----- Original Message ----- >Shedding/is my home large enough/temperment/barking/and will the breed fit into my lifestyle?
Kenny -- of COURSE you'd love to have a BMD!!! Who in their right mind wouldn't. There. Now that that's out of the way... 1.) Shedding - yes! Be prepared. We brush our dogs almost every day, but I'll still see Berner "babies" rolling across the floor sometimes. And get used to hair in everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! 2.) We are on BMD #2. We now have a house with a good-sized yard, but that was not the case with BMD #1. Part of the time that we had him (120lb intact male), we lived in a duplex apartment (1 floor, 916 sq ft) with a small back yard (60' long but only 6' wide at one end and 28' wide at the other). Actually, we had 2 dogs in that yard/home. We walked/ran with them almost daily, and they had free access to yard & apartment during good weather when we could leave the door open. 3.) Temperment - varies just like with people, but generally good. Both our boys have been a bit head-strong, but they were both rescues that did not have consistent training & discipline. Both got to be pretty laid-back with time. 4.) Barking - neither of our boys barked much at all. In fact, even when the annoying neighbor dogs bark, ours rarely do. We also are quite clear that barking for "no reason" is unacceptable. Training goes a long way ;-) 5.) Lifestyle - I think you'll find that the "lifestyles of the berner-ly" are quite varied. I think BMDs, if they get love & attention & discipline, can fit into most lifestyles. Just don't get a BMD as a "trophy" and expect it to sit quietly until you are ready to pay attention to it - they need attention from you. Other things... both our boys have LOVED children. They would sit/stand very quietly while neighbor kids come up to pet them. Best wishes in your pursuit of a BMD. I have nothing to back this up scientifically, just my personal opinion, but I think boys are more even tempered and easier to get along with than girls (dogs, cats, horses, sometimes even people!) Let us all know what you decide. Liz Steinweg & The Crew Blue Moon's Baloo Berry Torte "Baloo" Bobby Sox (husky-x), Figaro (20+ lb Forest Cat) Rio & Sahara (the "Rat Cats") and in loving memory of my 1st BMD - Toby (6/29/97 - 6/30/00 lost to MH) Colorado Springs CO http://www.csbservices.com/personal/personal.htm
