Browse ›
Tricolor Basset Hound sitting on a wooden kitchen chair beside a table where an elderly couple works on a blue jigsaw puzzle. 5 / 40

Grandma Was Winning at the Jigsaw Puzzle. Then a New Player Pulled Up a Chair.

AI imagebasset houndjigsaw puzzlekitchen

Half of a blue jigsaw puzzle is coming together on the old wooden kitchen table, with loose pieces scattered near the edge. Grandma smiles down at her progress in a gray sweater, and Grandpa leans over her shoulder in a plaid shirt, ready with advice. Rufus, meanwhile, has taken his own chair at the table. He sits tall on the woven seat, nose hovering just above the puzzle, with the patient, slightly worried expression only a Basset Hound can pull off. Behind them, warm wood cabinets, a bowl of fruit and a small potted plant make the kitchen feel lived in and loved.

Puzzles are a wonderful pastime for older adults, offering focus, conversation and a satisfying sense of progress. When a dog is part of the household, though, a few precautions help. Small cardboard pieces are easy for a curious nose to snuffle up, and while one piece is unlikely to be a disaster, chewed cardboard is not a snack. Working on a table the dog cannot easily reach, using a puzzle mat that rolls up, and offering the dog a puzzle of his own, like a treat-dispensing toy, can keep everyone busy. Food puzzles give scent hounds a fun outlet for their nose and a little mental exercise.

Judging by the look on his face, Rufus has strong opinions about where that corner piece should go. He just hasn't figured out how to say so yet.

More from this collection

All 40 →
Elderly couple playing checkers on a weathered porch table while a Basset Hound in a blue collar rests its chin on the edge.The Porch Checkers Game Got Serious. Someone Was Watching Every Move.Elderly couple washing a wet tricolor Basset Hound in a soapy galvanized metal tub in a backyard with a wooden fence.Bath Day in the Backyard Tub. Rufus Accepted His Fate With One Long Look.
Elderly couple picking red apples into a canvas bag while a Basset Hound sniffs fallen apples on the grass.Grandpa Picked the Apples Off the Tree. Rufus Was Busy With a Different Job.Elderly couple pouring grain for chickens outside a rustic coop while a happy tricolor Basset Hound stands among the hens.Grandma and Grandpa Fed the Chickens at Dusk. One Helper Wasn't Exactly a Chicken.Elderly couple watering a raised bed of pansies while a smiling Basset Hound sits beside the flowers.Grandma Watered the Pansies, but the Best Grin in the Garden Wasn't HersElderly couple in green lawn chairs watching an orange sunset with a Basset Hound lying in the grass.Two Lawn Chairs Faced the Sunset. Rufus Took His Own Post in Front.