Bassets don’t like water and will do just about anything to avoid it.
Bath day in a basset home can be tricky. I had to chase Lucy around the house and carry her into the bathroom where I quickly closed the door to trap her inside.
She didn’t fight the warm water I scooped over her or the shampoo I scrubbed into her fur. It was while we were giving the shampoo time to sit that she got antsy and tried to jump out of the tub. I sang “Twinkle twinkle” a few times while holding her head and looking deeply into her eyes. Doggy hypnotism. She regained her calm for the rinse phase, but, as soon as I’d finished drying her with the towel, she lept out of the tub and did the post bath dash familiar to all dog owners. She chased her tail a bit too. She might be close to 10, but she still has some puppy mannerisms.
I don’t have the heart to tell her she is going to have her nails trimmed and ears cleaned later.
booksandbassets 
Although I don’t have a Basset Hound, my Murphy hates the thought (or any sound that triggers the emotional trauma) of bath time all the same. Breaks my heart, but he looks so stinkin’ cute when it’s all said and done.
The dreaded ears and nails. Bribery is required for my Fred & Ginger.
Some information can be withheld until the last minute. Was she able to catch her tail or was it always out of reach?
Alas, always out of reach. But she is an optimist and keeps believing she’ll catch it one of these days.
What an exhausting day for Lucy! My Ohso did not enjoy the bath either. We did not enjoy trying to hoist her into the tub, but how funny that she was able to leap out as soon as we let go.
Our labrador, Lizzy, is in desperate need of a bath. She rolled in something dead out in the pasture and has been banished to the garage for sleeping at night. You would think that as a lab she would love water and, therefore, baths. This is not the case. Today, my husband says, “If you don’t want to give her a bath, we can wait until Thursday, it’s supposed to be almost 80 degrees out.”
It’s stiff competition on who dislikes it more…
Great photo of Lucy. My first dog was a basset hound named Mandy. Your posts about bassets have taken me back to her. Hope the nail trimming went well…
Our lab is the same way. I thought labs were supposed to love water, but she must have missed the memo.