THE SALISH MOUNTAINS ARE MINE!

Ever since Kinsey came along and took me into her heart and home I have been a little in the shadow of Uncle Koty aka Lakota Sunrise. Nothing real bad but I know she still aches from his loss. Her eyes tear up and her voice cracks when she talks about him. Practically every place we have been she had been there with Koty. And when she tells me about it she gets all choked up.

I don't begrudge this, really. I get it. I can only hope Kinsey would love me so much. But, I have been wishing and hoping for new experiences we could call our own. Places to roam that neither of us have been before.

Well, my wish has been granted. This week we discovered the Mother Lode of trails in the Salish Mountains of Montana. Kinsey has never hiked here before and the place we discovered has so many trails it will be a very long time before we have explored them all.

On our first hike in this special place we ran into a skunk on the trail. Well, that nearly undid me I can tell you. I wanted to go after that thing like there was no tomorrow. Thank goodness I was on the leash. No telling what might of happened if I had not been. Think unpleasant aromas. We also found a pond. That doesn't ring my bell half as much as a skunk but Kinsey is dippy for water. So we both got our favorite stuff. I really can't wait to go again.

Me checking out a deer down the meadow

The Whitetail I saw down there.

Very pretty pond

©Kinsey Barnard

KINSEY BARNARD IS THE WORLD'S BEST PHOTOGRPAHER!

I'm changing my story from that last post "I NEED A NEW PHOTOGRAPHER" . I think it may be a matter of survival.

You'll never guess what Kinsey did to me! She dumped me at the vets. They drugged me. I passed out. The next thing I knew I woke up in a cage with a very bad pain in my tummy! I looked down and someone had shaved me, cut my tummy and stitched it up! The anesthesia made me pop my cookies all over myself. Wow! Am I going to be careful what I say from now on! What a frightening experience. Maybe I was abducted by aliens but I don't think so.

Kinsey has since tried to explain to me what actually happened. It seems I went in for a common procedure called spaying. That's where they remove my baby making parts. I think I'm OK with this because I really am not interested in making babies. I like being an only child.

I'm supposed to be taking it easy for ten days so I don't pop my stitches. That's a way long time. No running or jumping. No being me. This is going to be way boring. The good news is I am not having to wear that mortifying head cone because I have no inclination to lick my incision. There are benefits to being precious.

I'll sure be glad when my time out is over.

©Kinsey Barnard

Precious puppy held captive. Send help!

I'm not supposed to be in this chair.

Under the weather.

Come on let me out. I'll be careful.

KOOCANUSA KOOL

Yesterday was packed full of fun.

In the morning I got to go down to get my feet wet in Lake Koocanusa. The Koocanusa is this 90 mile long, man made lake that runs from Libby Dam all the way into British Columbia. We have a nice view of it from here at the ranch.

Anyway, we went to this place called Peck Gulch.  Right now the lake is really low to allow for the coming snow melt. This left lots of space for me to romp around. And, boy did I romp. (See photos below)

It was sunny but really cold. Didn't bother me any but heard Kinsey say she wondered how I could stand to be in that cold lake. Me, I found it quite refreshing.  Just made me want to tear around all the faster.

After lunch Kinsey headed out on the four wheeler to block up a fallen tree for fire wood. I'm still leery of that four wheeler thing so I just ran along in front. Leading the way to where I had no clue. I didn't know anything about chainsaws before today. When she fired that thing up I right away knew I wanted to keep my distance from it. What a racket! I busied myself exploring around the area.

What an extra fun day this was.

©KinseyBarnard

Water level way down at the Koocanusa

Oh my Gawd! I think I see a crocodile!

This feels so good!

Wheeeeeeeee!

OK, I admit it. I stuck this one in because I am so darned good looking!

ALL MY TEETH ARE FALLING OUT!

Oh my gosh! All my teeth are falling out. Are they supposed to do that?

I was chewing on a Nylabone this morning and spit a molar right out. Kinsey picked it up and saved it. Ewww! Yesterday we were playing fetch with a tennis ball and I noticed a canine tooth lolling out the side of my mouth. Surely this must be natural or Kinsey would be having a fit. I think I can feel some others in there popping up. She is quite protective of me. She kept asking what the little blood spots are on my forearm. I hadn't a clue. Now I think it's from these teeth falling out. Yeah, that has to be it.

I'm learning more stuff around here. I don't much like getting in the 6 wheeler. I fell out of it this winter and it has put me off the thing. Kinsey let's me run along after it and that's good enough for me. We were going to use this torch thing on the grass around one of the ponds but found a tree across the road. Guess next I'll be learning about chainsaws.

I got up inside of Clementine for the first time yesterday. I'm not real sure what that's all about but I'm am sure I'll be finding out. Koty's scent was all over the place. I guess he liked it enough to spend a lot of time in it. Maybe I'm gonna like it too.

Never a dull moment around here I can tell you.

©Kinsey Barnard

Costco peppers yum! Not really. I just like getting a rise out of Kinsey and this did it!

Am I cute or what?

Get a load of that ceiling

WATER! WATER! EVERYWHERE!

Kinsey was right. That last storm was winter's swan song. Today was just the nicest spring day anyone could want, sunny and 65 degrees.

It looks like the blacktail deer have finally left for the high country. They have kinda put a crimp in my afternoon frolicking. Kinsey has been afraid to let me loose when they were around and I don't blame her there. Those guys are big and feisty. Today the deer were nowhere in sight so we took off through our woods to check things out. Imagine, I have forty acres to run around on. Eat your hearts out city dudes!

When I first arrived here at Dancing Deer it was winter and I was scared to death of water, keep in mind I was just a puppy. The ponds were partially frozen over and Kinsey was scared to death I'd fall in and drown. By mutual consent we have avoided the ponds. Today we finally checked them out and guess what? I'm not afraid anymore. In fact, I'm liking water more and more. Yippee! This is so great because there are two ponds and streams and creeks and oh my goodness water, water, everywhere. I bet I'll be swimming in those ponds before long. I'm not sure Kinsey is as thrilled by all this as I am.  That pond water is kinda stinky and the bottoms are definitely mucky. Oh, well, that's her problem not mine. It's good to be a dog!

I don't know exactly what I weigh now. I was 25 pounds the last time I was at the vets and that was a couple of weeks ago. I must be growing cuz every morning Kinsey looks at me as sez "I swear you grow in the night!"

©Kinsey Barnard

Playing with the deer in the safety of my enclosure

Pretty much in there

Racing down a hillside after getting the whistle call

Me looking beautiful by the pond

I MADE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT!

Well, this is news. I finally made it through the night without having to go out. This is great news for Kinsey especially since it is the first night in six months she has been able to sleep through the night without interruption. Before I showed up she was having to get up several times in the night to let Uncle Koty out. Koty had Cushing's Disease and couldn't hold his water. Boy, did I get a ton of kisses and good girls. The antibiotics seem to be working real good on my infection.

I have decided to refer to Lakota as Uncle Koty. It looks like I am going to be mentioning him a lot. He seems to be everywhere we go and Kinsey tells me much about him. I can tell her heart is still broken from his passing. I'm not jealous or envious. Because I know that if she loves me only half as much as she loved him I will be the luckiest dog in the whole wide world. She loves me already. I can tell.

Yesterday we hiked way up the Blacktail Trail. On the way Kinsey showed me where Koty died. She has memorialized the spot with a little rock pile. No one but us will ever know what it is.

I distinguished myself on the retractable leash. I've got that down pretty good. I've made mental note of how far out it goes and can gauge pretty good when I'm getting to the end so I can slow down. If I'm getting a little excited and look like I'm going to forget myself Kinsey calls out "Be careful" and I come to my senses and stop before I hit the end. Every now and again I just sit down and wait for her to catch up. That seems to please her so I'll keep that up.

Kinsey bot a whistle for long range recalls. I got it right off the bat and came running the first time she used it. That got me fresh cooked chicken! I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what she wants because when I do I get the best darned treats. Kinsey says we have a lot in common when it comes to food. We both live to eat. Uncle Koty was just the opposite. He ate to live.

We seem to really be hitting our stride and life just keeps getting better and better. I am a very happy puppy.

©Kinsey Barnard

Just discovered Timmy's bed. It's not looking like Timmy will ever make it back home.

I HAD A URINARY INFECTION AND NO ONE SEEMED TO CARE

Well, that isn't entirely true. Kinsey cared but no one would listen to her when she expressed her concern about my tinkling pattern. What she noticed first was that when I went out I serial tinkled. By that I mean I didn't squat just once. I did it as many as four times. My breeder told her I was marking my territory.

Kinsey took me to a vet and he more or less blew her off when she suggested there might be a problem. After making her feel like she was being a hypochondriac on my behalf he said he could stick my tummy with a needle and draw some urine to test. I'm not really sorry she passed on that.

Finally, she went to another vet and picked up a specimen jar and made an appointment for yesterday. Well, guess what. Kinsey was right all along. I do have an infection. I heard her talk to a lot of people desperately trying to describe what was going on. But, no one even bothered to ask any questions. What is wrong with humans? Especially, those who are supposed to know stuff?

Turns out that it is rare puppies my age would get a urinary tract infection. Apparently, this is why no one paid any attention to Kinsey's concerns. So, I've had to put up with this condition since before Kinsey brought me home at least six weeks! Kinsey sent the breeder an e-mail about it and her reply was "interesting"and nothing more. I could tell Kinsey was very disappointed in this cursory response.

The new vet says I could have some kind of congenital thing going on. Apparently there is like a little sphincter type muscle in there that is suppose to close and keep bacteria from getting where it's not supposed to go. If that's the case the infections could be recurring and spaying could be delayed up to a year. Not that I'm in any hurry to get spayed but I'm also not wanting to have to go through heats.

Anyway, I'm on a ten day course of antibiotics (Amoxicillin) and I'm looking forward to getting this behind me. It's been very disappointing. I was making tinkling mistakes but I couldn't help it. Kinsey has been very understanding about it for which I am grateful. Now I think everything is going to be just fine.

If I could give Kinsey any advice it would be screw the experts and do what I do, rely on my instincts.

The day wasn't a total loss. I got to take a walk at Indian Springs. Nearly had a heart attack when a gaggle of geese took flight.

©Kinsey Barnard

Photos

Am I cute or what?

This was my very first time drinking water from a creek. So far I haven't been a real fan of water.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY

Today I learned to climb up a ramp and into my crate in the truck.

I needed to learn about the ramp because my human's car is an Expedition and so tall I would need a pole to vault up in there without one. Believe me I know. I tried to make the leap and landed in a heap.

Initially my crate was pointed forward through the two center seats. But, after our trip down the mountain the other day, during the POISON SCARE, things have changed. Can't say I'm sorry about this because on the way home the stupid crate tipped over three times! The last time I was upside down with my bedding over my head. I wasn't scared or anything but I was insulted.

Now the crate is lashed down and pointing out the back window. I'm still too short to see much out the window but I don't care I'm just glad I won't be wearing my bedding on my head.

I say I learned this but I only say that to make my human feel good. The minute she pointed to the crate I knew exactly what to do and ran right up the ramp and into the crate. For this I got a great treat.  I did it so many times she ran out of treats . What a gig this is.

My best trick of the day was performed whilst we were playing Frisbee. My human tossed the Frisbee which I dutifully ran and picked up. Half way back I performed a very cool trick that I made up myself. I dropped the Frisbee on the ground upside down. This made a perfect little saucer which I promptly squatted over and piddled in. It must have been a great trick cuz it really got a reaction from my human.

Here's some photos of my cleverness.

There I go right in that dirty beast

Aren't I cute as I await my command to descend?

My human is just tickled pink at my cleverness. More treats for me!

It's tough work being a clever puppy

©Kinsey Barnard