PetroneBaloney

Gator

I've come to realize that Royal is part alligator.

See the resemblence?

That's Royal on the bottom.

During his first week home, our trainer gave him the name 'furry alligator' because of his tendency to snap.....at fingers, noses, toys.....anything really. And although he hasn't bitten anyone or anything in months, the name has stuck. He'll always be my 'gator'.

But it wasn't until summer that I realized just how much 'gator' Royal has in him.

Despite his rocky introduction to swimming, Royal has taken to the water like....well....a gator.

He absolutely loves it....we literally can't keep him out of the water.

Royal was born to be a gator.

Don't Mess With Momma

We recently discovered a baby deer living in some tall grass just outside my parents' backyard.

Normally, its a peaceful little plot of land by the lake. Not a bad place for Bambi to grow up.

But on Memorial Day weekend.....not so much.

This is what happened when Momma came to check on her baby and realized three Vizslas had moved in next door......

It was a standoff.

We were shocked that the normally skittish deer would approach two hunting dogs. Two dogs who, in their 3 short years on this earth, have caught and killed rabbits, possums, and a raccoon.

But this momma was undaunted. She approached the fence and gave Colt the evil eye.

Colt replied in kind.

And where, you ask, was my puppy during this showdown?

Laying on the porch.

'What....did I miss something??'

Learning to Swim: Success!

After our first (unsuccessful) attempt at getting Royal to swim, I decided to purchase a life jacket....for my dog.

Please note:

(1) Yes, I am aware most dogs instinctively know how to swim

(2) I used to think clothing of any type on a dog, especially a sporting dog, was ridiculous.

(3) I am making an exception for the life jacket only. There are no rain slickers or winter sweaters in my dog's future.

(4) The life jacket is totally adorable.

And, laugh as you may, the life jacket helped give my puppy the courage to jump off our dock and into the lake.

And he hasn't gotten out since.

Seriously.....we can't keep him out of our pool or the lake. He absolutely loves it.

And while I only managed to keep my puppy in the life jacket for about 10 minutes, it was $8 well spent.

Bye Bye Manhood

Hello horribly miserable puppy.

My poor, pitiful puppy.

This is Royal on the way home from surgery, still drugged out of his sweet little mind.

The same puppy who usually can't help but 'excitement pee-pee' from the sheer joy of seeing my husband or I after being separated for more than 5 minutes.....had no idea who the heck I was.

What have they done to my baby??

Sleepy Faces

Royal tends to wear his heart on his sleeve.

When he's tired, its written all over his pretty little face.

Of course, I find this incredibly cute.

So much so, that I continually annoy him by taking pictures when he's trying to fall asleep.

'Excuse me, I'm trying to sleep woman.'

Ok....maybe that's enough.

Learning to Swim: Take One

We recently decided to give Royal the opportunity to learn to swim.

And by opportunity, I mean we carried him into a lake....and put him in the water.

Don't let those ears fool you....he was excited.

And of course, he had no trouble swimming.....

Straight to the stairs so he could get out.

Now, some people might have stopped here. Thinking....maybe our puppy doesn't feel like swimming in the freezing water. But no, not my husband.

He called in for reinforcements. Enter Royal's big floating bumber toy.

Zach threw it in the water near the steps to see if Royal would jump in after it.

Instead, our clever little puppy enlisted help from his older cousin. Ok, so he picked the one who doesn't swim....but still....clever.

Colt quickly gave up, refusing to get more than his big toe wet.

Next it was Major's turn to help.

'See that orange thing? I really need it.'

Almost....

Doh!

What a team these three are.

Lake Life

Royal loves life at the lake.

It's a place with magical things.....like deer. And other Vizslas. And plenty of room to roam off-leash.

'Hey guys.....wait for me!'

This is where Royal can just be a dog.

And, without a doubt, where he is most happy.

Cousins

This past weekend we finally got a chance to take Royal to my parents' lake house....aka Vizsla heaven.

My brother was also there with his two Vizslas, Major and Colt. Up until this weekend Royal had never met his big cousins, and it was a much anticipated introduction.

This is Major. He loves to swim and can be a little territorial about 'his' lake, but we love him anyways.

Colt, on the other hand, does not like to swim. He prefers to spend his time chasing shadows.

Although you'd never guess it, Major and Colt are actually brothers from the same litter.

And since its always just been the two of them visiting the lake, we were a little worried about how they would react to the addition of a new puppy. Especially given said puppy's tendency to test older dogs' patience.

The first few hours were tense, but in the end, Royal became a (somewhat) accepted member of the lake clan.

I think its going to be an interesting summer =)

What's in a Name

Anyone who has spent any time at all with my husband or I, knows we have a special place in our hearts for Longhorn Football.

What can I say, its true love.

So naturally we had our puppy's Longhorn-themed name picked out long before he graced this great state with his presence.

Royal is named for the most winningest coach in Longhorn Football history, the one and only....the man, the myth, the legend....Darrel K Royal.

And, yes, our puppy bleeds orange.

When Dad Comes Home

This is what happens every night when my husband comes home from work....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f11qiCNRVxw

While my iPhone video app doesn't exactly capture the raw emtotion of these reunions.....please rest assured.....it's quite intense.

Watching these two reunite and act like they haven't seen each other for months will never get old.

It's my second favorite moment of each day....next to, of course, when I come home to my little alligator.