Dear Berner-Lover, I am sorry I cannot respond to you by name, but you didn't sign your email. I wanted to respond to you as some one who has not been involved in the breed for very long and who not too long ago went through the process you are going through right now.
So to start--it sucks. There is no reason to sugar coat it. You know, probably as I did, that you could care for a dog, that you are responsible, and that you would have the love and devotion that would make a good home. The trouble is, in this world, there is no way for other people to know that. There are so many people who, not with malice or evil intents, want dogs and shortly after give them up (after puppyhood--when it is too much work, etc.), too many people who neglect the dogs they have, and way, way too many people who simply don't have the where-with-all to care for a dog. The sad fact is that breeders need to screen closely not just to see who you are today but whether who you are today will accurately reflect the person you will be for the next 10 years. When you put on top of that that these breeders are giving you these babies that they spend endless nights caring for and are the children of the dogs in their family--it's easy to see why they can be so protective. I think that seeing it like this makes it easier to understand why some breeders seem so unfriendly. Have you tried going to some local club events? I found that meeting breeders and talking to them about their dogs and after finding a friendly one who had nice dogs then asking about pups was a much better way to get friendly responses. Now I do want to say that there is a tendency in the berner community to be a little, how shall I say this, insular and worse yet snobbish. It is true that people involved in the breed for years know it better than you or I ever will. But I vividly recall feeling a little bit like some breeders thought I wanted a puppy for the sole purpose of torturing it by locking in a tiny crate for 18hrs in a 100degree room with no water. And since so many people are so taken with berner's looks, it seemed to me that many breeders make a point of emphasizing (ad nauseum) the drawbacks of the bernese (health, size, etc.). In truth you are not the first person, nor do I suspect you will be the last, who has been browbeaten by some breeders when all you want is a little pup to love. It sounds to me like you are having a combination of bad luck and failed expectations. Like I said, you know you but a breeder doesn't so maybe the next time you talk to one and the conversation starts to go south you can ask what they are looking for, what you seem to be missing. In truth it could partly be communication issues (you not realizing what they want to know, them not understanding what you are trying to tell them), and it could partly be that this is just not the breeder for you. The long and short of it is it will be frustrating. It will take phone calls, long conversations, and time. But, once you find a breeder who is for you, their questions will feel those of a protective parent and not an investigating officer. So why not just take the short route and go to a puppymill. I won't reiterate that moral issues of puppymills because you surely have heard about them. They are just horrible, and if I start to write about it I will just be a blubbering mess. But when I was deciding it was not that cruelty of puppymills that deterred me (I truthfully didn't know that much about them) but what these breeders can offer you that won me over. They get to know you, not just your wallet, and they can match a dog to your lifestyle and personality. Me, I am young active and have a very flexible schedule so Smokey was meant for me. What "puppy mill" could have done that? When I had trouble with his food, his housetraining, anything, his breeder was able to consult with me and give me recommendations. I know that if I ever have any questions about anything I could call him. That is just not something that can be overlooked. So, my advise is to stick it out. I know that it is tempting to just grab one of those puppies at the local pet store but your life will be the worse for it--and in the greater scheme of things isn't an extra six months of work worth a pup that can be happy and healty for its life? Good Luck to you, Radha and Smokey (Mom--the sun is out--why are you at your computer?!!) ____________________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 03:22:53 EST Subject: Had Enough To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Plain Text Attachment [ Save to my Yahoo! Briefcase | Download File ] I am an avid dog lover and always dreamed of welcoming a berner into my family. However, the experiences I have encountered in speaking with breeders is discouraging. I am a professional, successful woman, mother of three healthy, well taken care of children and am looked at questionably by the "interviews" I've held so far. I desire a family pet to love, cherish and include in my Highlands Ranch, CO lifestyle. I am not on welfare, take drugs, or leave my children for endless periods of time. However, my ability to be a competent bernese owner is under scrutiny. I am now saddened and disappointed that I may have to either resort to a "puppy mill" or chose an entirely different breed in order to provide a loving home for a new family member. What exactly are you looking for anyway? __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/
