A BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY

     HAPPY FRIDAY, FURIENDS!

     I have been helping train a very cute miniature Aussie named Madison.  Madison is 12 weeks old.   Her parents adopted her at 9 weeks old.   She is very shy and reserved.   She is starting to come out of her shell, though.    She already knows sit, down, come, and spin.  She sure is a smart one!   She can do a successful retrieve, and I wasn't able to do that until almost two!   It sure is fun to train a little one, and it sure is easier to help her learn with me around.  I didn't have any other dogs to teach me any old tricks. 
    Her Mom and Dad told me that she is going to Nordic ski with us this winter.  I told her she needs to grow up fast because I love to run and play in the snow, and we always love to go ski for a couple of hours.   She is going to love it!  

These trees are called "Snow Ghosts."  The fog has caused snow to gather on the tree forming what appears to be ghosts!  These are fun to see when we go Nordic skiing!

    Madison is black and white with almost a border collie look to her.   She smells like a puppy, and she feels soft like a puppy.  It ALMOST makes my mom miss my puppy days....ALMOST.   :)  
   My mom is hoping to use me for some more training of other dogs here in Montana.   She always says it's about training the owners, not the dogs.  Madison has great, hard-working owners, so she is starting out on a great road that will lead to success.  
    We really hope that all of you have had a great week.  We are busy preparing our yard and house for Halloween.   We are hanging lots of pumpkin lights and carving jack-o-lanterns.



I am sporting my glow in the dark Halloween scarf at City Beach while I watch the ducks float by

   I really like to try to eat the inside of that pumpkin.  I think I am going to dress up like a cat!   Enjoy the weekend!

Hike with you later,
    Kootenai

A Montana Friday in the Mountains

     Hello everyone!   I have one hike I love to do ONCE A WEEK.  I know, that seems like a lot, but it is so BEAUTIFUL AND SPECIAL that it really never gets old.   The Danny On Trail on Big Mountain at the Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana is my weekly addiction.   There is a leash rule on this trail, so all you pups out there have to be okay with hiking with a harness and a leash to really enjoy this one.   It's a great workout, though.  It is four miles UP and four miles DOWN. with about 2500 VERTICAL FEET.(Maybe I should say it is FOUR STUNNING miles up.)

The mountain used to let dogs ride the gondola down, but they don't anymore.   There is dog water at the summit house for hiking pups, and owners need not carry water for their pups because there are a lot of streams during the climb up.

   When we did the hike last week, there was SNOW UP THERE.   I still managed to eat a BUNCH of huckleberries.  They tasted like the doggie huckleberry ice cream from SWEET PEAKS ICE CREAM PARLOR.  YUMMY.....

  I always have to stay on the deck when we get to the top, but the views are amazing and I don't mind because I can watch the squirrels dart in and out of their holes on the mountain slopes below the deck. 

 

 

    For all my pup friends out there who love to hike, this hike is A GREAT ONE.   I hope you had a great week.  We all made it to FRIDAY!   Now we get to PLAY OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE WARMTH OF THE SUN BEFORE WINTER COMES.  



Hike with you later,

                   Kootenai

A LONG ABSENCE...but I AM BACK!!

   Hello, furiends!  I moved back to my home state of MONTANA!   Over the last year a lot of wonderful things have happened!  My mom finished her first year of teaching eighth grade.  Needless to say, it was such a challenging, but rewarding year.  The little time she did manage to have was spent exercising me!  Anyhow~ Dad got a job back in Montana so after the Kansas City school year was over~WE MOVED BACK!  So we are back in God's Big Sky Country and the hikes are endless.    My mom and dad are smiling, and we are spending quality time together as a family again.  Although we miss our Kansas City friends, we are making new friends and reuniting with old friends in the TREASURE STATE. 

 

     This is a picture of me hiking Great Northern for the third time in my life.  This hike never gets old, but my paws are always so sore when we get back to the car.  We went too early this year, and it was difficult to find the right way to summit the peak.   We ended up traversing too low, and we couldn't get high enough to get out of the class III climbing.  And let me tell you...a dog can go up that stuff...but a dog CAN'T go down it.   So we had SPECTACULAR views, and a great hike without a summit.   My pack was empty this day because I hadn't used it before, but it sure is nice.  It works as a harness up on those high rock faces!   My mom has found her peace again, and I am one lucky dog.

       I hope you will continue to read our blog even though we have been away for a long time.  We have missed our furiends.  

Monday Mischief: Toilet Paper Rolls are Tasty

Toilet Paper Roll Demolition

Phase 1

Two

Phase 3

Phase 4

Demolition Complete

What's your Monday Mischief??

P.S.  I am doing much better.  They are monitoring me for Addison's disease.  I am also on a new allergy free food. Bark with you soon.  My thanks goes out to all of my furiends that gave me suggestions.  I did have a blood panel run and they did run a urine test.  There is a new parasite here in Kansas they are going to test for.  Anyway...my food is staying down.  That's a step. 

Kootenai

Tuesday Talk: It will have to wait till next Tuesday

 

Hi Furiends.  I know I haven't blogged in an entire week.  I feel terrible about it.  I am trying to get myself up and going.  Remember when I wasn't feeling very good about a month ago?  Well...something is still wrong and they don't know what it is.  I have gained twenty pounds in a month.  I know it isn't because I'm not exercising enough.  I'm also drinking a ton of water and waking my mom and dad up at two a.m. to go potty.  I am feeling very lethargic.  I just don't have that energy that I used to have.  I'm not limping anymore, but I'm not really moving very fast.  I still have my normal appetite, but I'm acting a little weird with normal things like my leash and the vacuum cleaner.  I would say they are making me more anxious than normal.  I am going back to the vet tomorrow afternoon.  I think they are going to have to run a blood panel.  I had a bacterial infection a month ago...   MAN....they see me a lot.  Once again I am asking if any of you have any suggestions to ask the vet about.  Remember that I had the skin stuff going on too...so I am thinking Cushings.  It seems like I am too young, but I don't know what else this could be.  I'm pretty nervous, but not nearly as upset as my mom and dad are.  You pet owners know how it goes.  I would appreciate some prayers.  I am starting on an irritable bowel food tomorrow.  There is so much going on in my little world.  I hope to be blogging again soon. 

Kootenai

Tuesday Talk: Diggity Dog Dig

   Today's topic involves a NAUGHTY (that's what Mom thinks) trait of mine.  I quite enjoy digging deep, dirty holes.   Especially when they are placed right smack in the middle of a beautifully landscaped yard.  I've done it since I was a puppy and I like it love it.  
    So Mom looked up the top ten things that most dog owners claim are the worst habits their dog does...and digging is number FOUR!  What can I say, Mom, I'm not that original.  Anyhow-then she found this funny article about some suggestions on how to get your dog to stop digging.  I HAD to blog about these because some of them are absolutely and positively RIDICULOUS.  I mean, if my mom did these things to me, I think I would run away and never come back.  Well...maybe I would come back after a few hours, but seriously, these ideas are plain mean. 

Ideas to try if your dog is digging in an unwanted place (the not so good ideas from that article.):

1.  Declaw your dog.   Some owners and vets argue that it is better that your dog lose its claws, than lose its life by digging out of the yard and being hit by a car.   ?

2.   Blow up some balloons and bury them in the spots where your dog digs in the yard.  When your dog digs....BOOM!  They won't do it again.  ?

3.  Turn on the sprinklers when your dog starts to dig in the yard, or stand out in the yard with a hose and spray your dog when your dog digs.  ?

4.  Bury your dog's poop in the spot in the yard where your pup digs.  When he/she finds it...she will quickly lose interest in digging.  ?


See?  Wouldn't you run away too?  I don't think I would take well to Mom spraying me with a hose.  Here are the logical suggestions from the article on how you can ACTUALLY stop your dog from digging in the yard:

1.  Have an actual sand area in your yard where it is fun for your dog to dig.  You can bury certain dog toys or dentabones in the area.  Make sure the area is big enough to keep your dog's attention.

2.  Exercise your dog before putting your dog into your beautifully landscaped yard. 

3.  Only leave your dog out in the yard when you are out there with them.  This allows you to correct incorrect behavior when it is occurring so your dog learns right from wrong. 

4.  Leave a treat Kong in your yard so your dog's attention is occupied on something else, rather than digging. 


What are your thoughts on this Tuesday Talk? Looking forward to hearing from you, furiends. 

A bone-worthy weekend!

Happy Saturday!

As you can see, I'm busy.  Have a great weekend! -Kootenai