Famous Basset Hound Friday #8

My mom just got home and let me tell you, it was a howl-a-thon! Whenever she comes home we jump up on the couch to watch and make sure she makes it safely from the driveway to the front door (it can be dangerous). Then we go charging down the stairs to let her know how much we still love her by jumping on her. We really try and emphasize the point by howling as loud as we can. I know that's how I'd want to be welcomed home!

Anyway, it's Friday again, and you know what that means! We celebrate the greatest day of the week by honoring the greatest kind of dog: basset hounds! This week's famous hound is named Penny. Penny may or may not have been a real hound, but she is the subject of what will no doubt win the Pulitzer Prize for Awesome Books. The book she is in is called Penny: The Story of a Free-Soul Basset Hound, by Hal Borland.

In this book a tremendously lucky family gets adopted by Penny. They thank her for this by giving her lots of cereal and milk (something I'd like to try some day) and letting her run around on their mountain. Apparently there are lots of bunnies on the mountain and she gets to run around outside all day and come and go when she pleases. Sounds like the life! The only downside is she has to sleep outside in a separate building. I guess this is fine for a free-soul basset hound who roams a mountain, but I find I am partial to sleeping in dad's spot on the bed. Sometimes when he gets up in the night to go to the bathroom (they get to go indoors in the warmth!) I jump up on the bed and keep his spot warm for him. If I'm lucky he just pushes me over a little bit when he comes back and we snuggle and then fall asleep together. If not he makes me get down and sleep with Layla and Breezy. Either way I think it is better than sleeping in some little shack.

I haven't finished the book yet but it is interesting so far. Without giving too much away, Penny actually has two families and part of the story is how she decides which one to live with. She is also a good guardian dog and protects her people from teenagers in cars with loud stereos.

So that is your famous hound for the week!