Boy does it just keep getting Better

We had a wonderful day yesterday. It started out early and didn't stop until sunset, but before I start to tell you all about it, I thought you would like to click onto this link and see the second coolest tv comercial ever made with dogs.

The first coolest one is with Jamie in it and Vickie has to see if she can find it on you tube for you, but this is really a cool one too.

http://puppydogtrailsoakville.blogspot.com/2010/03/cool-commercial.html

vickie keeps up with friends from all over the country and Puppy dog Trails found this comercial and put it on their web site to share. Hope you enjoy it. I sure did.......Five times.



Lets start out with a big jump for joy from Tucker as he gets ready for a big day of training.
Or maybe we should start out with this picture of me being used as a chair for Betty. I don't get it......There I was lying down getting some rest as Vickie had warned me it was going to be a big day, and over comes Betty and she just SITS on me. Smack dab in the middle of my body, SITS ON ME.

what? do I look like a lazy boy. (I mean, yes I look lazy but not like a Lazy Boy Chair)

She just SAT ON ME......

And wouldn't get up.......

After the big lug got off me, we loaded up the van with all the search gear and when Alexander showed up, we were off.......I was so excited.

This was the first time Alexander came to work with the search dogs so we thought it woudl be fun to just throw him into it whole hog. Yep, we geared him up and had him do the cadaver training.

He was such a good sport to. He helped load the (HRD) material into the tubes and then he went out into a big field and hid the body parts all over.

Some people get a little queezy doing that, but it is a very important part of our training and so it is great when someone comes along who can help us with that part.

When he came back after hiding and burrying the stuff, it was my turn to try and pin point it. You have to keep in mind that some of this stuff is as small as a fingernail and so you can imagine that there is not a lot of scent out there.

Then you throw in a field full of incredibly dilectible cow doo doo smells and other odors, well you can just imagine how tough it is for us.

All of a sudden I am being asked to ignore all those other smells and look only for that teeny tiny smell of human remains.

But of course........for me....... it was No Big Deal......

Alexander and Vickie were both so proud of how quickly I did my job that they rewarded me with tug, and run and play for about fiftenn minutes. It was ggrreeaatt......

That Alexander Kelly is ONE FUN GUY....... He is running for Student Body President this year at his school and I hope they elect him cause he would be a great Student Body Presedent, but only if it doesn't take away from my personal Alexander time.....You know, after all, it is "All About Me"

After we did the Cadaver (HRD) training, we headed over to King Elementary School where we pretended that there had been an earthquake and it was our job to find everyone who was caught in the aftermath.

A school is really great for this kind of training because there is sooooo much scent left over from all the kids who had been there all week.

Also there are tons of rooms and closets and cupboards which we can hide people in so it is like really hard for us to pin point them. We dont' see them, we just smell them. Then we have to find exactly where they are and let our team mate know where to look.

Murphy will scratch at the cupboard he wants opened. Lacy sits and taps at the cupboard, I scratch and whine when I want something opened.

It was great fun because Shantra was there and we have all missed her. She got married last month and was a little busy settling into her new lifestyle. BUT SHE IS BACK NOW....Wahoo.

This girl in the garbage can, well she was really tricky to find. I mean, I could smell her all over in the room but I couldn't close in for some reason. Then Vickie told me that if I would stand on my hind feet, I might be able to smell her from a different level.

so I stood on my hind feet and sure enough.........I figured out where she was. It was a cool lesson that I used later on in the day, over and over again.

Lacy and Joyce worked an area that was just a little too hard for me. Not that I couldn't have walked along that shelf, it is just that there were about 20 left over lunches from the week before in the cupboards just below. AND I WAS SO HUNGERY. WOW that was a challenge.

So now I am looking for anyone at all in the school when I come to this room. It had this piece of tape hanging from the door which I learned later was to let Vickie know that I was on track. Anyway, I was smelling under the doors along this hall when I came to this room and Wham......I smell that someone is inside. I scratch at the door and tell Vickie that I want IN.

She opened the door and I headed in, expecting to find my missing person immediatly but to my surprise, the room is empty. I cannot see anyone.......

I ran through the whole room, looking and looking when all of a sudden I get this smell. A strong smell of the human in the corner of the room. But still I cannot see them. I smell all along the walls and the floors and NOTHING.

Still the smell is so strong. Suddenly I remembered what I did in the room with the girl in the garbage can and so I stand on my hind legs so I can get higher so I can smell a different area.

For sure, I know what is happening now. It is this closet.......that I am smelling the human behind. Yes, for sure.....the strong smell of human being is behind this wall. Yipee, I have found him, now I just need to find a way to let Vickie know....

Vickie, Open this wall up, hurry hurry, the victim is behind this big red wall. Open Open Open. finally I whined and scratched at the red wall until Vickie opened it up and out came my human.

I had found him.......Yeah...... I am a search dog.....

And how do I know I have done a wonderful incredible job. BOOMERANG BOB..... Yep, out he comes...me and Boomerang Bob.

And still we are not done. Now just for the fun of it, I get to search the whole school to see if I can find my BFF Erin.

when Vickie told me to "Go Find Erin" I moved right back into "Search Mode" cause after all, it is Erin........I havn't seen Erin for months and months and I LOVE ERIN......so off I went to find her.

It was a "No Brainer" I found her in less than ten minutes cause, that is a human smell I will forever know and love.

And there you have it......Just one Big Ole Fun Day......Thanks so much to all of you who helped make this months training so fun. Since I missed last months training (Vickie and her surgery problems) well it is just great to get back with my friends.

I felt a little bad because Lacy and Murhpy got to go on a Search on Friday but this totally makes up for it......

now I am home, Vickie is resting with a ice pack on her knee and I have my favorite bed time toy. I often fall asleep with this in my mouth and if you go by this picture, it appears that I may have done that again.

so Good Night my friends GOOD NIGHT.

She is finally back, we are finally back....

Oh my life.......my life has been so stale for the last five weeks. I mean, I tried to be patient about it, I tried to be appreciative about what little time I got from Vickie, and the few times I got to leave this place and go for walks with my second family, the Kelly's..... But COME ON Vickie. Your surgery was weeks ago. what is the deal.

I am so bored........so very bored....... BORED....... Bored....... BORED ...... BBBOORREEDDDDD

I guess I should be grateful cause she just started driving last week and at least she lets me go along with her when she runs errands. Mostly going to the store or up to visit with her mom.

So today, just like anyother day, she waited until we were all sleeping from our early morning day care duties, when Vickie came up and tapped me awake. She had her keys, her purse, and HER CAMERA.

Now I wasn't going to get too excited, but just possibly, this could be a good thing. The Camera is most generally a good thing.

We slipped out the front door, not waking anyone up and headed for the van.

As I suspected, we did some driving around, like to the tax mans office and the store, but when we headed back to the kennel, I'll be darned if she didn't make a right turn at the light instead of going through it.

And then she headed straight to "THE PARK"......Yes, Fort Bueneventura is Still alive and still there and yes......we stopped there and parked. Vickie got out and came around the car and let me out and then she got the lead and

WAHOO.........it was clear.......we were going for a walk. FINALLY FINALLY

Vickies BACK

For the first part of the walk, she made me stay on a leash and walk with her. OH MY GOODNESS, she qualifies as being the SLOWEST walker I have ever been with. Ok Ok, I chalk it up to the fact that she has a bionic knee now and maybe it takes a little time to work out the kinks but oh my goodness. At least let me off the lead so I can walk faster than a slow drag......

Well we finally made it into the park where the lake was and there waiting for me were my geese buddies. There are a few more mom and dads here this year and I suspect that the little ones are not too far off. If Vickie would have let me go, I could have found were the baby geese eggs were at.

Oh don't worry, I would never hurt them, I just like to be aware of my surroundings.

Moments later, we were at my favorite swimming hole and Vickie finally let me off the tethered lead and into the water....Yeah......I ran and dove into the beautiful clear crisp cold spring run-off. Yes it was cold.....very cold.....but I have waited all winter for this and just try and stop me now.

Swim, shake off, swim, shake off.......Oh the life......

One final shake off..........and now we do more running and playing

It was fun to walk along the paths and see nature starting to warm up with the sun. We followed this beautiful butterfly for fifteen minutes as it would fly in front then land then fly away.

It all ended too soon, but I have to say I was happy to see my van after a long playful walk. It wasn't like Vickie walked that far. Maybe a mile or so, but I was tired, cause I had run circles around her, making sure that I don't miss a thing......

So if you want to, here are a few video's from my walk. Like the one is cool because you get to see me running, then playing in the creek. But the second one is just a video of the river run-off with the sound of water rushing down the stream. What a beautiful beautiful sound. I LOVE SPRING.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L04PDZeQxGE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU4rrI2a3pE

So now, lets take a short trip in what happened days before my walk with Vickie. Like I said, My Kelly Boys are so good to me and they would take me a couple of times a week on good long walks. I love them for it, but I gotta say again, it is great to have my Vickie back up and moving.

This week we have a guest named Sally and she got to go on the walks with us. She loves the water too and so with the boys surrounding her so she wouldnt run off, we all went down to the water and took a dip. (Check out the video below)

She is almost as bad as me at finding really disgusting things to roll in and when she got home from this walk, she really really smelled up the car. Oh, I hope Vickie gives her another dip in the river before her family comes back to get her cause even I was getting watery eyes being around her.

Don't think because my boys are shirtless that it was warm the day we went to the river and swam, cause it is still really cold, but they come from way up north in Washington and this weather is like summer to them.

Of course for those of you who keep requesting more on Dougal, he sent us some pictures from his weekend in the mountains. I was getting a little jelouse of him. His family was always taking him fun places. But now that Vickie is back up and going.....look out Dougal.

Dougal and Jon are getting ready for their summer camping and dougal has finally got a tent to stay in. However, he is a little nervous about it so Jon set it up in the living room to help ease his mind about it. All was going along fine and dandy until the heat turned on and the tent began to move. Dougal thought it was ALIVE.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP82AZRQ7DQ

Oh what we do for our dogs......

Spring has peaked its head out and Vickies favorite part is the pussy willows that come every year from a stick she got from her sister Wendy's pussy willow tree. It is now a fifteen year old tree that is so tall and so full of beautiful soft velvety pussy willows. She loves to hold them in her hand and remember how much fun she and her sister had so many years ago. I wish I could have met Wendy. She sounds like the greatest person ever.

With the spring comes the spring clean up and Rocky was busy busy this weekend. It took him almost all day to clean out just one single area. WE sure love having Rocky to help us out around here.

The tree nome is still doing his job in watching and protecting all of us.

Especially the small dogs who like to sit just under him. Close to the shade of his tree if it gets too hot or just out from the tree in the warm sun. Buddie and Chester are enjoying the sun today.

Last week all the therepy dogs came to the kennel cause Vickie couldn't leave and they did a lot of training. We worked on obedience and on social skills.

Of course my girlfriend Annie was there, Murhpy and Jake the big white pyraneese.

But we also had some new members and I gotta say, its another cutie patutie. (I think that is how you spell that) Her name is Happy and that is a perfect name cause she makes me HAPPY....plus her little brother Bubba who is the smallest one of all of us.

Happy was the first to go up to our "Sitting person" who we were supposed to just put our heads on their knees and let them pet us. She did a really good job in fact, we all did. You see, Vickie says some very old people or very shy people don't want us to jump up in their laps or give them big kisses. WE are supposed to be gentle and kind and wait until we are invited to come up to them. Then we must be very very careful. That part is tough for me but Vickie said I did really good, just as good as all the others.

After the therepy dogs left, I got to go inside and play games with Judy. I have to teach her how to play cause she normally just works and works. But I am showing her how to play ball with me.

This is Larry. Larry moved in and took over my bed. I didn't really mind that much. He was only here a few nights but wow....my bed.....I mean, now it smells like Larry. He has gone home but still even with new sheets and blankets......it still smells like LARRY. Oh well.

I'll just sleep on the floor until the smell goes away. I took my sheet and pulled it up over me and after a few tries, I got it just right.

So now.......Good night sweet friends......good night.

How much fun can a girl have with an old swiming hole and two friends. Sally gets a chance to run free and swim to her hearts delight.

Guest Writer "KC"

MUSINGS FROM KC

Two and a half months ago my life was turned upside down and I thought the end of my world had come. I was whisked away from my loving home for an extended stay at Canine Country Club. Oh the pain of it was more than I could bear, but after an hour of waiting by the fence I decided that I might as well muster up some patience, settle in and wait. You know the old word patience; it is a word I have heard many times when Vickie is trying to teach my owner how to use the computer.

What a topsy turvey world. Now I have been dropped off here many times but it is usually for just a day of play and never more than a week while Vickie and mom are off playing but how will I ever make it for 3 months.

After about a week my owner called to check on me and even wanted to talk to me on the phone, really!!! By now I have settled in just fine. I no longer have to wait patiently by the door, or give some silly signal that I really really need to go out or we will both be in trouble. I have the run of the place. I get to eat much more than I got at home, have lots of friends to play with, some more annoying than others and lo and behold I have even become best friends with Allred the cat. We curl up together when it is time to take a nap and Allred doesn’t even snarl and slap out at me like Maximus, Whitneys unlovable cat, does. I remember well the day he came to visit. Sure he got to sit right on the counter where I am forbidden to even put my paw. Stray cats seem to realize it is not all about them, much nicer to be with than those pampered ones.

Even when Vickie had to be in the hospital my life went on the same. Judy of course realizes that I am special and need extra loving care and she performed very well. They have both been accused of “Alienation of Affection”.

Needless to say coming home has been more traumatic than leaving home. Here I am and if Bert thinks his life is BORING he should try mine now. At least I have someone who comes and takes me for a walk three times a week. The treats have been coming more regular these days. I guess Mom is trying to make up for leaving me at the Country Club…little does she know I would go back today if I could

I know the day will come when I can go back for a visit and see all my old friends…so until then enjoy your stay and the tender loving care you receive when you go to Vickie’s.

Love
KC

Thanks KC, for being my guest writer and speaking on behalf of all of us here at Canine Country Club......we miss you and can't wait till you come back to play with us again, but truthfully, we just want you to come back and play. Scrappy was a little put out that you got to sleep with Vickie and he had to sleep on a Dog Bed. Dog Bed.......Scrappy never sleeps on a dog bed. this was quite misserable for him....so just for a visit....ok....

Now lets get to me....as you know, it IS ALL ABOUT ME AND MY LIFE...

Here I was, minding my own business the other night while Vickie and Judy were cleaning up after the day care dogs had gone home. I was actually helping cause I was showing Vickie where any left over poopies were.

You see it is like a contest with us……I smell them out and then we have a race to see who can get to them first. If she beats me to them, then they get scooped up and put in a big container that the garbage man takes. But if I beat her………Then I get a evening snack…..of course it makes Vickie sick and she always screams to me to “Leave it” LEAVE IT” but I know she is just joking and that it is a game…..good think I am so fast…..I shall never starve, that is for sure.

Anyway, while we were cleaning, I happened to notice some movement in the tree above me. I know it was windy and that probably it was just the breeze through the trees but something about it creeped me out.

I positioned myself to watch the tree for a few minutes until I saw the movement again. Now I know you will have a hard time believing this but I PROMISE it is true. That thing that moved in the tree, well it was a real, honest to goodness, “TREE NOME”

A protector of the tree, the birds, and the little things of nature. A tree Nome is a creature that takes on the form, coloration and trademarks of the tree during the day, but in the evening hours when the sun begins to go down and dangers lurk in the darkness, the Tree nome comes to life and stands guardian over the little baby birds in the nest, or the apple blossoms that are beginning to develop the tasty red apples that are ready in the fall.

Every tree has a tree Nome, but not all of them are as easy to see as the one I was now aware of. And being a spirit of my spirituality, I know they are not to be feared but to be loved and respected. So if any of you guys out there find a tree Nome in your tree, be sure to let it know you are aware of its presence and that you are greatful for their help.

It takes a lot for a dog to be “The Guardian” of their loved ones so it is nice to know you have help from the Tree Nome…….

We had tons of fun dogs come in on Friday. It was a crazy fun day. So here are a few pictures to keep you up to date on the fun plus a video at the bottom of playtime.

Poor Mable, who lives to chase sticks, balls, leaves blowing in the wind, or just plain anything anything at all, has come to visit with us and there are no sticks, no balls and no airy weather. She watches Vickie, never taking her eyes off of her, hoping beyond hope that a ball will appear in her hand and that she will throw it in Mables general direction. Oh how sad, she hardly breathes waiting in anticipation....

WAit, Oh yes, here comes Vickie and what is this......A Stick......could that be a big stick in Vickies hands........? Yes it is.......oh my, life is grand........

Pip, just wants to run the fence line and bark and bark. She has to be very quiet at home so coming here is like, a total releif. She can bark all she wants, run as fast as she wants, act as crazy as she wants......even if it is just for a few days. then home again, but not so wound up anymore......


Ace is a little tired. He has had to spend the last four days with the small dogs and they have driven him CRAZY.... He is here with his litttle sis a small pup named Lady and she really wanted him to stay with her so rather than play with the other big dogs he stayed with her. Boy, one small dog is fun to be around but five or six can drive a guy nuts.....

Gracie came to Day Care on Friday without Ellie May and it has been so so lonely for her. They are best of friends and it is so hard for them to be separated. Ellie is getting some surgery to take off a lump on her back. Gracie was really worried all day long and would sometimes let out a very forelorn cry that echoed through the whole area. It was very sad.

A lovely day Friday was. Muffy and the others all just found a nice warm spot out on the gravel and let the sunshine warm our bodies from toe to toe. You should try it.

BArney said he could look sadder if he tried, but it was such a lovely day that looking sad was a little hard to pull off. It was a day of play and rest and play and more rest.....It was lovely....lovely day..


Monte, who still does not beleive he belongs in a day care and still does not beleive he should have to be around "DOGS" patrolled the place, sniffed out a few worms in the straw, and try as he might NOT TOO, enjoyed the day too.

Cody and Aussie had a lot to say and they wanted Vickie to come in and play with them but until her knee is completely better, she cannot go in with them. They play way to rough for her recently cut up body part. She missed playing with them as much as they miss playing with her.

Logan, Jake, Dizzy and Shea are also a little curious as to why vickie won't go inside with them. Why she waits until they have gone home for the night before she scoops up the daily deposits. come on vickie, can't you heal any faster than this.......

Vickie is wondering the same thing.......she missed playing with everyone.

Vegus spent the day in with the really huge dogs. She was soo very tired when it was time to go home.

Raidar still keeping up with the rest of them. Three legs mean nothing when your heart is as big and strong as hers is.....Nothing keeps her down.....

GATE....who the heck put up this gate.......and WHY

Handsome is as handsome is as handsome is......and I am so handsome......

Gus and Cleo get to take the only walk of the week. Since no one else is ever at the park during the days from December thru June, it is like having your own private playground. Lucky Lucky us.

From Dougal

Many of you remember Dougal and his beautiful sunset pictures from all the hikes he takes with his friend and brother Jon. Many of you asked if there were more pixs so I asked him to send me some for the blog.

He went up hiking in a new area this weekend and came across some amazing country. I didn’t get time to ask him where he went, but I will ask him on Monday when he comes to day care.

I am thinking it is way up in the north country cause of all those elk he passed up, and where did he come up with this huge pile of metal links, and what were they for.

I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from him, but in the mean time, here is one more pictureI thought you might enjoy.

This just came in from Jon on how to find this place if you want to go hiking there.

As for our hike yesterday, it was at the Powerline trail in Eden. Just up past Pineview. If you go around the lake, there's a turn to the right that takes you to the Monestary. it's the next right after that. Follow it to it's end and you're at the trailhead!

Thanks Jon & Dougal



Now some sleep shots as we all get ready for a rest.

Zeus makes sure to get at least one hour of sleep when he comes each morning. When you get to be a senior citizen it is important to get many naps....

Tristy never sleeps, but keeps her eyes on Allred all the time. Hopeing, praying, pleading for him to get up and play with her, or snap at her or anything. Tristy does not understand Allred at all. That cat just walks around like he rules.....the place. He is no fun at all.

Bert is still terrified of Allred so when ever he comes out to sleep in the living room/office Bert goes into the bedroom to sleep. I am beginning to wonder if Allred is threatening my poor pups. He might just be a big ole bully and I don't know it.

Scrappy is not bothered by Allred at all, yet I often find him sleeping inthe cupboard. He squinches himself in between the doors and is fast asleep. I wonder if he feels safe there.

Fun times in the living room/office at the end of the day. move the chairs and beds and wild play begins.

When Vickie was a very young girl, she would go up to her grandpa and grandma’s house almost every Saturday night. The highlight of the night was when her Grandpa would move all the furniture in the basement playroom up against the wall, lift up the big center floor rug and then turn on the Lawrence Welk Show. Then her big tall loving grandpa would take Vickie and each one of her sisters out on the “Dance Floor” and teach them how to do the polk and the waltz. It was so much fun, they would fly across the open floor doing a lively polk, sometimes standing on their grandpas feet so they could keep up, sometimes being dragged along with a swing here and a swing there. It was so much fun.

Recently, Vickie has been moving all the furniture out fo the way in our little living room and letting me, Betty and Scrappy run and play and wrestle through the room like when she was dancing with her grandpa. It is great fun.

You should all try it.

Here we are enjoying a play day inside. It was rainy and sloppy outside. If you notice both Scrappy and Betty make it a point to grab me by my cheek or below the neck and hang on. They both play unfairly, but I can handle it.....cause I am ME.

You have to look real hard but you might be able to see the long flow of slobber from Ellie in this video. She is always drooling.....yuck. Sorry Amanda, I know you love her tons, but come on, does she drool all over you like she drools all over me. Hope you are having fun in Hawaii.

Nite all
Love
Bert