Charley

Imagine you are newly married . . . you have just moved 600 miles to a new state, it is just you and your darling husband . . . you don’t know a soul . . . you want to add a third to your two-some, to solidify your new family unit. (By “you,” I mean YOU, not necessarily your darling husband.) You are starting law school in two months time, so a baby is out of the question. Then, imagine, you “stumble” upon this little guy. A mere seven pounds of pure-bred basset hound brilliance.

Now what would you do? Suppose you pick up the little guy and he is trembling from head to toe, but soon lays his head on your shoulder, lets out a sigh of relief, and stops shaking.

Trust me, it is love at first sight.
He is yours.
It doesn’t even matter when the breeder tells you that basset hounds are notoriously stubborn and very difficult to house break; in fact, when she asks you if you have a plan for house training you scoff and think-“nothing this cute could possibly poo in my house.”

Fast forward about two hours and you realize that that you must have left that little basset angel back at the breeder and have accidentally brought home his evil, destructive twin. Not only does he poo all over your house, but he eats just about everything in sight! Just look at the guilt on this face- a picture is worth a thousand words.
After two weeks of puppy pandemonium, you pack up the little darling and head north to Michigan, to your father, the biggest dog lover and best dog trainer of them all. Did I mention he lives on 40 wooded acres (this is dog heaven, friends).

After a weekend at home, your father and mother are begging you to leave the little darling with them-they are smitten with his every puppy charm and the way that his long basset ears drag the floor has cast a spell on their hearts and they cannot imagine life without him. (Okay, this may not exactly be the way that things went down, but they did want him-sort of-and Charley really really wanted to stay and play on those forty Michigan acres, instead of heading back to his 700 sq. ft. apartment in Indiana). And so your heart is broken, but you love him so much you give him a better life of trees and trails.

And now, Charley (a.k.a. Chuck, Charlie Brown) lives the high life. But you still consider him yours (your father, who wakes daily at 6:30 a.m. to walk the little (read 60 pound) darling would beg to disagree.)

Charley takes his daily walks here, in a private wooded paradise.

And in the winter, he enjoys a personal winter wonderland
And he eats his dinner off Williams-Sonoma Hand-crafted pottery (well not every night)

And he goes boating on Lake Michigan in the summertime. Now how many basset hounds can say that?

Just look at those gorgeous mahogany ears, blowing in the breeze!

He has developed a fine appreciation of coastal style-here he is scouting out beach-front condosDon’t worry-he still loves you. He appreciates his high-life very, very much.

Xoxox Love you Charley!!! (and you too, mom and dad!)

2 Comments

  2. What a sweet story! Charley is SO cute! My parents got a Beagle puppy years ago…they are a lot of work, those hound dogs! But they are so loyal and loving and worthy every bump in the road. I’m glad Charley found a happy home with your parents!

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