Low to the ground and loving it

I'm speaking of Basset Hounds. This group to the right goes for a walk almost every day as I'm on my way home from work. I didn't take this picture. It's from the local paper and was obviously taken during the winter during one of our infrequent snows. These dogs are such a happy bunch and always seem so pleased to be out leading their human along. They like visiting with other people, too. I often see them looking up and wagging their tails as their walker chats with someone on the sidewalk. I've never stopped to talk with them. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to do it. Not that I fear the dogs. It's people I'm more uncomfortable with.

Our dog, Charlie, is half Basset Hound and half Black Labrador Retriever. You hear about all the cute names people come up with for mixes of breeds like Cockapoo (Cocker Spaniel and Poodle mix), Puggle (Pug and Beagle mix) and, one I just heard of the other day, a Bulloxer. It's a mix of American Bulldog and Boxer. I don't know what we'd call Charlie's breed. Black Bassador Retreiver? Black Labraset Hound? I guess we'll just call him a mix.


People ask me what he is like. Is he more like his Basset Hound mother or his Black Lab father? All I can say is that taking him for a walk is like walking a vacuum cleaner. That nose is down on the ground sniffing from the minute we start to when we get back. He's a great dog!