Welcome to Berner Tales – formerly Berner Platz (Swiss-German for Berner Place) – because that’s what this site is – stories about lovable, laughable, frustrating and sometimes life-saving things Bernese Mountain Dogs do to, with and for their humans.
But first: When newspapers make a mistake, you might see a tiny “retraction” about a column inch or less on an inside page. Well, here’s a long overdue frontpage apology to Leonardo (now at the Rainbow Bridge) and his mom, Patti, for a web site maintenance foul-up some time ago that “lost” one of my favorite Berner Tales. It has taken way too long to put this piece back together. Mea culpa…..Editor.
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At six months, Leo was on his way to Champion show dog points, maybe Grand Champion, when a bite from a brown recluse spider left him with a slight gait change which ended his show ring career. However, the spider didn’t prevent him from succeeding at tracking, scent work, obedience, rally and therapy work. This latter activity got my attention when he was nominated for an award from a pet food company. A hospital chaplain’s letter in Leo’s nomination package piqued my interest, and a few more details spurred me to name him a “Super Berner.” (Please select “Leo” from the story list for details.)
Special note: If you’re considering a puppy, please go immediately to the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America for more information about Berners and about finding a reputable breeder. Please don’t purchase from a pet store or an online site that looks good, but might not provide good stock from healthy parents. Meet at the breeder’s kennel if possible, or talk with someone who has an older one of the breeder’s dogs, not a recent puppy.
- Head of the class
(Editor’s note: There’s an AKC certification event called Barn Hunt, in which dogs search for a live rat enclosed humanely in a small protective container, and hidden under bales of straw or other conditions simulating a farm environment. Dogs only sniff out the rat’s location, never harming the rat. The rats are well cared for, Read More
- Sherman, the gallant
We named him Sherman because even as a puppy he looked like a little Sherman tank. He weighed 120 pounds as an adult, but he was a big, goofy boy and was always gentle, especially with the children in the neighborhood who frequently came over to play with him. He liked walking or hiking in Read More
- A Very Good Boy!
Emil was a three-year old rescue when he came to us from Quebec. The couple who fostered him said he had been shuffled through eight homes. She told me her computer crashed because she had so many requests from people who wanted him, but she didn’t know what to do because she didn’t speak English. Read More