Euro Puppy BLOG

The Basset Hound has an amazing sense of smell. Second only the Blood Hound in this regard, they were initially bred for hunting Rabbits. Their long ears are often the subject of much comment!

Their noses mean that they respond exceptionally well to all promises of food while training. Here is a poem about their amazing sense of smell.....


The saggy baggy Basset Hound
has ears that nearly touch the ground
with mournful eyes and wrinkled skin
that hangs below his droopy chin

But Basset has a clever snout
His nose will always sniff you out
With this amazing nasal asset
nothing an get past the Basset

As our dogs grow older, we realize that our current comfort with them is but a passing time. Does that mean that it's less real? Not at all. Only we who have had dogs know the value of that time spent with our friends.

As Townsend says in this poem below, we live in a "Fragile Circle".




It is very true that we would choose no other way to live.

Someone once said "Whoever said that money can't buy happiness forgot small puppies". That thought is absolutely true! The $25 my mother spent to get me my first dog was an investment that lasted our family for 14 years and gave us all the love she could.

Never underestimate the joy and happiness a dog can bring you. Through all the stages of her life.

If we believe in angels and that each person has a guardian angel, what do you think of an angel for our dogs too? One that takes our dogs with them after they leave earth. Remember your dog when she was young, and used to have unbounded energy? When she used to always want to play and bite your socks? They grow old so fast, these friends of ours.

It's like the elves would feel towards men...

And how will she be when she goes off to heaven (Where else can she go?). Will she play again? Only while she looks forward to meeting you again I'm sure.

There are certain people who keep dogs in the most lavish houses and surroundings, and yet with hold from them that which is most important - genuine care. For these people, a dog is either a showpiece, a watchdog, or a leftover.

Or worse still, perhaps they think that all dogs are alike, and getting another dog is just like the one that died yesterday. Such people can never understand what it is like to form a bond with a dog so deep, that it runs in your bones. And while you can derive joy from another dog, you will never forget.

Who can describe the years that we spent with our dogs? Who can exactly talk about the feeling that permeated that period? We may not have thought of him or her all the time, and they may not have been the center of our lives.

But they were a part of us. A part of our security, and a part of our home. Their smell was around us, and their bark was around the corner. And even though we may have other dogs after they are gone, and will love them as much, we can never bring back those feelings, and those years.

Our friends leave us and go, but they leave such a silent and strong stamp on us that we carry their paw prints on our hearts for the rest of our lives.

I wonder sometimes, that if all the dogs that have lived and died over the thousands of years that man has kept dogs as companions were counted, wouldn't it be amazing to see just how many faithful souls have lived on the earth?

And with each of those dogs, his or her master would stand by them, and what a gathering they would make! The past can never be erased completely, and all of us - dog lovers - are joined forever to each of these dogs and to each of these people. For we share something together. Something that no person who has never really had a dog can understand....

I often wonder at people who collect dogs for show and critically examine each for defects. It's almost as if they say - "If you have a defect, you're not worthy of my attention". In my opinion, unless the passion for "The perfect dog" is coupled with a greater love for dogs in general, then it's proof that the person is just doing it to push themselves up, and not for a love of dogs at all.

See how in this poem, a dog pleads to demonstrate that he or she isn't built of eye candy. It makes us realize that all dogs are special. And you don't need to be a pretty dog to be a great friend.

Dogs have always been utilized for man's purposes. And sometime, those purposes are merely for fun and not utilitarian like hunting. How do you think a dog feels? They can't talk and they may not understand, but they can feel pain. And they can feel love -Or the lack of it.

Don't you think a dog deserves to live for himself or herself? Not to make anyone laugh or applaud? And when a dog that is used to that treatment finally gets a chance to be normal, how do they feel? Like this:

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolf hound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn some thing from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
- When loved ones come home , always run to greet them.
- Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
- Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
- Take naps.
- Stretch before rising.
- Run, romp, and play daily.
- Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
- Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
- On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
- On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
- When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
- Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
- Be loyal.
- Never pretend to be something you're not.
- If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
- When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.