There was a basset at the dog park this afternoon. He let loose with a few typically bassetish barks, though “bark” fails to capture the majesty of that basso profundo sound.

Satchmo looks happy. This is a good thing.

Howdy boys!

Another gratuitous Blazing Saddles quote. Seriously though, they look tanned, rested and ready for the campaign ahead.

AWWWW!!!

I think I know the look and sound. I have this one.
Bassett Dog Man

zomg! more bassets linked in comments! Thanks Tbogg, thanks Pete!

The “not” at rest photo looks suspiciously like a yawn.

I’m thinking it’s a smile, which may head into a yawn at any moment.

So, are the harnesses for wrinkle support, kind of a Basset body-bra? Because in both photos it looks like “lift” is the goal; “separate” not so much.

The harenesses are actually to help control (a somewhat subjective term) the long,low slung but very powerful dogs as we are “walking” them. As basset heads are so much smaller than basset bodies, they tend to slip out of conventional collars which then allows the dogs to go in the direction that their noses take them. And while Beckham wakes up most mornings with the harness around his waist rather than his shoulders, it is nearly impossible to get out of while in forward motion, which eliminates much running and chasing by us Boggs. And, they both think that the harnesses are a lovely fashion statement.

harnesses…oops….reminder to self, use preview.

Mrs. Tbogg–

If you can walk them, instead of having them walk you, especially if there is another dog on the distant horizon (mine has great visual acuity) I want to hear your tricks. I have long used a harness for my previous Bassett and this one, and 75% of the time, I can get him to walk a straight line but the other 25% he’s all over the place and once in a while if he sees something I don’t first (usually another dog) he can nearly knock me down rushing over there.

Pete,

We have exactly the same problem…hence “control” being a subjective term. Tbogg calls walking the beasties “being crucified” since they seem to perpetually be going in the opposite direction from one another. Beckham is also VERY territorial when we are on our block so he not only sees the other dogs, he immediately starts barking and growling at anyone or anything that comes into view. His reputation for malevolence is not without merit. Thanks for sharing the basset photos…always good to find another crazy person who had fallen in love with the stubborn, drooly dog lumps.

I have the same issue with Arthur, a bonemouth Shar-pei of great distinction – huge neck, little head. The harness is the solution to the ‘I’ll just slip my head out of the idiot collar and run hell for leather out into the middle of the traffic’ highlight of previous ‘walks’. And it is a very elegant fashion addition – red harness against his strawberry blond good looks….

I find them incomparably loving and loyal and mine gets feisty when I ask him to move somewhere or lift his chin up to see him sometimes growling and snapping only at me, but no 3rd party.

I put a lock on the leash to his harness when I walk him (because most leashes have a cleft in them where he has pulled out and taken off), and that way I know he won’t break into traffic if we’re on a busy street.

I live a couple blocks from a big park where they have a fenced in dog space as big as 2.5 football fields where he loves to romp and run around with other dogs. About 45 minutes in, I’ll hear some dog who won’t stop barking at the other end (I’ll wonder what’s up with that dog) and I’ll find it’s mine and he’s picked out one dog,following it wherever, and gotten in it’s face to keep saying with a defeaning bark “And another thing.”

We’ve had pretty good luck with the Gentle Leader–it’s kind of a horse harness for dogs. Our Molokai is much like Beckham, but he is controllable (barely) with this.