Maryland

Basset hounds strut their stuff

By JULIE E. GREENE
September 5, 2010
julieg@herald-mail.com

By Kevin G. Gilbert/Staff Photographer | Skylar, a basset hound, pants after her walk Sunday at Antietam National Battlefield. Skylar’s blue eyes are rare, says compkatanion Yolanda Reyes of Fredericksburg, Va.

Stubborn.

Pigheaded.

Those were some of the descriptions people used Sunday, with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts, to describe their basset hounds.

The love was returned Sunday as several of the short-legged, long-eared breed put up with wearing costumes, had their earspans measured, and had to turn around to show judges their back ends for the butt contest.

At least one person put herself in the basset hounds’ place by getting down on her hands and knees to participate in the pie-eating contest, alongside about eight basset hounds.

“Anything for the hounds,” said June Gravitte, as bits of apple pie fell off her face.

Gravitte is transport coordinator for Basset Hound Rescue of Old Dominion, which hosted a Ramble event Sunday in southern Washington County. After a walk at Antietam National Battlefield, there were vendors and activities at Washington County Agricultural Education Center, which is south of Hagerstown.

Approximately 250 people and 150 dogs, mostly basset hounds, attended the event, said Chris Williams, president of the group, which also is known as BROOD.

Williams said she was hoping the event would raise $30,000 to find homes for homeless basset hounds. Last year, the group placed about 170 dogs in homes, she said. The group covers Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, southcentral Pennsylvania and most of Virginia.

In the pie-eating contest, Gravitte was bested by Prunella, 10, of Alexandria, Va. Prunella had some assistance from Shannon Harwell, who held Prunella’s ears back and turned the pie pan occasionally to make the dog’s licking more efficient.

Harwell said she was optimistic Prunella would win because the basset eats everything.

A few dogs were dressed up for the costume contest, including one fashioned as a poodle.

Pawtunia, 6, adopted the persona of Belle Waddling, who apparently was a southern belle, while her son, Cadbury, 3, was dressed in zebra-patterned formalwear.

“We’re close friends. We’ve snuggled together,” said Sharon Wilder, who was holding Pawtunia’s leash.

Pawtunia’s “slave” is Dawn Van Keuren of Absecon, N.J.

By Kevin G. Gilbert/Staff Photographer | Rosie Trayfoot keeps a hold on basset hounds Georgia, Poppy, and Donald Sunday at Antietam National Battlefield. They were there for a fundraising walk. Trayfoot is visiting from England.

Van Keuren said she founded and has organized for years the Board Waddle in Ocean City, N.J. This past April’s event attracted 601 basset hounds.

This is the second time BROOD’s Ramble has been at the ag center, though it was in Thurmont, Md., last year, Williams said.

This was Fiddle’s 11th Washington County ramble, said J.D. Carpenter of West Liberty, near Wheeling, W.Va.

Carpenter said he got Fiddle when she was 8 weeks old. It’s “her fault” that he and his wife, Lisa, became involved in rescuing basset hounds, Carpenter said. The couple had up to five basset hounds at one time and also has fostered dogs.

Fiddle, who turns 15 on Tuesday, was the grand prize winner among senior basset hounds.

Carpenter said this was probably Fiddle’s last trip to the ramble, as she has not been faring well.

After winning her prize, she laid down on a blanket next to Dulci, a rescue dog who is about 12 years old, Carpenter said. Dulci lost both her eyes to glaucoma, is a two-time cancer survivor and has a heart condition, Carpenter said.

Yet, she is resilient. Carpenter said he was terrified about how Dulci would handle it when the family moved recently, but within a week, she had adjusted to her new surroundings.

“A blind dog can teach people a whole lot about life,” Carpenter said.

Nearby, dogs were lining up to get their ears measured.

The longest-ear contest resulted in a measure-off, which resulted in a second measure-off.

Toby, 2 1/2, and Wara, 3, had earspans of 25 inches. The first measure-off was of a single ear, with both having 9-inch-long ears.

The tie-breaker came with a measurement from the inside of the ear, and Wara beat Toby by about half an inch, said Cass Johnson, 50, of Washington, D.C.

Wara was with Timothy Hoffman and his son, Mario Escalera, 13, of Gaithersburg, Md.

“She’s humble about (the victory),” Hoffman said.

Johnson said it will take him longer to recover from Toby’s loss than it will Toby.

“I think his ego will recover once he sees how much goodies he got in his treat bag,” Johnson said. “He’s really in it for the treats.”

Source: The Herald-Mail

All the photos and the videos are available for purchase. Just click on the proper link.

Lyrics

“A Basset Is an Asset”

written & performed by Bronwyn Edwards Cryer
(www.bronsongs.com). Woof!

With long droopy ears and a tail that swishes
You oughta put a basset at the top of your wishlist
A lowrider, slow kinda easy-going pal,
A Basset is an Asset

Oh a Basset is an asset on a Monday
If you ask him very nicely, he won’t bring in the paper
Instead he will give you a look to remind ya
To use your own legs and he will follow close behind ya

A Basset is an asset on a Tuesday
If you scratch him on his tummy, and feed him something yummy
You know he will tell that he does appreciate ya
He might be kind of stubborn but he’s got a loving nature

With long droopy ears and a tail that swishes
You oughta put a basset at the top of your wishlist
A lowrider, slow kinda easy-going pal,
A Basset is an Asset

A basset is an asset on a Wednesday
When you return from where you’re going, she’ll be so pleased to see ya
She waits for the moment when you’re hers and hers alone
To snuggle up beside ya, happy dog and happy owner.

When Thursday comes around and you must leave her
Share some loving with your Basset, and don’t be gone too long
She’ll be waiting for the moment when you come back through the door
To take her to the off-leash for a waddle or a stroll

With long droopy ears and a tail that swishes
You oughta put a basset at the top of your wishlist
A lowrider, slow kinda easy-going pal,
A Basset is an Asset

Oh a Basset is an Asset on a Friday
Whatever you are doing, he’ll be so pleased to tag along
He loves to ride the motor bike, his ears blowing free
Behind you on the pushbike or the SUV

A Basset is an asset on a Saturday
Jump into your car and take her for an outing
To any destination as long as you are there
She isn’t too particular so take her anywhere

With long droopy ears and a tail that swishes
You oughta put a basset at the top of your wishlist
A lowrider, slow kinda easy-going pal,
A Basset is an Asset (repeat chorus)

Sundays spent with your Basset hound,
These are the best of times, no better to be found,
Because a Basset is an asset
In every facet so let’s rehash it…

No sweeter love than Basset love
You can’t resist a Basset kiss

Soft floppy ears and great big paws
Smile for a while, he could be yours

Because a basset is an asset to you

(Long floppy ears, big huge paws…
A basset is an asset.
Cute.)

Copyright 2007
Bronwyn Edwards Cryer, singer/songwriter
www.bronsongs.com

Ellie, a 1-year-old Labrador Retriever from Santee, Calif., was recently named winner of Veterinary Pet Insurance’s Most Unusual Pet Health Insurance Claim of the year for eating an entire beehive and its inhabitants.

The Brea, Calif.-based pet insurance company had asked the public to choose among the 12 nominees and select a favorite. Almost 3,000 people voted. But in the end, Ellie won with 30 percent of the vote, taking home the 2nd annual VPI Hambone Award.

Ellie, known for eating wooden toy train tracks and laptop computer keys, ate a beehive that had been sprayed with pesticides along with its thousands of dead bees, a combination that sent her to the veterinary hospital later that night. Ellie was treated and sent home with an upset stomach but made a full recovery, according to VPI.

As the winner, Ellie’s owners, Robert and Sandra Coe, will receive a bronze trophy in the shape of a ham as well as a gift basket full of doggie toys and treats.

The VPI Hambone Award is named in honor of a VPI-insured dog who got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire Thanksgiving ham before being found with a licked-clean hambone and a mild case of hypothermia.

All pets considered for the award made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for eligible expenses.

Ellie’s Story

Robert Coe and his wife Sandra of Santee, Calif., thought they had seen the last of the bees buzzing around their home after exterminators sprayed a hive in their yard. That is until later that night when Sandra noticed the family’s 1-year-old Labrador retriever wasn’t acting like herself.

“My wife saw Ellie throw up several times,” said Robert. “There were hundreds of dead bees in each pile.”  

Unbeknownst to the Coes, Ellie had discovered and eaten the beehive after the exterminators had left. Frightened by the volume of dead bees Ellie was vomiting, Sandra decided the dog needed to go to the veterinary hospital   

The emergency veterinarian on duty examined Ellie and determined she had most likely only ingested dead bees and hadn’t been stung. Additionally, Poison Control indicated the pesticide did not pose a significant risk of toxicity. After a dose of anti-nausea medication and a few hours of observation, Ellie was on her way back home.  

For the next week, the Coes administered over-the-counter antacid tablets and put Ellie on a diet of plain white rice and chicken. “She was eating better than we were,” joked Robert. “She acted just fine that week, really, but every time she went to the bathroom, she pooped bees. Thousands of bees. I don’t know where they all came from – the hive wasn’t that large.” 

But Wait! There’s More!

Watch Ellie receive the 2nd Annaul VPI Hambone Award.

Sources: Various articles on the Internet and Dog Channel

THIS YEAR’S THEME – DOGGONE WITH THE WIND

Registration opens at 8:30am, Ramble Walk starts at 9:30am at the Antietam Battlefield, just a short drive from the Washington County Agriculture Center.

After the Ramble Walk, join us back at the Agriculture Center for a day of fun activities, games, lunch, silent and live auctions, shopping and contests for humans and hounds alike!

Pledge incentives. The top two pledge gatherers will win great raffle baskets. Each will receive a beautiful basket filled with many dog items. These are large baskets and each has dozens of dog or dog-themed items. (Thanks to Susan Randolph for donating the baskets.)

Each person bringing in $1,000 or more in pledges will receive a BROOD beach chair and a BROOD beach umbrella. Bring in $500 or more in pledges and choose either a BROOD beach chair or a BROOD beach umbrella. (Umbrellas and chairs subject to availability, so check-in early at the Ramble.)

And don’t forget you can set up a personal FirstGiving page and do your fundraising via emails and online donations. Note that if you do collect pledges in advance via FirstGiving, please BRING YOUR RECEIPT to the Ramble in order to be considered for the grand prize.

Ramble sponsors. PLEASE check out our wonderful sponsors, both individual and corporate! Consider becoming a sponsor yourself, details on sponsorship are here.

Your calendar dog as Rhett or Scarlett. The top male and female calendar contest winners (Byron Baker and Trudy Brown) will be honored as Ramble King and Queen (Rhett and Scarlett) and will lead the Ramble walk at the Antietam Battlefield.

NEW – Buy your Ramblewear at BROOD’s Zazzle Store. Three different designs! AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO JOAN PORTNER OF HOUND HOLLOW FOR HER AMAZING “DOGGONE WITH THE WIND” ARTWORK THIS YEAR!!!!

Pre-Register for the Ramble. Please help us plan for food needs — and expedite your registration on the day of the Ramble — by completing our online pre-registration form.

Ramble Press Release. Check out the press release that has gone out to numerous media outlets in the Washington, DC area.

Map of the Area. Check out our handy map of the location of Ramble weekend events.

Don’t have a basset? Rent one for the day! Many of our foster bassets will be there and available to share in the fun.

1. Awesome Pawsome: Biggest Paws
2. Golden Oldies: 9 years plus. To be judged on grooming and general condition.
3. Anything BUTT: Does your basset have great assets? Prove it in the best butt contest!
4. Pooch Smooch: Best Kisser
5. Best BROOD Rescue: To be judged on grooming, charm, and back story.
6. Ear-resistible: Longest ears
7. Bay at the Moon: Can your basset vocalize? Enter and see! Howlers preferred over barkers, but we’ll take anything that makes noise.
8. Westminster at the Ramble: Is your dog handsome? Enter the best “show dog.” To be judged on sheer basset good looks and gait. Not open to any dog who has ever been entered in a real dog show.
9. Pie Eating Contest: Not for the Faint of Heart.
10. Best Costume: Civil War attire to be favored.

The Humane Society of the United States

Remember how happy you were if your parents gave you a dollar for every A on your report card? They made you want to do it again, right? That’s positive reinforcement.

Site Webmaster's Newly Adopted Basset: Duddley (Dill)

 Dogs don’t care about money. They care about praise … and food. Positive reinforcement training uses praise and/or treats to reward your dog for doing something you want him to do. Because the reward makes him more likely to repeat the behavior, positive reinforcement is one of your most powerful tools for shaping or changing your dog’s behavior.

Rewarding your dog for good behavior sounds pretty simple, and it is! But to practice the technique effectively, you need to follow some basic guidelines.

Timing is everything

Correct timing is essential when using positive reinforcement.

• The reward must occur immediately—within seconds—or your pet may not associate it with the proper action. For example, if you have your dog sit but reward him after he’s stood back up, he’ll think he’s being rewarded for standing up.
• Using a clicker to mark the correct behavior can improve your timing and also help your dog understand the connection between the correct behavior and the treat.

Keep it short

Dogs don’t understand sentences. “Daisy, I want you to be a good girl and sit for me now” will likely earn you a blank stare.

Keep commands short and uncomplicated. The most commonly used dog commands are

• watch me
• sit
• stay
• down (which means “lie down”)
• off (which means “get off of me” or “get off the furniture”)
• stand
• come
• heel (which means “walk close to my side”) 
• leave it

Consistency is key

Everyone in the family should use the same commands; otherwise, your dog may be confused. It might help to post a list of commands where everyone can become familiar with them.

Consistency also means always rewarding the desired behavior and never rewarding undesired behavior.

When to use positive reinforcement

The good: Positive reinforcement is great for teaching your dog commands, and it’s also a good way of reinforcing good behavior. You may have your dog sit

• before letting him out the door (which helps prevent door-darting)
• before petting him (which helps prevent jumping on people)
• before feeding him (which helps teach him good meal-time manners).

Give him a pat or a “Good dog” for lying quietly by your feet, or slip a treat into a Kong®-type toy when he’s chewing it instead of your shoe.

The bad: Be careful that you don’t inadvertently use positive reinforcement to reward unwanted behaviors. For example, if you let your dog outside every time he barks at a noise in the neighborhood, you’re giving him a reward (access to the yard) for behavior you want to discourage.

Shaping behavior

It can take time for your dog to learn certain behaviors. You may need to use a technique called “shaping,” which means reinforcing something close to the desired response and then gradually requiring more from your dog before he gets the treat.

For example, if you’re teaching your dog to “shake hands,” you may initially reward him for lifting his paw off the ground, then for lifting it higher, then for touching your hand, then for letting you hold his paw, and finally, for actually “shaking hands” with you.

Types of rewards

Positive reinforcement can include food treats, praise, petting, or a favorite toy or game. Since most dogs are highly food-motivated, food treats work especially well for training.

• A treat should be enticing and irresistible to your pet. Experiment a bit to see which treats work best for your pet.
• It should be a very small (pea-size or even smaller for little dogs), soft piece of food, so that he will immediately gulp it down and look to you for more. Don’t give your dog something he has to chew or that breaks into bits and falls on the floor.
• Keep a variety of treats handy so your dog won’t become bored getting the same treat every time. You can carry the treats in a pocket or fanny pack.
• Each time you use a food reward, you should couple it with a verbal reward (praise). Say something like, “Yes!” or “Good dog,” in a positive, happy tone of voice. Then give your dog a treat.

If your dog isn’t as motivated by food treats, a toy, petting, or brief play can be very effective rewards.

When to give treats

When your pet is learning a new behavior, reward him every time he does the behavior. This is called continuous reinforcement.

Once your pet has reliably learned the behavior, you want to switch to intermittent reinforcement, in which you continue with praise, but gradually reduce the number of times he receives a treat for doing the desired behavior.

• At first, reward him with the treat four out of every five times he does the behavior. Over time, reward him three out of five times, then two out of five times, and so on, until you’re only rewarding him occasionally.
• Continue to praise him every time—although once your dog has learned the behavior, your praise can be less effusive, such as a quiet but positive, “Good dog.”
• Use a variable schedule of reinforcement so that he doesn’t catch on that he only has to respond every other time. Your pet will soon learn that if he keeps responding, eventually he’ll get what he wants—your praise and an occasional treat.

Caution! Don’t decrease the rewards too quickly. You don’t want your dog to become frustrated.

By understanding positive reinforcement, you’ll see that you’re not forever bound to carry a pocketful of goodies. Your dog will soon be working for your verbal praise, because he wants to please you and knows that, occasionally, he’ll get a treat, too.

Source: Humane Society

EDIT—Dogs are such food-motivated animals. With the exception of extremely few dogs, you can practically teach any dog new tricks by giving them treats. So, please, do not EVER strike your dog, jerk on the leash, shake your dog, roll your dog over forcefully, or scream at your dog These punishing techniques do NOTHING to help your dog learn; instead they release stress hormones like cortisol in the dog’s body that allow instinct and fearful aggression to take over. If you punish a dog directly, the dog will associate the punishment with YOU not with the behavior. They become afraid of you. And this advice goes doubly for those of you who have adopted dogs from rescue. Many of the poor rescue dogs have gone through a lot of stress anyway (abandonment, loss of family, etc.), why add more?

Published: Friday, August 6, 2010 at 8:41 a.m.

Red: I’ve been there, homeless and waiting in the shelter. I can tell you rescue pets are the greatest furry people on the planet. We possess two unmatched qualities perfect for any family member or friend – gratefulness and unconditional love. I know I’m one of the lucky ones. But there are so many others that need homes right now. I know, because I check your e-mail and bookmarked websites all the time when you’re not home.

For more pet and animal news, go to Critters.blogs.StarNewsOnline.com. Contact Tom Grady at jtgrady@ec.rr.com.

SOURCE: StarNews Online

For the record, the dog featured in this article is not Red, but Caraway Annata, who just happens to be the webmaster’s red basset hound.

“Dogs don’t sweat, and they’re wearing a fur coat,” says Kimberly May, D.V.M., the assistant director of professional and public affairs for the American Veterinary Medical Association. “They rely on panting, which is just not effective enough to cool them in a 110-degree car.”

Dark-coated and short-nosed breeds are particularly at risk for heatstroke, May says. Signs of heatstroke include hard panting, staggering gate, rapid heartbeat, listlessness, restlessness, dark red or purple gums and tongue, and vomiting.

A parked car is especially deadly to dogs. Even with the windows cracked on a mild 72-degree day, a car’s inside temperature can jump as much as 30 degrees in 20 minutes, May says.

If you suspect your pet has heatstroke, put a cold towel around her neck and take her in an air-conditioned car to the veterinarian as quickly as possible.

The best advice? Limit your dog’s car trips, especially during warmer weather, May says.

“I tell people, ‘Don’t put your dog in a car unless you’re coming to see me,’” she says. “If you love ‘em, leave ‘em home.”

For more information on preventing heatstroke in pets, check out the AVMA video library at avmatv.org.

Two bonded basset hounds losing their family! These two need immediate rescue. BROOD is the contact at MJsAnimalSanctuary@gmail.com, but the dogs are temporarily still with owner in Maryland.  BROOD cannot take them in as the rescue is  beyond capacity. Brood is seeking Basset Hound Rescue or adopters. Current owner will pay all medical expenses for life of the dogs! Heartbreaking decision to spare a child’s health:

From current owner: We are heartbroken to have to give up our dogs for adoption but have to do so because our 4-year old child is asthmatic and is extremely allergic to them. Her current medications are causing cataracts and the dogs must go so she can get off her medications. We are looking for a loving person or family who will provide a caring, safe and affectionate environment for our two wonderful Bassets.

Bailey and Dudley are two loving, wonderful Basset Hounds. Both are fully house-broken, and have received regular veterinary care, including teeth cleaning and geriatric panel tests. They also get year-long heartworm and tick/flea prevention medicines. Both have AVID micro chips implanted (for identification), and are spayed/neutered.

Bailey: D.O.B October 2, 2000. Beautiful 9 1/2 yr old female tri-color Basset hound, spayed. Bailey has an extremely sweet temperament. She is very loving and gentle, and loves to snuggle up on the couch. She loves going on short walks, but needs a fenced yard as Bailey is adventurous, and will explore any chance she gets. She occasionally suffers from a stiff back (treated with Rimadyl, only as needed), and does best with minimakl stairs. Bailey is good with other dogs and older kids.

Dudley: D.O.B. January 14, 2004. Handsome 6 1/2 yr old male Basset hound, neutered. Very affectionate and loves human company. He is happiest at your feet. Again, needs fenced yard. Loves walks. Gets along well with other dogs and older kids. Dudley has skin allergies and needs to be an anti-histamine (Atarax) as well as receive frequent (twice a month) baths.

Please contact MJsAnimalSanctuary@gmail.com if you can help these two. They are losing their home and the only family they have ever known!