Well, it is finally here. Christmas week. I am getting so excited. I dont' know why but I am getting so excited, cause everyone else is excited. all of Vickies and my friends from Canine Country Club are coming and going in such good moods. And people keep bringing us food and candy and presents.

This Christmas thing is turning out to be a pretty good thing. I can smell a difference in all the people to. They smell Happier and Lighter and well, it is just a good smell and good feeling.
Course all the excitement has made most of the critters around here more and more tired. Like Jamie is sleeping more than ever before. Not just cause she is old, but probably because Vickie has been taking her with us on our walks more. Sure it means I don't get to cover as much ground as usual cause we are always waiting for Jamie but it is probably a good thing for the old girl to get out.

Abby sleeps a lot to and doesn't seem as nervous these days. She has always been a nervous kind of dog, but she does seem more calm lately. It must be the Christmas Thing again.

Allred sleeps all the time now, but I suspect it is because his leg hurts him some. He doesn't get to go back to the vets for another week but when he does go, I heard Vickie and the doctor say something about maybe amputation. Now I don't know what amputation means, but I can guess it isn't something I would want. Beleive it or not, I am starting to like that old cat just a little and I wouldn't want nothing bad to happen to him.

Sometimes, when it is quiet around here (and it isn't quiet that often) I like to look at the other dogs when they are peacefully sleeping. Scrappy can look so innocent. But don't let that fool you, you should see all the cuts and bites I have on my neck from the little guy grabbing hold and hanging on while we are playing.

Maximus has taken complete control of the lazy boy, but that is ok, it is only when he comes to visit for a few days that he gets to take it over. The rest of the time it is mine.....well almost mine. That little Kya kind of pushes me out when ever she wants to.

so vickie Jamie and I took a walk the otehr day and found this really neat lane that was full of these neat trees. They were covered with little raindrops and it looked like a lane of trees with white and clear Christmas Tree lights. It was so cool that we went back the next day and walked along it again.

Oh Man, and on the way home from the walk we stopped at this really cool little bakery deli called "Holy! Kolanche." Vickie went in and got us some of these rolls that were soooo amazingly good. They had a meat or chicken stuff backed inside them and Oh My Gosh.......

And cinamon rolls like you had when you were a little child (So Vickie says) and it was like the best place ever. So if anyone is ever around 1800 North and 1900 West, you should soooo go inside and get something.

Me and Vickie are going back on Monday for one of their sandwhiches for lunch. TOO DIE FOR.

The day care dogs mostly got to stay home with their families this week from Thursday on so all of us in Vickies family and all of the dogs that didn't get to spend the Holiday with thier families had the whole place to ourselves.

Vickie opened up all the play areas and it was just a big couple of days of running and playing with friends, then resting good at night then playing again.

Heidi, who has been here for weeks, decided that she was in a particullary playful mood and she has been running around like crazy.

She has taken a personal interest in annoying Allred and has found a bunch of different ways to pass the day by testing his patience. And we all know how much patience Allred has, especially because he isn't feeling well.

He tries to hide up in his towere but Heidi has figured out how to get up there and irritate him. I worry for poor Heidi cause ONE OF THESE DAYS the Allred boy is gonna connect with her nose and I fear their may be some blood and it wont be Allreds.

I get a kick out of little Kya. She is so small, yet even I, the biggest dog here, respect her boundries. Check it out, she isn't even as long as the TV remote. But beleive me, Small does not mean Helpless.

We had a lot of Shepherds over the Christmas Break. Titan, Max and Mia. You know, I am not particulalry excited about when I have to play with Shepherds, but I have to admit, in the dog world, they are a handsome animal.

Nemo and Aron keep me busy too. Aron is a big heavy rotty while Nemo is a delicate pit but both are so fun to play with. So now it is Christmas eve and I have been waiting to open my presents all week. Waiting waiting waiting.

WE know the rule about being asleep so Santa can come. Vickie explained that to us, so we all tried to go to sleep early. By the way "Who is this Santa Guy?" Sleep Sleep Sleep. It just doesn't come that easily when you are excited.

And then it is TIME. Christmas Morning.....What did I get, what did I get.

Wahoo, I got a funny hairy supposidly indestructable toy skunk. A skunk for Petes sake. All this waiting and all I get is a lousy supposedly indestructable skunk. Well, the minute I opened my present, it was clear that everyone else wanted a part of the bounder, so wether I liked it or not, I had to run with it.

Escape with it before the others took it away from me. Dela gave me the best chase and even got a hold of it once, but I finally came out triumphant and the funny hairy supposedly indestructable toy skunk was mine. ALL MINE......I had it torn apart and taken away from me within five minutes time.

All this waiting and I get a stupid toy for five minutes. mmmmm

But all in all it turned out ok cause Vickie served us all a big old plate of Herb Roasted Turkey Breast for our Christmas Dinner. Every dog in the kennel got their share and boy oh boy was it good.

So I leave you now with a wish for a very Merry Christmas to all of you and a Happy New Year. (Lets hope it brings me more than a dumb old funny hairy supposedly indestructable toy skunk.)

See you all Next Year.

Love Bert

Oh yeah here is a short clip of me and Dela playing.

So, about this "Christmas" thing that is coming up. Vickie says because we live in a kennel and there are dogs everywhere, and that some of them will eat anything, well, lets be real....since I EAT ANYTHING, she says we can't have no decorations for Christmas.

So I guess that is ok, since I have no idea what a "Decoration" is. But if it is those cool lights outside of peoples houses that vickie and I see when we go for a ride at night, or if its those really cool houses that we walk past on our walks that smell like a pine forest, well if those are "Decorations" I just might be missin out.

Vickie did give me what she called a "Preview" of what I was in for Christmas morning. I still don't get it.



Whatever that "Preview" was, I found it just a little creepy and I am not so sure I liked it. I guess this weekend is when I will find out what it all means. At least, that is what Vickie said.

In the mean time, me and Vickie have been taking total advantage of the beautiful, wonderful, and amazing thing called SNOW.

Down here at the kennel, we only have an inch or so of it, but UP IN THE MOUNTAINS whoa......it is incredible....


Life as I know it has become full circle and I am in the center of it. I LOVE IT. More More More...... Finally Vickie got her snow shoes out and finally I GOT MORE OF THE DEEP STUFF.

Here at the kennel at five am Vickie and I love to go out and shovel, well she shovels and I just frolic (That is her term, but I like it) It is so quiet at that time of day. No cars going by, no dogs barking, just silent sweet peace. It almost takes your breath away.

I really like looking at how the different weather changes on the bird house that Kodiak and Kenai's mom gave us last year. Rain looks cool on it but snow makes it look best of all.

Inside during the day time, we find Ellie resting on my bed....again....

Then there is Heidi. She has been here for a week and is staying another few weeks. She has a death wish.....She has decided that bugging Allred is her life time goal. I keep telling her, it will be a short lifetime.

She figured out how to climb up to the second level of Allreds tower. I dont' think she knows yet, just what is lurking above her head. I wanna warn her, really I do, but my curiousity as to what would happen to her if I didn't, is holding me back from convincing her to look up.

It just keeps getting better and better as Heidi starts to explore the tower more and finds the next way up.

Dang that Vickie, she comes in the room about now and pulls Heidi off the tower and moves the furniture away so she can't get back up.

Ah but trust the curiosity of a dumb dog. Later on Allred has decided to sleep on the bed by the floor heat vent. when Heidi sees that, she comes in for the "Sneak attack"

Dang it, In comes Vickie, AGAIN..... but I know, if I wait long enough, I am going to get some great entertainment out of this looming confrontation.

Did I tell you that Vickie is starting to really like Allred. Big Bummer. Now I guess he is here to stay. How on earth did a big mean old cat worm its way into her heart. I thought I was taking up all the available room in her heart, but then along comes ALLRED. Devil Cat.

I bet it's all that "I am sick, I have a sore leg, I am old and alone in the world" stuff that Allred keeps telling her. Boy I can't believe she fell for that.

Cute little Kya is still here. She is the tiniest pup we have had here. But she is such a tiger. And Oh my gosh, she has a huge bark at 2 in the morning and at 3 in the morning and at 4 in the morning.

Daila and Allred have reached a compromise as to how they will get along. They just ignore each other. Now why doesn't that work for me and Allred.

Gracie likes to play "Princess and the Pea" when Vickie is washing floors. She stacks all the dog beds into one big pile, Ellie immediatly climbs up and quickly goes to sleep.

Saturday we headed out for some dog training with a friend. His dogs name is Sandy and I was supposed to be the Decoy Dog. You know, I am getting a little tired of being the "Decoy Dog"

Here I think I am going for a walk with friends and Vickie puts me in a downstay and lets all the other dogs walk around me and over me and up to me.

It is a good thing she makes up for it with a trip to the hills afterwords. Yea. More BIG SNOW.

And as you might imagine, Now I am TIRED. Ready to call it another week, go to sleep and dream about Christmas and Decorations and SNOW. If only that little Kya would stop barking all night......

Have a wonderful week

I'll see ya the day after Christmas.

PS Mike, we miss you and we will catch up with you and Sunny in the next life.

Late addition. Dougal sent me this video of him playing in the snow. Yah us goldens we does love the snow.

We had the BEST snow fall ever on Monday. It didn't last long and it didn't even stay on the ground, but the flakes were Big BIG BIG.
Gus is like the perfect back drop for snow cause he's all black and those big ole snowflakes just show up like crazy.

I know I have told you 100 times but I LOVE SNOW.

Daila is kind of woosy when it comes to the snow. She just kind of sits at the window seat looking out. I am out there trying to get her to come out and play and she is all..."It's too cold Bert, I don't want to get my coat wet," and on and on and on......

Ellie and Gracie don't care much for the snow either. They mostly sleep all the time anyway but this time they were so out of it, that Devil Cat got up on the bed and they didn't even know it.

Lizzie acts like a little princess, sitting up as high as she can, looking down on the rest of us. Only problem is, she doesnt' see that Allred/The Devil, is sitting just above her head, waiting........Just waiting for that perfect moment when he will fly down on top of Lizzie and scare the daylights out of the little princess.

Did you know that Maximus is only 5 months old and already he is as tall as me. I plan on staying on his good side cause one day, he is gonna realize that he can take us all. I wanna have him likin me when that day comes, so I treat him real good. See I even let him sleep on the couch today.

This is Zoro. He's not dead. He just looks like it sometimes when he sleeps. Vickie is always going over and checking to see if he is breathing.

Funny thing is that when he is awake, he don't look that much better than when he is asleep. Nah, I really like him. And like Vickie says, I have to remember that, it isn't all about looks. I mean, just cause I am as handsome as can be. Besides, How would people know I was handsome if some of my friends werent a little homely lookin.

This way, I really stand out.....

Ok, so maybe I am not all that handsome when I am sleeping, but I bet some of you are no gems either when your unconcious. Heaven know Vickie isn't

I am such a kind dog, I let others share my bed all the time but Jimmy Dean and Daila were getting on my nerves a bit this week. I had had a wonderful time with Vickie. WE had gone swimming in the lake (brr it was cold, but I couldn't pass it up) then my boys came and took me for a real long walk. I was tired. REALLY TIRED.

I kept trying to sleep and Daila and Jimmy Dean kept playing all over the top of me. Jumping up onto the bed, then down on the floor and back up on the bed. Every time they jumped up on the bed they would land smack in the middle of my very tired body. It took all I had not to say something to the two little drips.

But Vickie gets so mad when I speak up for myself. I still don't get why everyone else can snap and back talk to each other and nothin happens, but when I do.......well....watch out.......

This bed is pretty close to Vickies computer so it is always full of resting dogs. There are ten other beds in the office but this one is the coveted one.

This is Bella, you should get to know her. She came for a visit on Saturday and after she goes to the hospital for a bit......(you know, the I can't have no babies surgery) she gets to come and play with us too.

I can't wait. she was really a fun girl. She looks a lot like my other friend Ellie. I think they will be good friends.

Kya's family had a flood and she gets to stay with us for a few months while they get her house fixed back up. She is about four months old and as tiny as a baby kitten. But she aint no angel......she is already bossing me and the others around, telling us that when she is in Vickies lap, we better be doing something else.

Jamie is the official greeter here at Canine Country Club. She is so patient and kind to the new kids.

She shows them around, tells them the rules and pretty much takes care of them for the first little while as they adjust to their new surroundings.

Jamie is an old girl and she has some health problems but boy do I love her. She has been my mentor in Search And Rescue and my all around best older friend since I was brought here.

lately though, she has been having these days where she gets real dizzy and can't walk. I have been helping her a bit by standing next to her when we go outside so it kind of balances her. vickie showed me how to do it and I am getting really good at it.

The medication she gets seems to help most of the time, but Vickie has to help her a lot when she gets up cause we have a tile floor and being dizzy and all, kind of makes it hard to walk without slipping.

So Allred has been in a really really bad mood this week. He has been coming out from underneath the couch, snapping his ugly claws and biting at just about any one of us critters that happens to walk by. AND FOR NO GOOD REASON.

So one day Zorro decided to give him back a little of what he was givin out. Zorro lost

Murphy came over one day and thougth he would try and play with Allred. Yeah.....Murphy wont be trying that again.

Seriously, Allred has attacked Zorro, Lizzie, Kya, ME, Heidi, Murphy, Tucker, Wally, Jamie, Tristy, Abby, Well, just about everyone who has ventured in the house this week.......

And HERE WE HAVE Max. The new boy on the block. Vickie went to Dr. Doughty's to meet Max when he went for his first physical.

She said he couldn't come play here until after he had had all his shots but she was so excited to see him, that she went for the preview. He really is a cutie and I know for a fact that Zeus is happy that Max has come to live with his family.

You all remember Zeus, I am sure. He was my big buddy that passed away a few months ago. now I don't know for sure what "Passing away" is, but all I know is it means that I won't see Zeus again. at least that is what Vickie says.

But, she said, that it would make Zeus very happy that his family has Max now.

Well, not so happy right away. You know, all that house training, and puppy classes, and waking you up in the middle of the night. The growing up stuff.

Vickie says that it was pretty tough on her when I came to live with her and the others. She said she had forgotton what it meant to have a puppy around.

Something about us being a little challenging for a few years. But I figure we are worth it........

So I laughed and laughed the other day when I got these pictures of my buddy Murhpy. He had to have a bath after we got back from some training and a trip to the lake.

Murphy HATES baths. He is not that fond of water either and I think he figured because he didn't go swimin with me and Tucker that he would be ok.

Cept there was tons of mud and guck at the lake and he got really DIRTY,

Thus the bath.

Crayz guy, thought he could hide that big body of his.....yeah right......

Talk about needin a bath. You should have seen Annie the other day. She came to play with me and well, let me just tell you that it was a muddy day here at CCC.

Not that you HAVE to get into the areas where there is mud. No, there are plenty of nice dry, gravely areas where a guy can play and stay clean....but not my ANNIE

Notin like a little mud on the pearly white body of hers to make her stand out. Mud and Sand. Oh her mom was so excited to take her home in the car.

Aint she just the most beautiful dog in the whole world......I love her.....

Another trip to the lake with my buds on Saturday. There is still ice on the lake, but that doesnt' stop us from takin a dip. Even Murphy got in up to he knees.

Then Tucker took on both me and Murphy in a game of Tug-Of_War. That Tucker is one STRONG dog.

A quick game of chase with Murhpy, Tucker and Wally. a game which, I, of course was victorious.

A few moments trying to get a good picture of Wally. and then home for the rest of the weekend.

Yep, another pretty darn good week.

I am a pretty happy boy.

And I am looking forward to this "Christmas" thing that Vickie keeps talking about.

she says we are Full FULL FULL for the Holiday so that means I am gonna have lots and lots of friends to play with.

It just doesnt' get any better than this, well unless it snows again and Vickie and I go up into the mountains.......

Night all.