A year ago I took my bundles of fluff to see the vet and get their shots.  One year on it was time for their health check and booster shots.  Taking the bassets to the vet is always fun.  There are so many things in their reception area to smell that it almost drives Fortnum and Mason crazy.

They don’t need air conditioning there either as the tales of animals are wagging so much that they create enough airflow.

Both of the dogs were given a clean bill of health.  And a clear reminder that they are in the “upper end” of the “normal” weight range.  In other words, watch out your dogs are getting porky!  It’s true that all the Christmas festivities have added a few pounds but hey it was Christmas.

The truth of it is that the heat of the summer makes walking the bassets harder as they really don’t like the heat at all.  Although we walk later in the day they don’t get the long hikes they used to during the cooler months.  Also they seem to sleep more than ever during the day.  That’s a long winded way of saying they are not using up as much energy.

So we’ll push for more activity for them and I’ve cut down their food again.  No chicken necks for breakfast any more.  Mason is sulking a great deal about this as he is crazy in love obsessed about getting his chicken necks for breakfast. It’s hard to deny him his pleasure but needs must.

If you had this face looking at you what would you do?

It’s hard to resist but resist we must.  That means no snacks in between meals (hope you are reading this MT!) and fewer snacks at bedtime too. However cute the bassets look you can’t allow them to weedle their way into your sympathetic side.  It can be devastating for their health.

I do have a theory though that much of a basset’s weight is in their paws.  They have huge paws which Fortnum loves to throw out in front of him in a swagger that is hilarious.  He struts his stuff like no other dog I’ve seen.

When he lies down and those big paws go out front and they seem disproportionately large for a dog so short!

Here’s another shot if you don’t believe me!

Anyway it’s a clean bill of health for the bassets which is wonderful.  Let’s hope it stays that way and they can continue to enjoy life to the full – that means sleeping, sniffing, eating, sleeping, sleeping, sleeping……..!