Basset Rules

Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.
Proverbs 4:26

Psalms 81:11-12 scripture says, “But My people did not listen to My voice, and Israel did not obey Me. So I gave hem over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices.”
The older I get there are two things that become more and more clear to me. The first is there is a Satan and he can wreak havoc in our world. The second is that Satan gets blamed for an awful lot that we do to ourselves just because of where we choose to walk.

Let me explain in “basset” terms. Being worshiped by a basset hound is about as close to being a god as I ever want to get. They love me. They always greet me at the door with a joyful noise. And, they follow me everywhere I go. They give me great joy.

But, unlike God who gives us free choice to make decisions about where we walk, the bassets around our house are not trusted with free will. After six years of basset rearing, I know that given an opportunity to make a bad choice, a basset will take it.

A skein of yarn left unattended is an open invitation to run out the dog door and unravel a half-knitted sweater. A cell phone left unattended around a basset pup is considered to be a chew toy. And, being disciplined about chewing the first phone does not prevent chewing a second one. (Don’t ask how I know this.) Likewise, they consider anything on the dining room table or the edge of the kitchen counter to be fair game.

So, in the interest of keeping both peace and bassets around the Seay household, there are two very specific rules that are in place in our home regarding where a basset can (or cannot) walk:
Rule 1: Bassets are not allowed in rooms with carpet.

Bassets drool, shed and smell. Tile cleans up easily. Therefore, bassets should only be allowed where cleanup is easy. However, telling a basset that they cannot go in a room with carpet does not keep them out of it. Closing the door and keeping it closed does. Just wanting to stay out of trouble isn’t enough – you have to close some doors.

Rule 2: Bassets sleep in crates at night.

Bassets left outside bark and howl at night. Bassets sleeping in a crate do not. Being a good neighbor and getting a good night’s sleep both require that bassets sleep at night. However, given a choice, they would choose to howl at the moon. I have never had a poor night’s sleep because the bassets were asleep in their crates. You do not generally get into trouble for being where you are supposed to be.

Summary: Close the doors that lead to places you shouldn’t be – just don’t go there. And, if you like to howl at the moon, get yourself a crate! Your mother will sleep much better for it.

Lord, do not allow us to turn to either the right or the left, but to stay on your path.