Crooked Creek Ventures - Equine/K-9 Therapy, AQHA horses for Sale and At stud, Greater Swiss Mountian Dogs

Enjoy Our Past Litters

All of these puppies have been placed in their forever homes. They are not currently for sale.

Quiet Valleys Whispering Breeze
'Breeze'

Quiet Valley A Hard Rain Gonna Fall
'Dylan'

Crooked Creek Belle
& her buddy Brit
Loved by Rod, Kimberly and Family
Minnesota, USA

Crooked Creek Oskar
Loved By John Patrick and Trish
Yukon, Canada

Crooked Creek Kaslo
Loved by Carling and Derek
Alberta, Canada

Crooked Creek Sir Jiggs
Loved by DJ and Gerry, tolerated by Red ;)
British Columbia, Canada
Over the Rainbow Bridge - Red

Crooked Creek Bauer
Loved By Ellen and Reigo
Nova Scotia, Canada
A true Canadian Hockey dog!!

Crooked Creek Samson
Loved By Katherine
Alberta, Canada

Crooked Creek Tasha Copper
Loved by the Larochelle Family
Alberta, Canada

Crooked Creek Bobby George
Loved by Doug and Claire
owned by Crooked Creek Ventures
Alberta, Canada

Crooked Creek Hurly
Loved by the Jones Family
B.C. Canada

Crooked Creek Maggie Mae
Loved By Karen and Greg
New Mexico, USA

Check out Maggie's Slide Show at the bottom of the page!!

Dear Mom, my littermates and my Canadian Family,

WOW, thanks for taking me on the Big plane, if you guys weren't with me, I might have been afraid. But, it was so cool to be close to you and I felt like a Big Girl traveling 2 countries and 3 states all in just one Day...What a great Day.

MOM...you really picked a good New Mom and Dad for me...they are fun and LOVE me LOTS. Our trip in OUR BIG Motorhome to my New home state of New Mexico was long and we stopped 3 times to try to get me to pee and maybe poop, but, I was just to afraid on the side of the road and I barely pee'd. But, Mom says, she read Cesar Milan's book and Patience is something that she had to learn all over again with me.

My Dad is really cool, he leaves Mom & I alone almost all day (except when he misses us and comes home for lunch-that's fun) . Dad came home for lunch on Monday, my first day waking up in Corrales, New Mexico. He also had tried to make our home smaller, by blocking off sections of it so that I didn't get too overwhelmed. It worked, I just stayed in the areas that Mom & Dad were in and they lifted me over the gates to take me into new areas, like the bathroom (where Mom brushes my teeth in the morning and at night too) I like the taste of the stuff on the brush and I 'sit' really nice. Actually, I learned the 'sit' really fast because IF I did that, I always get a very cool treat that Mom says is from my homeland "Canadian Bacon doggie treats" ...now we are working on lie down...and all I have to do is follow the treat to the ground and I get it...YIPEEE!

Also, I know what "come" means. Mom pats her leg and says that and I go running up to her like I am going to knock her over, and just at the last second, I stop! and I get really good loving for 'coming' This being a BIG girl is Fun.

So, Monday I was really tired with all the changes and traveling, so I slept LOTS, but, Mom kept waking me up and taking me outside and I finally got that too...they want me to pee or poop or do both. It is kinda cold outside, so I try to rush it and get back inside..I need to learn to take my time and not move when I am doing that...it makes a mess and it all follows me everywhere I walk.

Tuesday Dad forgot his eye glasses so around 8am Mom & me got in her Explorer and I sat in the front seat and we went to Dad's office to give him his glasses and I think it was a 'trick to SHOW me off' to all the people that live in a long corridor. Did I tell you that I do not like doorways of hallways and as of Tuesday I still did not. So, I usually 'whimper' and run back to where Mom or Dad is. Dad has wood floors in his office, so I sit at the door and stare at him and if he doesn't come out I whimper or bark (I did a really good Bark the other day, I think I scared myself). So, at the office, we hung out in the hall and people came out and saw me and said human words, which I have no idea what they mean, lots of ooooo's and aaaaahhhhhh's and they liked to touch me, that is OK cause I remember at home I got touched a lot and that makes me feel really good.

Wednesday is always something called 'Wedding Wednesday' around here...and get this... Mom & Dad ALWAYS meet for lunch somewhere and this week, we went to the park and ran around and I was kinda 'goofy' and figuring out how to catch Dad and head him off at the pass, I learned a lot about strategy that day and wore both Dad and Me out, I think I slept the rest of the day.

Thursday, Mom will always remember it as "Puppy Day from Hell" is that bad? It started off, me eating my breakfast and I finished before Mom & Dad did, so I 'pooped' on the rug..and then later Mom gave me a 'bully stick' to chew on and after about an hour doing that, I came in and tried to bite Mom's fingers and shoes and anything that moved for the next 3 hours...I felt like I had just eaten some drug...so Mom says we can only do Bully stick for training and when they are eating dinner...and no more than 10 mins. I just love trying to catch their fingers in the air and now Mom & Dad are smartening up and always redirecting my mouth to a rope or chew toy. I like fingers better. Also, I had my first human visitor, Bonnie, she is with the Therapy Dog Group, she was really nice and thought I was cute...but, when I got into the big plant and the dirt was all over the place, Dad got some machine out of somewhere and turned it on and I just couldn't believe the Bark it had...the biggest DOG I ever heard and it kept doing that, so I pee'd on the rug that I had pooped on ...this was a hard day, I was scared by that big blue dog or machine or whatever it was...

I just found out that I am a 'herding breed' and when Mom & Dad go anywhere, I stay close and when Dad tried to leave the garage yesterday, I 'blocked' him and crouched down, so that he didn't get away...so I didn't have to go chasing him to get him back in the garage. Mom said I am very smart and quick! I have a big fluffy bed in the living room and at night I go and find all my toys and I bring them all into my big bed and put them in the middle...I kinda like to keep them where I can see them all.

I am 'crate trained' the first night it took 32 mins for me to 'settle' as Mom calls it, the next night it took 14 minutes, Wed was only 7 minutes, Thursday was just 3 minutes and Friday NO MINUTES...maybe just seconds. I have a big crate now with a cool bed in there and 'Squirrel' and 'Larry the bulldog' are in there with me. I slept 7 hours 'straight' last night without whining or whimpering and we all slept in today until 7am, I can tell Mom & Dad usually sleep in longer, but, they got up for me and Dad is home all day and we went in the car and walked the property and I am pooped again, and this is very hard to learn all this stuff this week PLUS typing with no thumbs...I am a`pretty BIG girl, eh???

I miss all of you BUT I really like where I am and hope you are not sad anymore.

So can you tell how happy I am and how much I am learning!

Please don't ever forget me, I love you guys and am here if you ever need me...Mom always lets me play on the computer!

I Thank God, everyday for my Family up North...and he said it won't be cold for too much longer. Today was about 48 degrees here in NM, and we sat outside.

Love to you all, stay warm and have fun. Please send pics of my sisters and brothers if you get any...also I hear the basement is full of new puppies...send pics please, need to keep track of my herd.

Love,

Maggie Mae, Mom & Dad (the exhausted new parents!)

From Maggie Mae

Dear Mom, Dad, my littermates and my Canadian sister and Brothers,

Also, I know what "come" means. Mom pats her leg and says 'come' and I go running up to her like I am going to knock her over, and just at the last second, I stop! and I get really good loving for 'coming' This being a BIG girl is Fun.

Thursday, Mom will always remember it as "Puppy Day from Hell" is that bad? It started off, me eating my breakfast and I finished before Mom & Dad did, so I 'pooped' on the rug, Mom says she has learned to to get angry...be Calm and assertive, so I really didn't get in any trouble for that on Then later Mom gave me a 'bully stick' to chew on and after about an hour doing that, I came in and tried to bite Mom's fingers and shoes and anything that moved for the next 3 hours...I felt like I had just eaten some drug...so Mom says NOW we can only do Bully stick for training and when they are eating dinner...and no more than 10 mins. I just love trying to catch their fingers in the air and now Mom & Dad are smartening up and always redirecting my mouth to a rope or chew toy. I like fingers better. Also, I had my first human visitor, Bonnie, she is with the Therapy Dog Group, she was really nice and thought I was cute...but, when I got into the big plant and the dirt was all over the place, Dad got some machine out of somewhere and turned it on and I just couldn't believe the Bark it had...the biggest DOG I ever heard and it kept doing that, so I pee'd on the rug that I had pooped on ...this was a hard day, I was scared by that big blue dog or machine or whatever it was...

I miss all of you BUT I really like where I am and hope you are not sad anymore.

So can you tell how happy I am and how much I am learning!

Please don't ever forget me, I love you guys and am here if you ever need me...Mom always lets me play on the computer!

I Thank God, everyday for my Family up North...and he said to tell you...it won't be cold for too much longer up there. Today was about 48 degrees here in NM, and we sat outside.

Love,

Maggie Mae, Mom & Dad (my exhausted new parents!)

Maggie Mae (12 week update)

To my new friends and family,

Hi! My name is Maggie Mae Krenik, and my Mom said I have to take my Dad's last name, because she didn't.and when she gets mad at me she yells."Get your Dog!" . and I think this a good thing? The first few weeks of my life in NM, I thought my name was ?No Bite' or ?Leave it'. My first name is Maggie because every Maggie my Mom every met was/is AN Excellent Dog.and we needed a good start! My middle name is ?traditional' (whatever that means) something about Sadie Mae and Abbey Mae (my cousin in NY) and Lucy Mae (my cousin in TX).and they were all named after my Mom's grandmother they called her Grand Mae. So now we all know the ?name' history! My Dad some times calls me Maggie Mae-hem.what does that last part mean?

I am 12 weeks old today (but not 3 months yet, that is Feb 3) and I have seen and done a lot these past few weeks.plus, did you notice I have ?letterhead' now.my Uncle Neil made it for me. My friends Oso and Raven have their own stationary (and they write letters all the time) and I really liked theirs, so now I am a big dog.

Last weekend was my second Puppy Class and we had so much fun. There are 5 others puppies and they are all older than me. Mom said most of them will be very big dogs.but, not like me, my breed is called Giant (says my vet-who really loves me and kisses me lots)! So right now I look like the smallest in puppy class and they are being very nice to me, they must know that I will be GIANT (when will I know when I am a Giant)? There is a very big puppy in class, his name is ?Hurly' and they say he's a Giant too.a Great Dane or something like that.I can run around under him.he is so much fun! In class, we learned to sit and to walk on a leash through an obstacle course. Then the teacher pulled out this really long tunnel and one at a time all of us puppies looked in it and didn't want to go in...BUT, I like to go under things.so I just ran ?really fast' through the whole tunnel and then some of the other dogs did it too. It really helped me to see my Dad's face at the other end! Then I turned around and did it again.I LOVED IT! Almost all the other puppies finally did it and then on one of my runs thru I saw that lots of the big people had thrown treats in there to get their dogs to go in.and they never ate them.so I cleaned up the whole tunnel for the teacher.I was the Teachers Pet that day.doing everything right! Ooooppps! until I pee'd at the end of the class when Miley (the Golden Retriever) and I were wrestling while our big people were saying words.and Dad had to whisk me out of there really fast and Mom had to clean it up. Dad says I have a ?leaky valve'. is that good? After all that I was exhausted! So, I slept most of the day. My Dad really likes it when I sleep.

I forgot to tell you about my new friends (Big Dogs) in Santa Fe, Mom & Dad took me out on a Social ride. We drove really far up into the mountains, down a long kinda bumpy road and when we got there I saw snow for the first time that I remember (I am sure there was some of that white stuff in Canada-my homeland-but I cannot remember it). When we got to Jon & Carol's (big people friends) and we played in the courtyard for a while until Raven their 8 month old puppy (I think)? came out and showed me how to be a dog in the snow. She was big and black and she liked to play, she knew how to put her paw on me and then I would be good. Then Oso (The Biggest Dog I have ever met!) came in and he was kinda grumpy and didn't want anything to do with me.He just wanted my Dad to rub him and he was doing a lot of moaning..my Dad has very good hands, so I knew why he made the noise. Whenever I went near Oso or Dad stopped rubbing him, Oso barked and I jumped really HIGH, because I had never heard such a commanding bark. I think he's the dog pack leader - and he wanted me to respect him.NO PROBLEM.I did and do and always will! Raven and I had so much fun under the table and she taught me to be a good dog and she let me play and wrestle too. I heard her Mom say she has lots of cool toys, so we are going back there for something called "Supper Bowl" -- lunch-Sounds good to me.I think we get to eat something!

The fun did not stop there, we got in the truck and drove to Anne & Per's (more big people friends) and they have Rommel, the Doberman, and Porsche a mini something that looks like Rommel.Rommel was so cool and BIG, he wanted to play rough but knew I was just a puppy and his Dad was making sure he didn't ?squish' me, he's got really big heavy paws.but, I think I can play with him.he was really fun and he shared his mound of white snow with me and we ate it together. He showed me how to bark and be brave to protect everyone when there was this howling coming from the big land.he's so cool! Porsche was not too sure about me, so every once in a while I just followed her and freaked her out..she barked at me and she has a loud high bark and it was way different from any bark I had every heard.so I just stared at her and she did not want me to follow her, she didn't want me to come in the house, so I went back and played with Rommel. I heard on the way home that we will see them all again on the "Supper Bowl" day.sounds like a BIG BOWL.5 dogs, 6 humans and something about new 52 inches.not sure what that means.

Remember, Dad leaves me and Mom home everyday and we do training stuff and she gives me lots of love and rubs and I like to fall asleep in her lap while she is at her desk, then she puts me in my crate.

During training Mom says the same things over and over and sometimes I do them. And then there are things that she doesn't tell me to do and I do them anyway.and sometimes I cannot stop. That is when she uses Big words I do not know like ?relentless' and even bigger words than that. But, most of the time I try to be good.

I do not know my name yet, just the history. Maybe it is better that I do not know my name .then I will have to do as my big people say.and sometimes I just want to be a puppy...you know I am only 12 weeks old and because of that, it makes them have more patience with me, for some reason. Mom said that Sadie Mae was a great Therapy Dog and she hopes that I can learn everything and be one too.but she is not hopeful right now. I am just a terror.whatever that is.

FOOD.I love my food and I like all the smells in the dishwasher and the kitchen (that is my favorite room). Mom was worried that I was eating way too fast, so she ?googled'.whatever that is, this problem and now I eat my food on a big flat pan and it is all spread out and I have to chase the food and I guess I eat slower. I get to eat three times a day and it is about 3 cups of food, I want more, but Mom says I have to have a waist .who cares about that, I don't want to be a model or anything, just a big lovable fun mushy puppy! My Dad is an engineer.whatever that is.and at his work, the place with the long halls where the people live.they have big pieces of paper, so he brought home paper and put it on the wall and every Sunday they measure me and squish me up against the paper and draw my body on the paper.

So I am 15 inches high to my shoulders and 27 lbs.I was only 21 oz when I was born. I used to be able to go under the couch and futon, now I cannot fit and I got stuck the other day and cried.

I really like my new home, it is really BIG (actually everything is Big to me) and they try to make the rooms smaller so, I don't get into trouble, but that is impossible, I am a puppy! We have baby gates and a table turned on its side, so everyone-except me-is getting a workout climbing over the gates. Right now, they pick me up and carry me over them, we will see how much longer that lasts!

Mom & I go for a walk everyday, we were supposed to go for half a walk-cause I'm a puppy-but, I LOVE it, so we do the whole circle (it's a MILE!) and it takes a real long time. There are lots of smells and interesting things that I am learning on our walk, there are other big people with their dogs and they all like me, except one Schnauzer - Mom says he is ?unstable'-I think I know what that means now. Then we pass by Sophie's house and she and Frida come over to me and we smell each other, Sophie is my size, I hope we can see each other more and play while I am still small. Yesterday the FedEx TRUCK with the Big loud engine stopped to meet me and I got to sit in his truck and on his lap and he gave me a Big Dog treat and my little teeth couldn't bite it so he broke it in half. I really like him, I hope he visits me lots! My other Big Dog friend is Tano, he lives near the mailboxes. He has the same colors as me and he leans against the fence and we smell each other, I hope one day I can run with him, he is big and calm and my Dad stops to pet him every time he gets the mail.I heard my Mom say he's a German Shepherd. Cool, an international dog like me.

Napping is a Big part of my life and when Dad is home on the weekends, sometimes he gets in my bed with me and I snuggle with him. He always plays really well and we run around the yard together. He says I will be big soon and he can put me to ?work'.I don't think I like that word. My ?real' Dad is a Champion and also a ?carting dog', he is very handsome too.

I think I would like to be the doggie in the cart, looks like more fun!

Well, that is my newsy letter to everyone that wants to know me. I have a lot to learn this week and maybe I will write another letter and tell you all about it.

Life is really good in New Mexico and we have a motorhome and we are going to plan some trips for me to meet everyone. The next trip is to Nana & Papa Martins in AZ where Loren, Gina, Danny, Lucas and Gracie (she is a human baby-almost like a puppy) will be there and we can visit Claire and Richard also. My humans are WAY fun and they make me laugh!

Love, Maggie Mae

Maggie Mae's e-Zine

I am a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.or puppy (so far)

"Hellooooooooooo"

That is what my Dad says to me.he wants to know 'if there's anything in there?' I think it's cute that he says that and he gets my attention, but I really don't know what he means. I guess, last week was Ground Hog day and Dad says "Everyday around here is Ground Hog Day, that when I wake up, I forget everything and we just start all over on a new day. I think it should be like that for everyone, then everything is always new and fun, never old.

Well, I have a lot to catch you up on. I am more than 3 months old now and weigh 32 lbs and I can do LOTS of things, because I have been to Puppy Class for 4 weeks now. I think I do better in class than Dad. I'm pretty sure he didn't do very well in week 3. Mom said he failed class, what does that mean?

I'm really good at walking in the ladder now! I will miss the next class because we will go see our family in Arizona - I already met and really like Nana & Papa and I will also meet my cousins Loren, Gina, Danny, Lucas and Gracie...and some of them are my height so I can lick them easier than the Big people in my family. We will go in the Motorhome and I even know how to climb the stairs to get in and out and this will be my first BIG weekend trip, I know it will be fun.

So, the other stuff I am learning is to sit and wait until my people open the door for me and then they GO THROUGH FIRST. I am a herding dog, so that was kinda easy. I am working very hard on the no bite but, I like all the stuff my people have and I have no opposing thumbs, so I have to use my mouth to touch everything and no one understands my problem. Can anyone help me, please? The Stay is not sinking in yet, I still don't know what it means, and I may never?

I especially like dangling objects like towels, arms, jackets, belts, pants and sweaters. They just call my name when they go by me and I run after them and now I've figured out how to jump, so I have a better chance to get them. Mom said she had a Brilliant idea to hang a bell on a yarn strand on each of the doors to go outside, so every time we went out to pee we rang the bell and when I get really smart, I will just go to the door and ring the bell and she will let me out. Hmmmm, well, when Mom was on the phone I was ringing that bell, and I didn't have to go out, it was just dangling there, so I broke the bell right off the yarn.. when Mom finally came out, I had the yarn all around my mouth and Mom couldn't find the bell..SO, SHE picked me UP and SHOOK ME!!!!!!! And kind of rough too but, we did not hear anything so she calmed down and finally found the bell under the couch. So there are no more bells on the door, bells on the door, looking like a fool with bells on the door! Great Idea MOM!

I got a really cool, new Bed. My friend Rommel doesn't have to stay in a crate anymore, so his Mom & Dad let me borrow it until I am trust worthy. Whatever that is? IT is HUGE and I have my fluffy bed in there and a cool place in the back to hideout when I am really tired and hot. At night, after we all brush our teeth (I LOVE beef flavored toothpaste!) My Dad puts treats inside the crate and I go in and find them and then sleep until I hear the music in the morning, then I get a massage and go out to pee... Dad says I'm growing really fast. In the morning when I wake up, all of the sudden, my legs won't work because they grew lots overnight, so he rubs me really good.I LOVE my LIFE!

We went to Supper Bowl in Santa Fe and I visited with Raven and Oso - Raven is loads of fun, she knows how to play rough and we can bite each other and Oso let me get close and sniff him this time, he doesn't like puppies too much, but Raven IS a PUPPY.so we can be wild and stupid together!!! Then we watched the game with Rommel and Porsche, Rommel is the Big Doberman and he still wants to smush me with his body, soon I will be very big and then we will play better together. Porsche is older and I followed her around real close and she did not like that at all. They had lots of snow up there and I ran and played and ate it, I LOVE snow! I think there was a lot in my Homeland-Canada or maybe in

Switzerland

too, no wonder I love it!

I went for a walk with Mom yesterday and we met a fence friend of mine except he was not on the other side of the fence..how'd he do that? He came over and said HI!, then ran up the hill to his house..I took off after him and when I got to the end of my leash, it broke and off I ran fast enough to catch up with him.Mom kept saying stuff to me but I couldn't hear her with all the excitement...we ran up the hill and left her way behind. She's slow. We stopped at his gate but he couldn't figure out how to get in until Mom caught up and figured it out..she's smart for a Big Person.

Mom and Dad set up a few things in my yard to keep me busy and smart, duh? So, I am learning to sit on a table nicely (for grooming or eating with Mom & Dad, I guess?) and find the ball hidden in a tire that Dad holds some record with. What's a record?

I think that is all I know this month, in a few weeks I have to pass a test. Mom says we can do about 12 of the 15 things and I have no idea what she is talking about. Then I get a certificate and a Puppy star. I really don't want them because I do not know what to do with them, so if I have anything to do with it, we will not pass the test. It has something to do with the Stay word, and I could care less. Mom says If we fail, Dad may be able to try with me again. We will give them the sad puppy eyes and ask them to let us try again.

I have to go now. Mom needs the computer, she is looking for a job. That will be very bad if she gets one, then I won't have her around to tell me what to do, she makes me look and feel so smart. Love, Maggie Mae

Maggie Mae Moments

WoooWooooWoooo, is Life just Wonderful, or what? I am 4 months old and I have learned so much in the last few weeks and I think I am almost a Big Dog (but my Mom says I am still a puppy and now I even have the certificate to prove it). We passed ?Puppy Class'! Dad was wondering how ?I passed' because I pee'd twice and didn't take my nose off the floor for the loose-leash-walk. He thinks it was rigged.whatever that is. Afterward, we all got to play outside and be gooney. I think everybody passed. we all had so much fun.

In February, we took a trip in ?IT', that's what Mom & Dad call the big rolling house, to Scottsdale to visit Nana, Papa, Loren, Gina, Laura, Danny, Lucas and Gracie. Lucas was fun; he's my size when I stand up. He didn't know that I like to chase things and when you hold things above your head, I will stand and try to reach them.he didn't like that and I think I made him cry which I didn't mean to do. We had fun, he took me for a walk with Mom & Dad and we also walked around the tennis court and we got the rolling tennis balls when Danny & Dad were playing.

That weekend, I also figured out how to get up on the counters in ?IT'. When Mom or Dad would leave me alone. I would check things out. I knew Mom kept my treats up there somewhere so I had to find them. I would get up on the couch, then climb on the back of the couch and up onto the counter top and then walk along the counter to find stuff. Dad came in one time and caught me and I didn't know what to do.I froze.and turned around and looked at him and gave him a look that said "Oh oh, busted!" He tried to cover his face and laugh.and then thought he better be the Dad and told me to get off. ya know.I did find the treats and I ate them all..and some cherry chap stick too, that was just OK.

My feet seem to keep growing, Dad keeps stepping on them when we play. I'm way faster than Dad now but I try and make him feel good and let him catch me once in a while. He'll chase me and then I'll chase him.it's so easy to catch him. I really like to chase the football, Dad throws it and then it does these wiggly bounces and stuff. I'm getting too big to get through the tire thing, I found out it's a drag slick that Dad used to have on his race bike.

I've got four ?Big Dog' teeth now..Dad says I look like I have ?Buck Teeth', then he laughs, I am not sure what that means. I have four more loose teeth, boy do they hurt. I chew and bite everything to try and make it feel better. Mom & Dad are getting kind of frustrated with me I think, they just keep giving me things to chew on but I only want to chew on them and their clothes. When I do, Mom grabs me and picks me up and holds me for a while and then she will rub my teeth and gums.that feels real good. I got this cool frozen thing that they rolled up for me to just sink my teeth into, boy, does that feel good.

I like to pretend I'm Underdog.he's cool.he can FLY! I really like to stretch out. My bones are growing too fast and I really like it when Mom & Dad rub me all over. I'm 42 lbs now and Dad says someday my head will grow into my body.I think he thinks I have a small head.I want to be just like my Dad and he told me that he had the largest head in his 8^th grade class.I guess that's what boys do.they measure things in their schools.in puppy school, we just play and learn fun things and get treats.

My legs are getting very long.just like my Mom's.so maybe my head will be like my Dad's and my legs like my Moms.this must be the things you get when your parents Love you.they give you gifts. I like treats better!

My Dad is fun, plus he calls me all these different names.Maggles, Magpie, Magglemeister.I can't talk like the doggies in "UP" (I LOVE That Movie!).but I can lick and be good and come when Dad and Mom call me. I really like jumping up on Dad and kissing him all over his face, some days he has this ?rough stuff' on there and it feels good on my tongue. Last night Mom was brushing my teeth and one tooth was ready to fall out so she ?helped it out' it didn't even hurt.and maybe tonight I can put it under my bed and get a treat from the tooth fairy. THAT would be way cool.I wonder how she will get in my crate and give me a treat.I might stay up all night and wait for her to see what she looks like so I can tell all of you in the next letter! I wonder if she flies. like I am going to. when I become ?Underdog'. Or if she crawls in like the little chipmunk I saw in the woodpile? Hmmm.I'm staying up all night!

Love to you all.and I hope I can meet you all .after I figure out how NOT to ?pee' when I meet someone!

Maggie Mae Krenik

Maggie Mae Monthly

In case you forgot me.I am Maggie Mae and my Mom & Dad are Karen and Greg and I am now 6 months old (we don't count in weeks anymore). I am a Swiss Mountain Dog and I hear I will be a big dog real soon! My Uncle Neil thinks I am very smart and wrote to me and thought that I should be the ?Human Whisperer'. Is that when you tell all the human peoples secrets (and say them in a low voice, I guess)? I heard that Robert Redford is the ?Horse Whisperer' and Cesar Millan is the ?Dog Whisperer' and everyone LOVES them, so maybe this ?Human Whisperer' thing could make me smarter and could be fun too. I will try it.we will see if it works!

OK, so we've been very busy.in my 6^th month everything is changing. My head is finally getting bigger (like my Dad's) and my legs are really long (like my Mom's), plus I've got ALL my Big Dog teeth, on April 14, the last one came out. It was broken because Mom and I were playing soccer and it broke in the ball a while ago and it hurt a lot. So, Dad handed Mom these metal clampy looking things and said "Here, you take these while I hold her, just pull it out, it will be hard to grab and it's bleeding all over the place." Mom said "No.we'll just use the normal teeth pulling method." I think they learned it from their parents. They tied a string around my tooth and then tied it to the door knob.then SLAMMED the door! Hehehehe.not really, but I think my Mom wanted me to put that in there because a lot of my friends commented about how Mom had all my teeth and some Mom's never saw any of their doggie's teeth, we have 23 in a baggie! I think I just did the Human Whisperer thing.and maybe I should not be telling what my parents do behind closed doors.but, this could be fun!

When I stand up (like on the counters to see what is up there) I am now almost 5 feet tall. And when you get taller, you can really see what is happening. Dad built a cool perch for me and now the outdoor bed is ready for summer, (I really like to lie on it) so I'm always looking over the courtyard wall and seeing the entire world.

When we ride in the car, it's easy to get Mom to open the window for me just by using my big paw and scratching on the handle and then, all of the sudden the window opens, so I can do what the big dogs do.hang my head out. When we went to AZ, I really wanted the window open and when Dad put it down the wind outside the car was really strong and it blew my lips up and lots of air up my nose and I sneezed and sat right back down, I am still a puppy and I thought it was going to suck me right out the window. Then I tried sticking my head out the sunroof-that's going to be cool when I get bigger! I can only get my nose out and just barely see over the top. Did I tell you that I'm 60 lbs and Mom thinks I'm a "Force to Deal with". I have been pulling a lot, especially when we went for my first hike in the Sandia Mountains (Now I'm a real Mountain Dog.) The hike was about a mile and Dad was the lead dog and I was ?herding behind him' and Mom was straggling behind, but I was attached to her, so I pulled her up the mountain.she said it was ?cool' but as the ?Human Whisperer' .I know she thought that it was a bad idea, she shouldn't have let me do that, because all the way down the mountain I still wanted to pull. So, Dad took over and told me to heel and walk like I wanted to hang out with him. I just wanted to see what was around the next bend...sometimes there were kids that run and jump and yell (I LOVE THAT!) and other times there are puppies like me, that just want to play and be gooney. We met one dog that was grouchy, so his mom kept him very tight and close to her.I think she was grouchy too-I notice that sometimes dogs are like their humans. (My Human Whisperer senses are kicking in now!) So hiking is fun and I think we'll do more of that.

Does anyone LOVE the weekends more that me??? Best part.Dad stays home.2^nd best part.I get to come up in the BIG bed as Mom & Dad are waking up.and we all fall asleep again for another hour. I know how to make myself ?small and quiet' in the Big bed, so they don't kick me out. PLUS, did you know that my humans do not ?close' the gate on my crate anymore...they said they were going to ?trust me', whatever that means.and I guess I am trusting, because I have my crate and next to it a fluffy bed and I can sleep in either one. BUT, I cannot whine and cry and ask to come up on the big bed until the morning. Whisper part---they think I will take up the whole bed and I still have a lot of growing to do.plus, I like to sleep all stretched out and so do they. it is really hard to hurt my feelings when I use the puppy face and the whimper. Also on the weekends, there are no gates up so I can hang out everywhere in our house.this must be the trust part.but I have to whisper to you.MOM doesn't really trust me, she sees everything I do and I get caught at all the bad stuff.and either she turns her back and ignores me (I hate that) or she smushes me to the floor and I submit and then everything is OK again.

In my 4 months with Mom & Dad, I have learned a lot of human words, I heard Mom & Dad talking in bed last night and they said all the words that I knew (which was kinda freaking me out.I didn't know if I had to do the words or not) and they were counting them (I don't know how to count. yet) and they told each other that I know 35 words and 14 phrases and we are working on 4 hand signals and 3 other human words.Mom almost cried because she was so proud. I think she was surprised how smart I am.am I ?Whispering' again?

In the physical part (that means ?play part') of my life (I hear everyone needs balance.to be smart and staying fit is a good thing!) Dad has been playing ball with me.and I still cannot catch it the way he wants me to. He uses his hands and I want to use mine and I have no opposing thumbs and it drives me crazy. He throws it right at me and it freaks me out.I need some help trying to Human Whisper him.what is he thinking-throwing it at my face?

For my 5 month birthday I got a pool! It is bright yellow and Mom fills it with water from a long snake and I like to bite the water when it comes out, then I stick my whole head in it and find things at the bottom. I like to walk in the water and make bubbles and try to eat them too. We will go to the Lake this weekend and Dad will teach me how to swim and when we get tired Mom will give me a ride in the kayak.that should be lots of fun.yay.The Lake.

We also do a lot of gardening around here, that's where Mom digs holes in the ground and tries to grow stuff. We have this big backyard and that's just for running and digging. Dad and Mom try to save the desert plants out there and they dig these ?wells' (that's what they call them) and then they put water in them...they are just about the coolest places to play. It is wet sand and water and I like digging so I just get my whole body and feet in there and lay in it.there are wells all over the property.so it's lots of fun.EVERYWHERE!

Some of my other favorite things to do are:

-Checking out the wastebasket and finding really soft white things and getting them and then running out of the room with them. YES, someone always chases me.that's the fun part, but then they take it away from me. Also, I learned how to use my tongue to open the kitchen garbage can.but ?they' are not very happy about that, I barely get it open and they say ?eh eh eh' and I get moved away.bummer. because it smells good in there. Dad taped something heavy to the lid, so now I can't open it.anymore.yet, I am working on it.

-I always want what my people have in their hands.they always have cool stuff, so I try to jump.but, Mom always says "off" "off" "off".sometimes I think that is my new name. Whisper part - I think she's only supposed to say it once.

-I like pencils and so do Mom & Dad, cause we have a lot of them around here and I like to take them from them when they are working at my level.which is getting higher and higher everyday.

I got lots of e-mails from all of you, "thank you" so much! I actually got a real letter, "Fan Mail from some Flounder" my Mom said that when the letter came.she's weird. Kelsey, this little girl from SC, sent me a letter with hand drawn pictures of her doggie and told me how she walks her on a lead. I am still learning that ?walk on the lead' thing too. I like to either lollygag behind or pull ahead. Mom is trying to get me to heel.hmmmm.yea right. As her personal Human Whisperer.I know she is thinking I am going to be HUGE and she wants to have the upper hand. Another problem I am working on is trying to be calm when I see people and their puppies.but, I am so excited and I just want to jump and run and play and roll and do what Big dogs do.but, I am not thinking.or listening to Mom when that happens.so we have more stuff to work on.

Well this is getting very long.but I only have two more things to tell you.

Two weeks ago we drove to AZ, we stayed with Papa (Nana was in NY at Gracie's one year old Birthday) so we had Papa all to ourselves. And on Saturday, we went to my first Motorcycle Drag race. Mom & Dad said they used to do that all the time.but, I don't get it, they don't have any of the race stuff these people had.a trailer full of bikes and parts and people food everywhere and some kids too! It was very hot and Thank Goodness Mom had brought these really cool shoes for me to wear.no woman (human or dog) can resist a Cool pair of shoes.PLUS, these red booties were cold.they were in the cooler first! So, I was styling and everyone noticed and they told my Mom she was a smart cookie! I think that is like a treat, right? I really like the Motorcycles, some make these really cool, loud noises. They leave the starting line really quick.almost as fast as me when Mom or Dad try and catch me. We went up to the tower and met the announcer Stevie, and he interviewed my Dad and he tried to give me some smelly people food and told the spectators to offer me some too. I have never had that kind of food.Mom says it is bad for me.and I heard her ?whisper' that Sadie used to get it all the time and she became obsessed with it and everyone has at least ONE Sadie ?food stealing' story. I always look at the people food, but I think I will do as Mom and Dad say.they are supposed to be in charge.maybe I will wait until I'm over 100 lbs and then just ?take it' from them.ohhhh now I am being a doggie whisperer and spilling my own secrets.

And this past weekend.we walked in the American Cancer Walk and I met a Bazillion people! This was a big part of my training, I am not good when I meet people, I get so excited and I pull and sometimes pee and ALWAYS want to jump up.so to meet a bazillion people at one time was a very good exercise for me and my peeps. We walked for Nana Martin and Mary Jo Krenik; they both are ?Survivors of Breast Cancer'. Last week, Aunt Claire died of cancer, so we did a special mile for her, she was a special person and my Dad went to Chicago last week to celebrate her life with her family. God Bless Aunt Claire.I wish I could've met her; Dad said she was a very special lady.

Thanks for being my friends and family.we may come to visit you someday, so be prepared!

I better stop typing now and get back to being a puppy..here is my growth chart.

Love,

Maggie Mae Krenik

The Human Whisperer (I like that, Thanks Uncle Neil and Happy Birthday to you too!)