Bailey, The Barking Basset of Benton County Page 1

By Theresa Vann

Once upon a time there was a Basset hound named Bailey. He was already a grown-up dog when he came to live at Mississippi View Farm in Benton County. The folks there were very nice people, and Bailey grew to love Kate and Matt. Especially Matt; why, Bailey couldn't say.

But Bailey found that Kate and Matt, their children Tony and Shayne, and their friends just did not understand the Basset way. Bailey lived his life according to basic Basset principles. But he found himself getting into trouble.

"Why?" wondered Bailey. "I'm just being a Basset."

He pondered this over, as Bassets are prone to do. Bassets have a good face for pondering, and it is one of the things they excel at. Baily himself could ponder as fast as a Basset could run. "Maybe they just don't understand me

He pondered some more while Liam, the senior farm dog, ran around him three times and chased the ducks off the pond. Bailey passed beyond pondering and began ruminating. "Maybe if I just told them about the Basset way they would understand."

Bailey began by barking. He barked, and he barked, and he barked some more. Bailey

concentrated so hard on what he was barking that he stared into space as he barked "He's barking at dead people," said Matt.

"Ah-woo-woo!" said Bailey Basset.

Every time Bailey barked, Kate or Matt put him out of the house. Bailey pondered this, then barked to come back in. Bailey worried on these occasions that Matt would not be where he left him. Matt never stayed put and Bailey had to keep track of him. He barked to go upstairs to look for Matt. When Matt wasn't there, Bailey barked to come downstairs to look for Matt.

The barking went on until finally Bailey achieved a breakthrough. "Matt," said Kate "come and get your dog."

"Oh boy," thought Bailey. "She's catching on! I can have her Basset broken in no time!"

Bailey soon taught Kate how to give him a Basset boost to get on the furniture. There he basked as Kate and Matt learned to give him a Basset backrub. This was Basset bliss.

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