Re: Berner Re-Homed (Accidentally)
In a message dated 1/10/03 11:31:28 AM Canada Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << I'm about to begin my lecture when thankfully Ozzie's dad says " I bet you think that dog is Ozzie" This isn't Ozzie? I sheepishly reply. "No says Ozzie's dad, he lives in the house where you found him" >> This so reminds me of a "Tippy" story. (My dog before Star)... One Saturday I was happily sleeping in only to wake up to Tippy standing at a window that looks out on the backyard just barking up a storm like I had never heard before... (Tippy slept with me, followed me every place I went and always thought the dog house was for standing on and laying on top of but not for getting in to) So I go to the window and look out at another, very similar looking dog, attached to my Tippy's dog house! It seems my neighbor had gotten up early that day... saw this loose dog... and thought that Tippy had somehow gotten out of my house and was running around the neighborhood. My neighbor felt so bad about it but other than Tippy's nose being a bit out of joint over some other dog using her dog house no harm was done. AND, I think it was a very neighborly thing to do even if it wasn't my dog. (After all, dogs don't always remember to look both ways when crossing the streets.) Marilynn Minneapolis, MN
Re: A Tribute to Winston Poohbear (1998-2003)
Joye and family, I am so, so, so sorry for your loss. So many types of cancer can move so quickly in our beloved breed. Like with your Winston my Berner-mix, Tippy, seemed fine but with a touch of something and than she was gone. It is always heartbreaking to lose one of the fur-babies But it is even harder, I think, when it moves so quickly because while we are so busy doing everything we can to find out what is wrong and how to deal with it we don't have the time to consider how we will move on should it come to that. You are such a dear woman who has done so much for this breed that it just doesn't seem fair to me that you and Winston didn't get to spend 10-12 years together. Although I know that life isn't always fair... it is at times like this I really wish that it was. I will hold you my thoughts and hope that, in time, your memories will once again bring your family more joy than pain. Marilynn and Star
Malignant Histiocytosis - Winston Memorial
Pat, For those of us who do not have dogs that are over 10 years but would still like to honor Winston and his family How can we make a donation to the grant fund now that that raffle is over? Joye has been such an advocate for this breed that I would like to make an additional donation in Winston memory. Thanks, I know if anyone knows the answer to this you will. Marilynn and Star
Bernese Mountain Dog Landscaping...
Hi All, Last week we had just a dusting of snow. (We are having a very brown winter so far in Minneapolis - which I am sure many of you on the East coast aren't happy about as you seem to be getting "our" snow.) Anyhow, as I looked out over the backyard one night, with the street lights glistening off the snow, I was struck by an enormous realization... Our wonderful, four legged, family members aren't digging craters They are trying to create "mountains" Hugs and belly rubs to all of your "landscape architects". Marilynn and Star (Mom, we wouldn't have "Mountain" in our names if we weren't supposed to have Mountains in our backyards!)
Re: Car sick Cooper
Lindsay, My puppy girl before Star, Tippy, got car sick the first time we went on a long trip together. She was about 4 months old at the time also. It only happened once. I think she just needed to "get" her car legs... After that time she loved the car and was always willing to go any place just because she liked watching the view from the car. I hope you find it to be the same with Cooper :-) Marilynn and Star.
Re: Flour Girl
In a message dated 12/21/02 10:13:00 AM Canada Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << Now I know what happens when a dog eats flour right out of the bag ! A little "runny" is an understatement >> Gee, I would have thought flour would have the opposite effect and "Gum" up the works! The interesting things I learn on this list! Marilynn & Star
BARC Back
Gail and Courtney, I just got my BARC Back newsletter yesterday and sat down to read it tonight. Reading your stories about going to the auctions is heartbreaking. That you both, and others, take the time to go to the auctions, time and time again, all with the hope of saving a puppy if possible is remarkable! I wish to Thank you both, and all of the other brave and caring individuals that go with you, for making it possible for the rest of us to sit back and enjoy the love we receive from our BARC babies. I wish you the best in your personal lives, continued strength as you face the unfaceable, as well as continued success in all you do. I will have to admit that when I read about the time spent at the auctions that I have, at times, been thankful that I am to far away from the Kansas City area to attend them. I don't know that I could do what you have done many more times than once. Still I am glad to have the opportunity to hear about the sad and difficult task you have taken on. It keeps me aware that the battle hasn't ended yet and that I still need to do what I can do even if it is more easily done on my part I know that my Star baby would have most likely died an untimely death due to the horrible stress the puppy mill life would have caused her. I don't think she would have lived long enough to have puppies Which is good... I guess But what a terrible way to have died Instead due to the efforts of very saintly people I have had the rewards of seeing all of her steps forward in life. Star and I owe you much! Without the efforts you, and others, have put forth my girl wouldn't be in a position to learn about love, what it is to be "Bernerly", that she doesn't have to be fearful of every new situation and that small places and walls that are close aren't the situations that mean death is at hand. I am honored to get to see the rewards of your efforts I wish all who actually do the hard work of rescue the Happiest of Holidays and a New Year that is filled with Joy and Hope. Thank you for the difference you have made in the lives of so many of us! Marilynn and Star
Re: Daisy's Tips: Buddy and The Magic Machine
Daisy, Since Bernese Mountain Dogs are so good at training people (Which seems to be very easy and must be related to the size of the brain or something) I see no problem with our moving on to a more challenging situation. After all, ATM's should learn to dispense something of real value instead of just tiny bits of paper! Star
BARC LOC Challenge Fundraiser
Joye and all Berner-L friends, I have been out to this great raffle website 4 times now and it is JUST to hard for me to decide which items I want to try for on the quick, little mini raffle. SO, this is what I am going to do... I am send a check to Joye for $40.00 which is to be used for 28 BARC tickets and 28 LOC tickets as I feel each cause is the flip side of the coin when it comes to keeping our BMD's out of the puppy mills. Joye, please distribute one BARC ticket and LOC ticket to each of the next 28 people who CAN make up there minds on what they want to try for on the mini raffle. Bless you all for the difference you are making in the lives of many future pups either by supporting BARC, LOC or both! Star said to send you all Berner Hugs and Puppy Kisses so if you'll just move a bit closer to your computer screen.. :-) Marilynn and Star.
Re: Claustrophobic Berners
In a message dated 11/30/02 12:56:14 PM Canada Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << I'm wondering if having a dog door, and thus the option to go out at will, would help? Lliira loves to sleep in a crate if there is no door attached. >> Eileen, I can tell, that for Star, a dog door wouldn't be a good thing. The Dog Days, where we go to classes has one and Star has even seen the other dogs use it. To her the Door "ate" the dog... Marilynn
Re: Claustrophobic Berners and Bad Dreams also
Shelley, I can tell you that with my Star it has just taken lots of work, really good treats and lots of patience. I have had my girl in classes continually for the past year. They have been everything from 2 levels of obedience, a drafting class (having the harness on, learning the commands), an agility class and we are just finishing up Clicks and Tricks Upcoming is yet another obedience class. The classes have all been to expose Star to many different situations. For example, I have her cart in the living room so she will come to realize over time that it isn't going to attack her. Time will only tell if she will ever be able to actually pull a cart without freaking out but if she doesn't pull a cart, she is still the love of my life... The agility class - Star's big accomplishments included learning not to freak out around the equipment and also to step on a board that was placed on the floor. My trainer considers Star and I to be among her advanced students because Star has come SO far in the past year I am SO thankful for a trainer that doesn't measure my girl's accomplishments by only the black & white of what the class is supposed to be! Around the house... Star has learned to get in and out of the car without totally freaking out even if we are parked by a wall or another car. She originally thought that the Den and the bathroom where way to small. She learned to get over the den first as it is the larger of the two rooms. With in the last month, she is now walking into the bathroom. I have her food dish and water dish just inside the bath room. I have found initially she had a VERY long neck because she would stick only her head in the bathroom and than take a mouthful of food out in the hallway to eat. I encourage her with very, very, tasty tasty treats. No hot-dogs, cheese, or normal dog treats have worked with the high stress environments. Lucky for me, at the doggy day care where my clicker classes are held they sell Lamb Jerky, Turkey Jerky and Beef Jerky by a company called Solid Gold. While these sell for $10.00 a pound and I can go through as much as one bag in a week or less, she is willing to work for the treat at times when nothing else is a high enough reward for her. Star now will go through any doorway. (another thing she just "Didn't Do" in the beginning.) And looks forward to trips in the car, going to PetSmart, going to the Vet, etc. Set backs have been related to choices I have made... For example, having to crate her while I had workmen remodeling my bathroom and fencing the backyard so she wouldn't get out and run away was so traumatic for her that she is now sometimes fearful of men. (Once the fence in the backyard was completed I stopped crating her but the damage was done and we started over learning not to freak out over people in the house.) One item I would have never believed to be a problem originally but is - the gentle leader... She can see it on her nose and it is just to much of an invasion of her space to handle at all I will be very interested to hear what others have to say about Claustrophobic Berners. I can tell you that my trainer told me that until Star she never would have believed that a dog could be claustrophobic at all. One last thing, I would like to toss out. Sometimes, when Star is dreaming she will make these "I am so terrified" sounds. I think it is just horrible that in her dreams she is still haunted by the life she only spent 6 months in! No BMD should ever have to face the terror that is still apart of her 1 year after she was rescued. I am curious as to how others have faced this with their dogs. Thanks to all, Marilynn and Star.
Re: Surprised?! - Hip and Elbow testing question
In a message dated 11/8/02 4:30:48 PM Canada Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << Also, remember that while making sure that the parents of a new puppy have both hip and elbow clearances is important (from a recognized organization, not the local vet :) >> Hi, Having not done any of the "test" yet (hips, elbows, eyes.) I am most likely about to ask a very "uninformed" type question here My BARC baby, Star, is about a year and a half now. I had asked a few "preliminary" type questions related to testing of my vet. It was very nicely explained that my clinic could do hip & elbow x-rays only or that, of course, I could get any testing I wanted down through the University of Minnesota including Penn Hip (? did I get that correct?) I say it was explained very nicely because there was no pressure to get it done either at my clinic or the University. They just took the time to say the U could do it all and they couldn't. Now, as the time has been getting closer to do the hips and elbows, I had been starting to lean towards just having my Vet do the normal x-rays. My reasons are strictly money based even though I haven't yet checked out the costs at all. My thoughts are going something like this Star is a BARC pup with questionable genetic lines. (as I haven't even bothered to check out what - if any - information is available on Star's parents She is spayed and will never be bred. She has never shown (so far) any issues that would lead me to expect any problems. This is my chance to learn more about the breed, by learning more about the testing and also a chance to give others who may have Star's siblings more information about the pup they have in general and the pup's "family" more specifically I am not saying that I have ruled out doing the more expensive test for hips and elbows it is more along the lines of why not learn what I can through the x-rays my vet does, after all, I could always do the other test at the U if something looks "really" noteworthy. So my question would be given this is really only an informational thing for myself and also others maybe BARC puppy. etc. What would others do? Go for the more expensive testing to begin with or just go to the vet? Many Thanks to you all :-) Marilynn and the Star baby. Minneapolis, MN
BARC rescue site
In case you haven't already received a reply one link is www.barcinc.com Marilynn and Barc's Shining Bright Star
