Vernon is a beautiful boy. That's just a fact. No matter where we go, he always has admirers who want to pet his silky ears and ask questions about his unique coloring. When he sits down like a perfect gentleman, they always say, "He's such a good boy." That's when we usually respond, "Well, give him a minute."

We live in Colorado where coonhounds are few and far between, so the most common question we get is: what's it like to have a real coonhound? Does he howl? Does he chase raccoons? We like to say he's 50% perfect boy and 50% "hold my beer." From the minute his feet hit the ground in the morning until he's snoring in his bed at night, he's looking for a way to get into something he's not supposed to be getting into. He'll upend a sofa and a coffee table to catch a cat. He'll convince you that he's starving moments after he's eaten. He'll walk over for some help after he's gotten an indoor cactus stuck on his nose. He constantly has the dial turned to 11.

He is also the smartest, happiest, most loyal and most loving dog we've ever had. His personality is larger than life and fills a room. Everyone who meets him is instantly in love. He makes us laugh all day every day and we are constantly amazed at how far he has come since we picked him up in Mobile, Alabama last May. He still makes progress every single day. He got so much love, discipline, structure and support from his ABTCR foster who gave him everything he needed to take the next step into his permanent home.

And for the record, he's pretty quiet as hounds go, but take too long to throw his tennis ball and he'll howl so hard it can be heard three states away. Yes, he likes to chase raccoons. And what's it like to have a real coonhound? There's nothing in the world that's better. Period.

Vernon loves to be outside and his favorite hikes are the long ones to high alpine lakes where he can smell all the smells and see all the views. He's a hit at the dog park because he love to chase a tennis ball and (after lots of work with a trainer) he no longer chases and traps the small yappy dogs. We're not sure he'll ever be a fan of cats (and that's just fine by us), but we'll keep working on it because as we like to tell him, "Vernie, you're capable of anything." He's the goodest boy and we can't imagine our lives without him. Thank you ABTCR for all that you do to rescue these deserving hounds and give them their best shot at the life they always deserved.

Sam and Jeff
Aspen, Colorado