me Christopher, if I can just squeeze in here and soak up some of the lovies you're getting here...