Very very very SCARY. Did teh possum turn tail? DID FENWAY WIN??

Also – it does not appear that Wembley is able to bend his ginormous paws – didn’t u pibbels ever re-check the installation manual?

I have a shih-tzu and have come face to face with snakes (most often), squirrels (too quick to care) and one slightly loopy skunk (I’m guessing here considering my dog was lucky enough to avoid the tomato bath.) One time was a lounging copperhead in the middle of a walk/run/bike path–scary stuff.
I have no doubt that Fenway would have taken the possum and f***** him up if it came down to it!

Thanks for the pics of the boys–I know I speak for many when saying that it is wonderful to see both in good health!

Also, too: Wembley is astonishing in his proportions. Any idea where the young man will end up on the standard bassett weight/height/paw size/ear size scale? Still love the fact that he meandered/slept his way through an earthquake. Classic lethargic hound!

In the end, the possum was overcome by Fenway’s beauty and waddled off to find a plastic surgeon.

(You gotta get that boy a modesty patch.)

Wembley should wait tables. With those paws he could probably manage four trays at one time. (He’s really lovely. So glad you picked him.)

Ah, puppehs. Sigh.

Sorry for the impatient nagging earlier.

Thanks for the warning that we can expect the boys later in the evening. We tend to worry that something’s wrong when they don’t appear on time (especially lately!) They (and you, of course) deserve their walkies time.

Btw – I’ve confronted possums in my backyard in the dark – that first glimpse is, um, startling.
Though I have no doubt the possum was terrified of Fenway.

Eeeee! (that applies to both)

Lovely boys. Although it does look as though you could carpet you house with Basset Ear.

Wembley is developing an exquisite head. Love the blockiness of his muzzle.
And his expression is so chill. Is his personality the same? Allowing for puppiness.

Depending on how serious the dog is, a dog with a mouth the size of Fenway’s can take the average possum with no trouble. It’s not a pretty sight.

By the way, would you like some more possums? We have more than we need right now.

Possums are strange animules. They will fight back, and then fall over playing possum! Who woulda thunk it!

Had a sturdy cat that used to drag smaller, juvenile possums home from his cat-adventures. We had to get the rescue bucket and take them back into the woods and let them escape. It was pretty novel.

I Go Pogo!

I see Fenway is practicing his ever-so-innocent “Who, me?” expression even as Wembley continues perfecting his “You talkin to me?” expression.

And O My Lord, those *paws*! I’m thinking if Wembley grows into them, he’s gonna be the size of a Great Dane, and that is a truly frightening thought.

How come you’re not giving Fenway any treats ‘n stuff? It’s all there plain as day.

Those boys are a balm for the soul, Mr. Boggs. Lovely to see them both in fine fettle. I love Fenway’s soulful eyes and Wembley’s silky ears.

Yeah, don’cha just wish you could reach out and stroke those silky ears of his?

As a new spaniel person, I’m reveling in this world of hounds — much closer to spaniels than the big terriers and labradors and collies of my previous doggie world. I almost feel unfaithful to my nearly-year-old English springer, though, so beautiful are Fenway and Wembley (in their full body, too, I am sure — certainly, exquisite heads — I don’t have a bottom fetish, but I would like to see them whole! A hip obsession, maybe). Possums — here in rural New England, you don’t expect them — they’re just not part of the lore, but last summer, there one was, right in the backyard, in broad daylight. Boy, was it a disgusting creature! What will our springer do when she sees one? (And what constitutes out and about weather with the dogs for you? Little one and I were out at midnight this winter at 20 below!)

I cannot fault Mr. Fenway for being stunned. I, too have looked into the face of a possum, and it was like looking on some useless mistake of evolution. They’re one rung up from whatever crawled out of the primordial swamps, and if they have any purpose, I sure don’t know what it is.

If my cat brought me a half-dead possum, I’d finish the job for her.

I, too have looked into the face of a possum, and it was like looking on some useless mistake of evolution. They’re one rung up from whatever crawled out of the primordial swamps, and if they have any purpose, I sure don’t know what it is.

For a minute there I thought you were talking about a tea party rally.

Fenway would tell you he don’t need no stinkin’ patch. It’s actually a Tbogg tradition that all his boyz sport their stuff proudly in their basset-lounging way. If they hadn’t put Wembley together all bass ackwards he’d have showed his own many times by now.

I think the possum was left ashamed by the mighty Fenwang and slunk away.

We had a visitor possom once — she seemed to enjoy the kibble we left out for our giant orange tabby, Bop. We named her, the possom, Estelle. She and Bop were quite good at showing each other how mutually unimpressed they were.

I cannot fault Mr. Fenway for being stunned. I, too have looked into the face of a possum, and it was like looking on some useless mistake of evolution. They’re one rung up from whatever crawled out of the primordial swamps, and if they have any purpose, I sure don’t know what it is.

In other words, possums are one rung up from Republicans.

Fenway is recounting the story of his encounter with the possum: “And that’s when I saw my life pass before my eyes.”

Night of the Possums was already made. It was called Night of the Playing Dead.

Fenway does have the hollowed out “Hundred Yard Stare” of those who have survived death, cheated the grim reaper or sat through a Nickelback concert.

Does your health care cover Canine PTSD?

Wembley had the good fortune about a month ago to be examined by the former Chief Vet for the World Famous San Diego Zoo. He said that Wembley would not only be very close to breed standard for proportions and build, but that he would likely weigh upwards of 70 lbs. Satchmo holds the current Bogg Basset weight record at about 65 lbs so this will be new territory for us. Fenway weighs in at just under 60 lbs but he is built so entirely unlike a basset (really muscular) that it hard to compare him to the others. And don’t let Wembley’s countenance fool you. He is the happiest, most talkative, most fun-loving puppy we have ever had. I know….video!

I name all my possums Blossom.

I am late to the party, but this is good news, at least for us who get to see the beautiful pups via photos (and hopefully video soon). Also, glad that they are both feeling better.

Also, given that photo of Fenway, TBogg could start a side-business in doggy glamour shots.

Just keep The Boys away from raccoons. They are mean fuckers, and they have sharp claws. They can really do damage.

We had the week of the possums at my house a few years ago. Pet door in back door. Dog food on floor near the pet door. That is all near the hot water heater and washer in an alcove. Son drops his fabric lunch box near that area. Monday I pick it up to clean it out and make his lunch, open the top and there is a baby possum trying to pretend he is NOT IN MY SON’S FREAKING LUNCHBOX….I did not scream….but my mistake was to put the baby out the back door onto the porch. About 30 minutes later when it’s time to leave, there’s another freaking possum in my kitchen…..was it the same one, or how many of these fuckers are there in my house? That one I put out in the front yard. Two days later, I find another one in the hallway….jesus christ on a pogo stick…..that one I take across the street and leave in a neighbor’s side yard. Finally, one more day, I come home and there is one more of these fuckers, this one is in the toilet bowl in the hallway and is half drowned. That one I take across the street, and down the alley behind the neighbor’s houses.

I guess I’ll never know if any of them were repeat customers or if I just had a herd of the bastards. Our Jack Russell at the time was elderly and she apparently did not care that they were there. I have two more JRTs now and I know for a fact they would consider it a personal affront if there were any possums in the house.

It’s a mission for them to kill any possums and skunks that come in our back yard.

Oh, and they have also tangled with raccoons and nobody has fared well in that adventure. But, on the bright side, no more possum incursions!

Having lived on a small (20 acre) farm for 30 years which is also inhabited by chickens, I can tell you that Fenway was in no danger from a possum. He would have handily won any encounter in a heartbeat with less than any harm to those gorgeous ears. *sigh* *more sigh for Wembley’s ears*

I happen to respect and enjoy possums around here as part of nature’s bounty but keep them well away from the chickens, although they might get an egg or twelve. They’re really not that agressive and have to compete with raccooms and foxes for food, even as they are that. As they are omnivores, they eat the dropped fruit from the trees and pose no threat to us or our other animals. Calm down, people!

Now if you’d get rid of alligators and crocodiles which I have a fear of, I’d be happy.

Gawd, that Fenway is one gorgeous beastie. And he sure knows how to pose to best effect.

I just realized who Fenway reminds me of.

Years back, walked out of my basement Chicago apartment one morning to dump some trash, when I heard a noise coming from a 2ft tall plastic waste basket. There was a furious, full grown possum at the bottom. Think he been exploring the overturned basket, tipped it back up, and then had no idea how to escape. Tipped it back down, away from me, and the possum scuttled out, hissed at me, and I beat a retreat. Finally understood all the tales of “super rats” in Chicago. To people who’ve never seen even a picture of a possum, they’d look a lot like a big rat.

Couple of years later, we had one living under our ground-level deck. Our cats were fascinated but a neighbor’s german shepherd had a confrontation one evening (the possum escaped unscathed), and the neighbor was outraged we were “harboring dangerous animals.” Kept threatening to call Animal Control. He had no tolerance for city wildlife other than pigeons and squirrels. Possums are clumsy and shy, but I respect anything with that many teeth.

Suspect Fenway was amazed to finally see what he’d been smelling all this time.