My basset obsession continues.  Sorry about that. It’s hard not to get overly focused on them when you spend most of your waking hours with them.  It’s me and my shadows here at Domestic Executive HQ.  When I can’t see the hounds it’s always a worry and necessary to check out what mischief they are making.

When I’m out and about it is often easier to keep tabs on Fortnum and Mason as their tails provide the necessary flag you need to find them.  The tips of their tails have been specifically designed to be white to make them stand out.  The perfect highlighter when they are in long grass or undergrowth.  It’s the canine equivalent of a GPS.

Bassets in action

I’d love to know more about the behavioural science of dogs and their tails.  My research so far has not elicited too much useful information.  I’m guessing that tail behaviour is reflexive and something that they don’t have much control over, an expression of their feelings and thoughts at the time.  Certainly when Mason tries to pretend he is asleep, aloof and being a cool basset his tail gives him away every time the moment you go near him.  Thump, thump, thump it goes and within seconds his head is lifted to get a neck rub.

Just look at Mason here with his tail up as if by putting it up he’ll be able to detect more smells.

Tails up

Similar pose, different dog!

Fortnum tails up

You can see perfectly here how close to the ground a basset hound lives.  It takes some effort to keep those ears off the ground.

Mason on the sniff

Fortnum spends several minutes exploring every part of this clump of pampus grass.  It’s not just a cursory sniff but rather a huge sniff as if to capture all the bouquet of smells.

Fortnum exploring smells

All this sniffing, head holding and tail movement can be exhausting though.  At the end of a walk when I’m ready to roll home the bassets prefer to sit and take in the view.

End of walk rest

After all this fresh air and activity it’s time for a rest before we roll on home.  Fortnum always looks at me quizzically as if to say, so wheres the picnic now?  The snacks, the drinks and the rug to snooze on.   That’s what other families are doing when we are down here.