Friday, August 8, 2008

Oh, Pool Boy...



Summer in the south is simply one thing: HOT! (well, it’s really not the heat, it’s the humidity… lol!) This fact, of course, makes it necessary for Bob to acquire yet another puppy luxury: his very own pool! I made sure to order him 3 exercise pens to combine, so that he’d have a lot of room to run, since the yard is not fenced. He also had to have enough “property” for a pool! We took a field trip (with all the kids in tow, boy what was I thinking!?) to Toys ‘R Us to pick out the perfect pool. (Which, by the way, they no longer manufacture! Thanks a lot, Little Tikes!) We picked out a reasonable facsimile (or a disposable one, I should say) and made our way home.

The next day, it was time to take a dip. The pen was up, the pool in place, Bob was put inside the enclosure… and … nothing. Bob seemed thankful, however, that I had provided him the World’s Largest Drinking Water Bowl. (Someone contact Guinness!) He drank and drank, but didn’t seem to realize it was for him to cool off in! (You’re a LAB, silly, Labs LOVE the water!) I tried to encourage him, but he was good. Anyway, there were a couple hundred square feet of grass he had to try to eat! So all this time I was so excited for him, so excited he could cool off, jump, splash, and play, and… nothing. He certainly looked cute, but who doesn’t poolside?!

A few days after the Backyard Pool Failure, we were at my parents’ house. Colby jumped in their pool. Bob and I went outside, and I wanted to jump in before I set up Bear’s old pool there for him, thinking I’d try again. As soon as I hit the water, Bob was like, “not without me, you don’t!” He took one look at the water with an urgency in his eyes. I told him, “okay, c’mon” and no sooner did I utter that command that I had a soaking wet bundle of love in my arms! Bob’s 1st jump in the pool! Yippee! He swam around a moment then I was sure to hold onto him, so he wouldn’t get frightened. I lifted him out, onto the deck, but he had not had his fill. “Okay, Bob” and he jumped in once more! I laughed and laughed. He is the first pup I’ve raised that has ever done that. I was proud of his adventurous spirit, yet I applauded his composure, waiting for his command. I guess two jumps were all he needed, because after that, he was good. I got out to supervise him directly, and we walked around their fenced yard a while. (It’s so nice to be able to run all out, a luxury we do not have very often.) A romp here, a romp there, then it was time for a nap. So his first experience in the big pool was a pleasant surprise after the let down with his person puppy pool. Bob, always full of pleasant surprises! That’s why we love him so!

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