Vickie and I really like the old fashined way of sending letters and getting them. I like it most because the mail girl sometimes leaves me a treat, so I make it a point to go out with Vickie to get the mail every day.

So far this week, I have been pretty dissapointed. No treats and nothing but bills. But we will keep trying. That is the fun of it. It is like Christmas. It isn't Christmas every day but when it does come it is full of fun times.

So remember last week when I asked you all to send Vickie subliminal messages. (Subliminal....new word for this dog but I think I got it right.) anyway, I asked you to send her the message....BERT, MOUNTAINS, Vickie.....

Well IT WORKED.

Thank you thank you thank you all. It worked really really well. This week was the BEST ever.

First thing Monday morning after work Vickie and I piled into the truck and headed up to the Art Nord Trailhead where we set off into the woods.

Now we didn't just go hiking for the fun of it, we went up to set up a tracking problem for Murphy. It was the most perfect day for a tracking problem.

We got to where we wanted to hide and Vickie sat down to wait for Paulette to arrive and start Murhpy out. I got to play and roll in the tall green lucious grass under a towering pine tree with great branches that spread 15 feet outward in all directions.

WE waited and waited. Suddenly I put my nose into the air and smelled something off in the distance. It was Murphy, I could tell, and he was closing in on us so we got all quiet so's not to give off our location.

Hidden deep under the pine tree we were almost invisiable and Murphy would have to track us right up to the bows of the branches to find us.

And of course, HE DID. He is a great tracking dog.

AFter a fun reward and play time we all hiked back to the Art Nord parking area where Vickie and me played some more. This was to give Murphy and Paulette about half an hour to set up a track for me. (Like I need the practice)

Well I guess I do need the practice, because it was a long hard track. I finally ended up trailing instead of tracking because the ground they walked over was hot, rocky, and dry. But don't worry, I never missed a turn.

And the best part is that they hid in a wonderful spot with a cool clear stream in it so that after I found them I coudl take a dip while we all waited for Vickie to make her way down the steep hillside to where we were. Ohhhhh I love Love LOVE Water.

After the training, we all just took our time, enjoyed the scenery, took a break here and there, of course kept our eyes open for those nasty rattlesnakes and eventually made our way back to the truck to head home. I was pretty tired.

In fact, I was so tired that I didn't even mind it when John and Vickie went back up the mountain to look for moose without me.

They had a great time too, especially when they came across this momma moose and her twins.

The babies where hidden in the trees by a pond and after John noticed the ears, Vickie and John just sat down and waited them out. They finally came out and drank and swam and played in the little pond. Very cool. I kinda wish I had been there, but I have a hard time sitting for such a long time so it is probably best I didnt' go.

They even came across this really big brute of a guy. Vickie took a video so's you could see him. Check out how big the moose's antlers are compared to how little John looks. John and Vickie aren't too smart though. I think Vickie said John was about 10 feet from the guy in the video and she was only 20 feet. I hope she is smarter come the mating season. I hear that can be pretty dangerous.

(This one takes a long time to download so you have to be patient but it comes quicker if you go to this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMom0XaOtjY )

Now back at the kennel, I had a lot of company this week. Vickie says it is because school is just getting ready to start so everyone is taking a last short vacation and all their dogs get to come here so they can have fun too.

Jasper and Polo kept me running all day long the other day. They are kinda fun boys just about my age. Maybe a little younger. We had such a great time, but my bones are a little tired now because of all the tackling and bouncing we did. But, it was worth it.

Daisy and Gunner spent a few days too. Daisy can make the loudest baying sound you ever heard. She jumps up on Vickie to give her a sloppy kiss everytime we come out to visit them. Oh and by sloppy, I MEAN SLOPPY....

Monday was Cleo's birthday. I think she is about eight years old. She is so beautiful for an older gal. If she would give me the time of day, I would love her forever. But, she just sees me as a baby, not the young handsome man that I am. Oh well, there are lots of other girls out there.....Like Annie......

Too bad Cleo, you are really missin out....

Buddy and Jimmie Dean were here too. I never seen two dogs with bigger, longer ears.

WEdnesday night we went to Obedience class again. I was really good and did everything Vickie and Tonia asked me to do. I was quite the example. All except for one teeny tiny thing, which leads to a new phrase Vickie learned, that has caused me much greif.

"LEAVE IT!" yep, that is her new favorite term these days and she is determined that I learn what it means and that I learn to LISTEN to her when she says it. "Leave it" this and "Leave it" that. "Leave it" here and "Leave it" there.

I hate the words already. All I hear now is "LEAVE IT" LEAVE IT" LEAVE IT"

Thanks Tonia, thanks a lot.......

Still nothing in the mail.

I met some new friends this week too. They were called goats. GOATS. They smell different and they have these two long spikes growing out of their heads and if you are not watching they sneak up behind you and RAM you with the hard pointy things.

I am thinking that they wont be my best friends. Maybe just acquaintances.

They can be a little unpredictable.

Then there was Jimmie. You have heard me talk about him before. He is kinda cool. I mean that literally. Again, just an acquaintance. Not a critter I would go out of my way to visit. I kind of see them like I see Allred. Seen but not known. (Know what I mean)

After we visited the goats and iguana, Vickie made a side trip up to this beautiful hillside filled with flowers and big stones. She told me it was a cemetary and that her sister Wendy lived there now.

I had heard about Wendy but never met her. I was kind of excited. But we never met a human person. We got out of the truck at the top of this little hill and then walked through the stones and flowers to this spot where there was a tiny not real, bunny and some little, not real flowers.

Vickie layed down there and just went all quiet. It was different than how she is in the mountains. She was not sad, she was just quiet. Very different. I wanted to run and play in the grass and sniff all the “Not Real” flowers and stuff, but felt it was more important to just stay by Vickie. So I did.

We sat there for a long while, just looking up at the mountain to the north of us. Vickie says that there are a bunch of Mountain Goats there. John was up there yesterday and got some pictures of them for us.

She said it was one of Wendy’s favorite mountains.

Mmmmm What an interesting half hour that was. Like I said, it wasn’t sad or scary or anything like that, it was …. Peaceful …. Special …. I liked it. I liked just sitting with Vickie and letting her pet my fur while she looked off in to the distance thinking about her sister.

Very interesting……

There was some sad times this month at Canine Country Club as we lost two of our favorite guests. Jessie left us a while back from cancer. He will be really missed. He was the only one that could make Allred behave. I'll really miss him.

We also lost our dear friend Stockton. He was always there when I would do my Bert Bounce. He was the one dog that knew how to let all of the other dogs out of the kennels when Vickie left for a while.

He would go around and let everyone out and we would have a great big party. until Vickie got back. Then we all got "Time Out" while she cleaned up after us.

We will miss you too.

And Finally Saturday was filled with training. We met up with Annie and Murphy and even Jamie came along.

Annie has this cool toy that Vickie said might just work for me cause I couldn't eat it or break it. Kinda like my big blue Egg that I got from Jill at Pet Expectations.

I tried to convince Vickie to sneak it into her pack but she said I had to wait until Obedience Class this week where she promised to buy me my very own ball.

Then we got down to business and here is where that dumb "LEAVE IT" phrase came into my life again. Only this time it was sheer pain. They kept putting this really big peice of juicy meat, right in front of our noses.

Oh the smell was incredible, it took all I had to not grab it and run. Truth is everyone of us tried the grab and run with it at least once. I almost got it swallowed before Vickie stuck her hand down my throat and took it back.

You should have seen Murphy with it. He is so hairy that if you hadn't seen him take it you would never have known it was in his mouth.

So Tonia, this picture is for you......just proof that I realy can do it.......

I'll leave you with a picture of me and my little cousin Rusty. He is the newest member of the King/Bailey clan and he is pretty darn fun. He can run like the wind and we had a great time Saturday night at Vickie's Uncle Jay and Aunt Susies house. I can't wait to go back and play with him again.

Well, I guess that is all so everyone Thanks again for wishing me a great week cause your wishes, my wishes came true. So heres a wish for you.

Have a wonderful wonderful week. Think Mountains, Rivers, Party's what ever you want. I hope you get it.

Love Bert

Boring BORING BBOORRIINNGG Week. I can't beleive how little time Vickie spent with me. Yes, she was pretty busy at the kennel but honestly, why should I suffer. BORING.....Yes, I did get to go for some walks, and a few times I got to go swimming in the lake at the Fort but that is it.....that is all....oh yea, there was that one trip up to the mountains Monday night with the Kelly family and Oh yea, Obedience class. That was like getting out too. But other than that. Oh and well meeting Betty's new little sister. But other than that.

BORING

Dougal had a great week and he was all about sending me pictures of his hiking trip this weekend.

And there was a lot of action in the kennels with all the dogs. Like, this short video Vickie took one day while they were all playing and I was over by myself in the front yard.

Vickie did promise that she would take me to the same trail that Dougal was on when he took this picture. But we are NOT going tonight, that is for sure. You should see the storm outside. It is making me a little nervous so I am glad she doesnt want to do it now.

Allred and I have reached an understanding and there is much peace now in the King household. This is how our agreement stands: I stay out of his way......

Thats it.... Plain and simple......I just stay out of his way.

Like I told you earlier, I did get to go with my boys to the mountains and we got to watch this moose for a while. Alex, Nathan, Austin and thier mom Kathy got to walk around the lake and get a closer look.

Vickie and I stayed across the shore so I wouldn't make the big guy nervous. Me....How could anything be nervous about me.

Austin is using his new camera to get some fun pictures and he sent these two to us to share with you. Check out the sillouette of the moose below. Pretty good, don't ya think?

Last Sunday the family came over and brought Betty for a Visit. She is so happy with her new family that she pretty much ignored me. I tried to get her to play but she wasn't even interested in me any more.

She is so much more calm now too. It is like she has everything she ever needed. She loves her new family and has moved on. She doesn't need us any more.

Vickie says' that is a good good thing. I'll take her word for it.

Like I told you last week, Betty got a new little sister too. Her name is Bella. Betty and Bella. How cute is that.

Bella is kinda small and I wasn't allowed to play rough with her. Maybe one day when she gets bigger she will be able to come over and we can run, but right now she is just a teeny thing. Delicate.....but I think I'll like her.

She tried to get Tristy to play with her but Tristy said "NO" and just ignored her.

She tried and tried until Tristy finally just got up and went into the house. Little Bella doesn't know how to use the dog door so that was that.

Well, I guess I'll just go to bed and pray that Vickie will spend more time with me next week. After it quits storming. I am thinking that she needs to get me up into the mountains and do a really long search problem. So send good vibes her way.....

Think . Bert mountains Vicke! Bert Mountains Vickie! Bert Mountains Vickie!

She'll get your vibes cause she is sensitive.....or nuts. I am not sure....But I'll keep her even if she doesn't take me hiking this week.

Bert Mountain Vickie

Bert Mountain Vickie

Bert MountainVickie

August 8th thru 14th 2010

Vickie was watching a television show the other day that really hit home with her. It was about a girl who had a little baby that was always sick or hurt or something and she had to take her to the doctor or hospital constantly.

I was watching her as reality hit me....That was the relationship her and I have. Like, the rock I ate when I had to have surgery to take it out, or the squeaky toy that blocked my bowels, or the many many times I had an upset stomach and had to go to the doctor because of all the different things I had eaten.

Or two weeks ago when I had that awful ear infection or the next week when I got stuck in the irrigation ditch tunnel from hell, and this week when I went to the dog park with Vickie and the others to talk about our next steps in our goal to become Delta registered as a therapy dog.

We were all there talking and us dogs were playing and I found this glob of meat and well, of course, I ate it. Who wouldn't.

Later that night my stomach started to hurt and after a bit, I threw up what was left of that old peice of meat and what came out was......glass.....shards of painful broken glass that someone had rolled inside the meat.

And off to the vet I go again.

Well, what it all comes down to, as I see it is Vickie has Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP)


Yep, that has to be the answer. Otherwise it would mean that I am just the UNLUCKIEST dog in the whole world.

A brief description of MSPB
Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) (VICKIE) is a mental health problem in which a caregiver (VICKIE) makes up or causes an illness or injury in a dog under his or her care. The caregiver with MSBP (VICKIE) may:
· Lie about the dog’s symptoms.
· Change test results to make a dog appear ill.
· Physically harm the dog to produce symptoms.
They may get painful medical tests they don't need.
Dogs who are victims of MSBP can have lifelong physical and emotional problems

The attention that caregivers (VICKIE) gets from having a sick dog may encourage their behavior. Caregivers (VICKIE) may get attention not only from doctors and nurses but also from others in their community. For example, neighbors may try to help the family in many ways—such as by doing chores, bringing meals, or giving money.

How does someone with Munchausen syndrome by proxy act?
A person with MSBP often:
· Has medical skills or experience.(VICKIE was a vet tech for many years)
· Seems devoted to her dog. (mmmmm)
· Looks for sympathy and attention. (Has Vickie called you to tell you about me and my problems? Mmmm MMMM)
· Tries too hard to become close and friendly with medical staff.
· Needs to feel powerful and in control. (Uh, VICKIE for sure)
· Does not see her behavior as harmful.
What are the clues that a person may have Munchausen syndrome by proxy?
Doctors or nurses may suspect a problem when:
· A dog has a repeated or unusual illness, and no reason can be found.
· The dog doesn't get better, even with treatments that should help. Symptoms only occur when the caregiver is with or has recently been with the dog. But symptoms get better or go away when the caregiver is not there or is being closely watched.
·
· A caregiver suddenly changes doctors and lies about prior testing and treatment.
· Normal test results don't reassure the caregiver. And she may be strangely calm or happy when her dog’s condition is getting worse.
·
· Another dog in the family has had unexplained illness or death.


Need I say more? I think Vickie needs help.... Anyone up to the job. If not, then I shall just have to be more careful about what I eat and do and say and well, I love her but now I think I will have to be on my guard.
For those of you who worried about me, I am feeling much better now. My tummy is doing fine and with the medications the doctor gave Vickie to coat my stomach and any remaining glass shards, I think all will be well.

I was teasing when I said I beleive Vickie has Munchausins.

Allred is still a terror in the house but since Vickie bought him this new standing house from Debbie at the Animal Park http://animalparkutah.com/ he has been staying high above my head in his castle in the sky.

He is so busy playing in the castle that he has almost forgotten that his whole goal in life is to terrorize me.

This is the most wonderful wonderful thing that Vickie could have possibly done for the sanity of all of us dogs. There is no more fear about getting our eyes snapped out of our heads for just coming into the house. No attacks from behind with the wicked saber like claws. Just peace.it is so nice that Allred is happy now. Life is getting better and better for us all.

AND HERE IS THE GREATEST NEWS OF THE WEEK, of the year......

BETTY has been adopted. Yes it is true and she is so happy.

Her favorite family in the whole world have just bought a new home with a wonderful yard, with grass and trees and a big vegetable garden, and they have asked her if she wants to live with them.

Sweet Betty now has six people to love her. She has finally gotten everything she ever dreamed of.

The best part is she doesn't have to share them with all of the other dogs that she had to share with at our place.

If she wants to sleep with Austin, she just goes to his room or Magan or Nathan or Alex.

On her first morning Kathy woke up to find Betty snuggled in bed with them. Happy as can be.

After Work Kory comes home and gives her all the time she needs. The two of them take naps together and then they all go for walks and drives. It just couldnt' be any better.

Oh wait, maybe it could be a little better. What about a little sister. And now the family is complete.

Vickies neice Elizabeth came down from Vermont for a bit and we all got to go to the park. I did pretty good with Scott and Callie, right up to the last moment when I bumped into Callie and knocked her down. But she was a good sport about it. I did feel bad though. She got a few scratches on her knee from the gravel. But it was still a good time.

Adelaid, the newest memeber of the clan got to come down this weekend to. She makes this face everytime she sees Vickie. I wonder if she suspects that Vickie might have MSBP.

Still haveing great times up at Sourdough once a week. Next week Betty and the Kelly's are going to come and go with us. Maybe I can find them a moose to watch.

We saw the coolest bugs this week. They even posed for us.

I don't think I have ever told you about my animal cousin Jimmie. He lives with Bonnie, Vickies sister. He is very cool. But he has been pretty sick for the last little while and Bonnie was worried that he might have to go to another world.

Luckily at the last minute, Bonnie found a really cool vet in Salt Lake that was able to heal Jimmie completely and now he is all better. Happy and back home. I heard one time that he got lost and that Jamie and her friends came out to look for him. And I thought all we got to look for was lost people.

Speaking about searching. Vickie wanted to work on my tracking skills this week. She says that I move to fast and that I need to slow down when I am tracking so she put this 30 foot rope on me to slow me down.

It was cumbersome and annoying, but it did slow me down enough for me to realize that speed is not always the best way to go.

I guess I didn't realize all the smells I was missing when I was going so fast. There are a ton of smells that humans leave behind then when they are walking. When I go fast, I can miss some of them. Like I could miss when they turn and go another way, or I could miss other clues that they might leave behind, like a hat or inhaler or well just about a ton of things.

I am glad to have learned this and from now on I'll think about slowing down.....I Said I'll think about it.

And the best part about the end of a long hot search is my cool clean tub of water that awaits me when I get home. Nothing like, laying in that lushious water, then getting out and running thru the house and jumping on all the beds. Vickie likes it too.

Murphy sent some pictures for you of his trip up in the Uintahs this week. He had a great time. He loves to ride the ATV. I can't figure that one out.

Whats the big deal about sitting on the back of a moving machine when you could run along side.

maybe just being able to spend more time with Vickie, or cover more ground and see more places. I still dont' get it.....but I'll try it. So get that ATV ready Vickie.....If Murhpy can enjoy it, then I can too.

Well Wish me luck. Hopefully I can get through a week without another visit to the vet. I asked Vickie to make another slide show for you of all the things we did this week and of all the dogs that got to come and play here at the Country club.

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

TAke Care

Bert