Beware The Basset In The Bush

Walking the family Basset Hound can be quite an adventure especially when he sticks his head in a bush.  It's never good.  Just now we were taking our evening constitutional and he stuck his head in a bush.  I didn't even have to wonder if he was hiding anything in his mouth when, with a friendly tug on the leash, he pulled his head out of the bush.  I just reached my hand in his mouth and pulled out something that greatly resembled part of a hoof.  I didn't spend too much time examining it.  I just threw it back in the bush.  So far I've pulled a couple of rocks out of his mouth, candy wrappers, hardened bread crusts, and a nail.  Yes, you read me correctly.  A nail!  Having no idea what he intends to do with the things in his mouth, I just assume no good can come of their present location and either put them in the trash (in the case of the nail) or toss them onto the hill behind the house.  So far he has offered no explanation for this really unacceptable fetish.  It's just as well. Some things we just don't need to understand.