Bass Pro Shop was having free photos with Santa today. While dogs are allowed in the store, Dazzle was the only one I saw in there today. I found out about the Santa photos from Kim, who took her dog there the day before and found out Santa LIKES the dog photos. And we must have gotten the same Santa. When we were done he took a few minutes to talk to me about him and thanked me from bringing him and giving him "a break" (said with a knowing look.) I think he liked the dog better than the kids :-) Can't say I blame him since the three kids that sat on his lap before Dazzle were all screamers. Ahhh, memories... "And this is when we traumatized little Billy..." :-)
I was fully ready to say "forget it" and walk away if Dazzle was afraid or bothered by the suit, set-up, noises, screaming kids, etc. But he did even better than I expected. He didn't even try to eat all the fake snow on the ground!! Yeah! But he did want to eat the pointy lights along the sides of the line we were in. Other than trying to taste a few lights, he waited politely in line, accepted petting and attention from several people and a few kids who couldn't resist. When it was his turn, he walked right up to Santa and sniffed him. He was wagging his tail because Santa was talking to him sweetly. He said "well, I wonder if YOU would like to sit on my lap?" I patted his knee and Dazzle put his front feet up and inspected his beard. A bit more encouragement and he was in his lap, tail wagging. He couldn't figure out how to kiss him through the "fur" though :-)
His focus turned to me as I moved out of the photo. But he stayed put (it helped that Santa was holding him) and a really cute shot was captured forever. I had to scan the printed photo, so it's not the best quality. I should have snapped a photo with my own camera, but I thought of that too late. I'm guessing this might be the only year he is all the way on Santa's lap (unless he continues to think he's a lap dog like my 120 lb Rottie did.) :-)
Now that I know he won't be bothered by it, I might go get in line for a photo I'd have to pay for (& I'd use my own camera!)
He looks so tiny in this photo. Not sure why. Oh, the elf reminds me, he was facinated by the moving elves beside the line we were waiting in. Too cute! It was a really elaborate set-up for free photos. They had the real (stuffed) reindeer in the back, rippled plastic with moving blue lights behind it creating walls that looked like ice, lots of trees and shrubs covered in snow, a full "workshop" for the kids to make little art projects, several animated elves, sound effects and several adults dressed as elves, which reminded me of "The Christmas Story" (especially as the kids were screaming on Santa's lap. :-)
HO...HO...HO
