(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
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
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
Leo – an original “Super Berner”
Leo was a tough customer who lived up to his namesake – Not that Da Vinci guy, but Leonardo, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. In addition to the spider bite that destroyed a hip and femur, Leo cheated death six
No covers necessary
Mollie is by far the healthiest, happiest dog we’ve ever had! Her tail is always wagging, but she marches to her own doggie drummer. She hates water and snow, hates to be brushed and will not tolerate ear cleaning or
A gentle giant and his pal
At our previous home we were blessed with three Bernese Mountain Dogs – Bosley, and two “rescues,” Fenway and Bailey, all neutered males and very individual.One spring day my husband said, “I’ve closed the others in and shut the doors,
A Hero for Heroes
AZARIA Azaria means “to help or support.” I named her that because I knew I was going to do therapy “work” with her. That little 9 week old puppy lived up to her name. She was perfect for her job.
Punked!
Sadie spends a lot of time in our front yard – enjoying the fresh air, sniffing the windborne news, surveying her domain, and alerting me whenever FedEx, UPS, the Postal Service or a service technician approaches our yard or the
An unknown dog soldier
Lest we forget! Heroes are not always the ones with only two feet, and sometimes four-footed heroism is only a simple act of kindness. In 1987, Berners in Canada were a rare sight. My husband and I were walking one
Yumm! Yum? Yuck!
(Editor’s note: Berners are known for their eager, but sometimes not very selective, taste buds. Many an owner has suffered an expensive surgical bill resulting from a “tasty” sock or some other undigestible item that didn’t make it “out” into