Bubba (Lodi)

When our basset hound, Jerry died last year (2022), I started looking for a smaller dog, one that would be easier for us to lift into and out of the car, and less likely to pull us off our feet, when out on walks. It seemed like a sensible plan. However, in the middle of my search, my husband, Mark admitted that he really wanted another basset hound. So, we volunteered to foster 9-year-old Bubba for GGBR. Instead of the little 30-pound mixed breed dog that I thought would be our next dog, we got 65-pound Bubba. As one friend of mine observed, "Parts of him weigh 30 pounds!" Bubba was surrendered to GGBR by an owner who was about to lose her home. We met Bubba at the home of a friend of his owner. Bubba was hiding in their children'™s playhouse, in the far corner of their yard, where he had been for a few days, avoiding the people and other dogs. The owner'™s friend had originally considered keeping Bubba, but said that Bubba was "œjust too sad" and thought he would be better off finding another home through GGBR. At our house, Bubba was very skittish, at first. It was difficult to coax him near enough to put a leash on him and bring him into the house. From the beginning, Bubba showed a clear preference for women and was wary of most men. Gradually, Bubba warmed up and it started to take less coaxing to get him to approach. Bubba has a bed in the house, where he feels safe and sleeps contentedly. He staked out a shady, secluded spot in the yard, under the deck, where he spent most of his days last summer. At the end of July, we borrowed a buddy for Bubba, a friendly and outgoing 8-year-old male basset hound named Ford to be Bubba'™s "œemotional support animal." With Ford here, Bubba started to spend less time under the deck and more time outside our sliding door, interested in coming indoors. In spite of still being afraid of Mark, Bubba seems happy with his life. Mark loves Bubba; he just knows that it is going to take some time for Bubba to love him back. Bubba is mild-mannered and easy to live with. He i™s gentle, housebroken, good with the cats and other dogs. Bubba walks nicely on leash and he rides nicely in the car. He is a ham and loves to pose for the camera, too. In December, we finally realized that Bubba was here to stay, another foster failure. Bubba has now been with us for 11 months. He recently approached Mark for the first time, from under the breakfast table, for some pets. It has happened only once, so far, but it was a moment of joy for us! --- Fran and Mark Madden, Ford and Bubba__March 2023.