Bailey

Also affectionately known as Bailey-Dog.

He was a cuter than average pup, about 8 months old, when we got him. He tore through everything that wasn't nailed down in the garage, chewing and hiding stuff with puppy glee. Of course my husband, still to this day, doesn't believe that Bailey did the normal destructive puppy stuff, but since the dog is his baby, I will let him think that.

Oh, yeah, I mean it. After our first 3 kids, he brought new animal(s) home, right after we brought home a new baby.

With Rachel, it was a llama. Never mind that we didn't have the property to keep it, so we had to board it. And of course he had to get the llama a friend, and then decided that he liked them so much, that when we did get some land a short time later, he bought and sold close to 100 of them over a 5 year period.

With Noelle, it was pygmy goats. Of course they were cute. But a herd of 35 that someone wanted to get rid of?

Please!

With Tanner, our youngest, it was cattle. Specifically, baby bottle calves.

But this is a tribute to Bailey. And we got him right after Isaac was born in 2000. He is a purebred black lab, and trained to be a duck hunting dog. His parents are both champions. But that's not what makes Bailey special.

He is special because of his intelligence. He has an excellent nose, and can retrieve ducks like nobody's business. I don't know a lot about duck hunting, because I don't go on these wet and cold adventures - that's what the boys in my family do - so my husband and Isaac have a great time with Bailey, and that's what matters.

He is special because of his good personal hygiene. He always gently lets us know when he needs to go out, and since we have a few acres, he has his place to go. I have never found any of his poopies in the lawn or driveway or anywhere other than outside of the landscaped areas of our property. Good dog! I can count on one hand the times that he has had an accident in the house, and that's only because he was sick.

He is special because of his kindness. This dog has always been so gentle with the kids, even as a pup. The little ones can pull his ears and tail, climb on his back, push him, prod him, etc, and he never gets upset.

He is special because of his protectiveness. He is a Big Dog. Sometimes people think he has some Rottweiler in him, because his head is so big, but he doesn't. This can make him look somewhat threatening. And it comes in handy when strangers pull up in the driveway, and are afraid to get out of the car when they see him. . . . we just chuckle with our friends because we all know he'd never hurt anyone.

But Bailey is showing signs of slowing down; getting old. So sad that a dog's life span is so short. We feed him good food and let him stay inside now, especially during the cold winter months. We all love him, and hope he stays around for a good long time. . .

Good Bailey Dog!

And this is my #4. If you want to know what I'm talking about, go to this post! And then read some more! You'll be glad you did!