Re: Sunny Shower what age do puppies start drooling?
We have a drooler and he's a complete slob about drinking. First a few slurps then swings his head in a dripping arc to look around then slurps more then a five foot trail as he walks away from his bowl. I've got one of those too, Susan, my Rescue Barney Boy. Now I now why he arrived with black sack fulls of sheets and towels! Thankfully Summer is back again here UK, been hot, hot, hot the last few days after a few weeks of back on with the jumpers and wellies! All the doors are wide open, the water bowls are out and about in the shade around the house and garden, the kitchen is no longer a skating rink and haven't cleaned the floor in a week!!! Missed the original thread on this topic but had to smile when I saw the Header. My Sunny girl has never been a drooler except for an amazing week as a wee one when she lost all her puppy teeth within a few days. Honest, the whole lot came out in almost one go and I had this gummy babe who non-stop dribbled and lived on scrambled egg and soft mush! Well, put her some baby teeth gel on and all but didn't do a lot to help and she didn't seem to be in any discomfort. More embarrassment really!!!. Her bib was soggy all the time and she would shake herself and everyone got a shower bath! And we'd go Oh, No! Sunny! Especially as she got into digging at the time and was a muddy shower! Thankfully, only lasted a week and new teeth came in fine and she was back on the bones! Has never dribbled since and ever since then has always kept herself pristine white bib! So if back to original theme and pup has just started drooling, maybe teething??? As for my Champion Dribbler, Barney, now five years old, he has an undershot jaw. Well, thought it worth a mention! Only difference I can think of with my other four Bernese through the years who have never dribbled or drooled! (Apart from Sunny's puppy lapse. - OK, Sweetheart! - Yes, I will tell everyone that even though you had the huge back tooth out a few weeks ago, you didn't do the d-thing! And you had another big walk this evening once it cooled down a bit, and you are doing just great!!)) All love, Jean, Sunny, Simmy, Barney and the Gang X http://www.angelfire.com/anime3/longlease/index.htm
Re: what age do puppies start drooling?
Julie, Some of the breeders may have a better answer for you, but I have NEVER seen a Berner drool. If there are some that do, I'm sure it's rare. I've been around plenty of them and have never seen any indication of drooling. The ones I've seen have also been pretty neat about drinking. Julie E. Johnson wrote: Hi, I'm new to the list. I am considering whether the berner is the right breed for our family. I have researched the dogs and have learned that SOME drool. If a dog is going to be a drooler, at what age does this typically start? Can this trait be seen in the pups? For the dogs that are droolers, how bad is it? I hear it is not as heavy as St. Bernards, but I am imagining more than our golden retriever who shares his latest drink with us? I apologize if this topic has been addressed before. I was unable to access the archive site. Feel free to respond if person if this is not appropriate to the list. Thanks, Julie [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: what age do puppies start drooling?
Julie -- I have been to several Berner events in our area and have seen lots of different Berners - but not as many as lots of people on this List ;-). Some Berners DO drool, not as much as Saints, but enough to get you really gooey! We have been fortunate - we have had 3 BMDs in our home and none were droolers. Our current BMD Balou, can get you quite wet after he drinks though - I think he holds a lot of water in his mouth and jowls. Just be prepared with drool rags - baby diapers (cloth) work great! Liz Steinweg The Crew Blue Moon's Baloo Berry Torte Balou (11/06/95) Bobby Sox (husky-x 10/31/93) 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.ccrtiming.com/personal/personal.htm - Original Message - From: Andie Reid [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Berner List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 10:27 AM Subject: Re: what age do puppies start drooling? Julie, Some of the breeders may have a better answer for you, but I have NEVER seen a Berner drool. If there are some that do, I'm sure it's rare. I've been around plenty of them and have never seen any indication of drooling. The ones I've seen have also been pretty neat about drinking. Julie E. Johnson wrote: Hi, I'm new to the list. I am considering whether the berner is the right breed for our family. I have researched the dogs and have learned that SOME drool. If a dog is going to be a drooler, at what age does this typically start? Can this trait be seen in the pups? For the dogs that are droolers, how bad is it? I hear it is not as heavy as St. Bernards, but I am imagining more than our golden retriever who shares his latest drink with us? I apologize if this topic has been addressed before. I was unable to access the archive site. Feel free to respond if person if this is not appropriate to the list. Thanks, Julie [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: what age do puppies start drooling?
Hi, Saw your post. All Berners are different, some drool a lot, others less. You never know what kind of drooler your pup is going to be. We have our third berner and we have never been thinking the drool is a problem, even if there are a lot of drool making slippery floors in our kitchen very often. Berners drool and you will find black hair everywhere, it is a part of the life when you have decided to love a companion of this breed. Myself I do not think drool is a problem, but Berners are not like Goldens - even if Goldens also are happy dogs. If you like a constantly very cleaned home Berners are not something for you. If you like the warmest and most loving companion on earth, choose a Berner. Bernerhugs from Vincent, 4 years, who has been bathing today in our bathroom. He stands on the floor and there he got shampo and showers, over and over again. And the days after the bath you will find the softest black hair everywhere. Margareta Stockholm
Re: what age do puppies start drooling?
Oh yeah - that black hair gets EVERYWHERE after a bath, doesn't it? In your bed, in your food, up your nose... Gotta love it. :) I've had three boys and not one of them has drooled, but I doubt I'd care if they did. Absolutely right, though. If you're fastidious, a Berner is not for you. But then again, most dogs introduce dirt and some slobber and hair in the house, so if you like a REALLY clean house, I'd say you want some kind of reptile instead of something furry. Andie Reid Wilmington, NC Margareta Strand wrote: If you like a constantly very cleaned home Berners are not something for you. If you like the warmest and most loving companion on earth, choose a Berner. Bernerhugs from Vincent, 4 years, who has been bathing today in our bathroom. He stands on the floor and there he got shampo and showers, over and over again. And the days after the bath you will find the softest black hair everywhere. Margareta Stockholm
Re: what age do puppies start drooling?
Well, neither of mine has drooled spontaneously, like a Newf -- but hold up a treat, and Djinn drools instantly! Stops as soon as she gets the treat. Susan Some of the breeders may have a better answer for you, but I have NEVER seen a Berner drool.
Re: what age do puppies start drooling?
Julie, Welcome to the List, and I'm so glad you're asking questions! You will get plenty of answers on this List, and I hope you have fun with us. Even if you decide to get a different breed, we'd love to hear back from you! As for drooling Berners. They aren't supposed to, of course, but some do. I've seen a Golden Retriever that drooled buckets - it happens. I've had 3 Berners, and two of them were droolers. I think they were older when I found out, they didn't do it as puppies. Hannibal drooled at the park when he got excited about being at the head of his kingdom. Those nice yangers, the ones that look like shoelaces hanging from the side of the mouth, you pull them off and try to flip them away, and if they don't land on your pants, they land on the nice skirt of someone walking by. Very nasty! But he was my Hannibal, and I wouldn't have cared if he had twice as many! Vesta would foam at the mouth a bit when she got excited, made her look rabid. But when there was food around, her mouth looked like a water faucet. No yangers, but there would be Lake Superior down at her feet! She could have drooled all the Great Lakes, I wouldn't have cared. Right now, I'd give just about anything to have Lake Superior back... But anyway, I guess for the most part you can't tell when they are puppies. But if the slobber and the fur and the dirt dogs bring to a house don't bother you any, Berners have a way of taking over your heart. Pat Long ( Luther) Berwyn PA Check any e-mail over the Web for free at MailBreeze (http://www.mailbreeze.com)
[Fwd: Re: what age do puppies start drooling?]
Julie, Berners are suppose to be a dry-mouthed dog. It's up to the breeders to chose correct breeding partners for their dogs to keep this good feature in our future puppies. A wet mouth comes from loose flews. The lower lips on the sides. If they are loose/hanging then air gets in the mouth and stimulates the saliva glands. This is a different situation from a dog that is anxious to have a treat and the saliva flows in anticipation of food. So in looking at puppies, first look at the parents for a tight lipline and then look at the puppies for the same. It will not be so obvious in a puppy but look for a saging of the lips at the sides/near the corner of the mouth. In almost 29 yrs I've only owned one dog with a wet mouth and there were never strings of saliva but just a wetness to the sides of the mouth which he loved to rub off on my clothes. As much as I love the dog, I hate a wet mouth. Sandie Hawkins Sajan (Berners/BMDCA member since 1975)
Re: what age do puppies start drooling?
- Original Message - From: Julie E. Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'm new to the list. I am considering whether the berner is the right breed for our family. I have researched the dogs and have learned that SOME drool. If a dog is going to be a drooler, at what age does this typically start? Can this trait be seen in the pups? For the dogs that are droolers, how bad is it? I hear it is not as heavy as St. Bernards, but I am imagining more than our golden retriever who shares his latest drink with us? Even the droolingist Berners I've met are *nothing* on Nessie the Newfie bitch. My rescue Pyr, Cassie, is a moderate drooler when worried; Mic the Berner boy and Lliira the Pyr girl are not droolers. Nessie was throwing spit *everywhere* by 4 months of age. It's like egg whites, man. Takes the varnish off my woodwork (I'm not kidding!). Mic is similar to a Goldie in drool factor; I don't think many Berners are big time droolers. Look at mom and especially dad--that should show you what your chances are. And if the dog does drool . . . trust me, you can get used to anything! Eileen Morgan The Mare's Nest http://www.enter.net/~edlehman --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.476 / Virus Database: 273 - Release Date: 4/24/2003
Re: what age do puppies start drooling?
Most Berners are dry mouthed but when anticipating food or a treat, or if the weather is really warm, they can produce some very liquid drips. Rarely, if ever, does a Berner produce the thick, ropy drool of the Newfies, Pyrs, Saints. I have found that Flash, who is usually dry mouthed, has gotten a little sloppier as he has aged and his lower jowls are looser with age. I dearly love my Berner, and loved my Rottie to pieces and I can stand hair, mud, etc. but thick slobber sticking to my walls and ceilings is more than I can tolerate. In all my research, the Bernese was the largest dog I could find who did not slobber. Anne Copeland, Flash,TDI/CGC (Berner, 8 3/4 yrs.) Gypsy TDI/CGC(Rescue Cavalier,2 yrs.) BMDCA Corresponding Secretary NE ILL [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ty's memorial page: http://www.geocities.com/workingyorkie/ty.html Gypsy's page:http://hometown.aol.com/annes4/Gypsy.html
Re: what age do puppies start drooling?
We have a drooler and he's a complete slob about drinking. First a few slurps then swings his head in a dripping arc to look around then slurps more then a five foot trail as he walks away from his bowl. I keep a beach towel next to the water bowl to mop up many times daily. As a puppy he actually stepped into his water bowl with his two front paws while drinking. The actual drool is more slippery than the water, but does reflect the most appreciative anticipation of all of the meals that I prepare him. He owns my heart as does his dry mouthed sister. Susan Kowitz, Mercedes, and Bentley Sequim, WA but I have NEVER seen a Berner drool. If there are some that do, I'm sure it's rare. I've been around plenty of them and have never seen any indication of drooling. The ones I've seen have also been pretty neat about drinking.
Re: At what age?
In a message dated 3/29/2003 9:51:43 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: First, it is not healthy for the animal to go that long before being let out. Can you go 9 hours at work without a bathroom break? snip Nine hours is just too long for any dog to be left and confined and expected to hold it. It is just not a question of bladder size. While agree wholeheartedly about puppies not having to 'hold it' for long periods of time, I have to disagree with Kay when it comes to adults. While they don't routinely have to, my adults can easily go 9 hours without distress. Matter of fact, my 11 year old girl routinely goes longer than that during the summer when she doesn't want to leave the A.Cregardless of the fact that I'm here to let her out any time she wants. Even in good weather, the only time she'll relieve herself in between her AM and PM 'constitutional' (12 hours apart) is during active exercise. ~ Sherri Venditti
RE: At what age . . .?
Hi Maria, Nine hours is a long day to leave a Berner puppy and expect him to hold his urine, I would recommend you hire a retired person or school kid to come in and let him out to relieve himself. I'm sure he remembered ringing the bell to go out but if no-one is home to open the door he would see no point in ringing the bell anymore. He has now got used to treating the house like a toilet so he see's no need to ask when you are home. You have to meet his needs and find an alternative arrangement. If it is not possible for you to hire someone then build him and the lab a kennel run with a shelter outside in the garden so at least they can enjoy the fresh air and they can relieve themselves. It would also be a good idea to check his urine in case he has an infection but you do need to break that nine hour period. I'd have a problem waiting that long! As for his stance when urinating try to get your husband to look on this as peeing like a horse rather than a bitch:-) The posture is still different between immature dog and bitch:-) Puppy fluff on the ears can be stripped out a little at a time using your fingers or getting a special stripping comb from the petstore. Alternatively a groomer can quickly do that for you if they have experience with preparing dogs for the show ring. You do not want them using clippers but thinning scissors can do the trick too. At seven months your puppy should have full dentition, if he is still chewing inappropriately he may be bored with not enough in his day, again you must resolve the nine hour home alone time and don't forget to enrol in obedience classes and do your homework daily to help occupy his mind. All the best Rose -Original Message- From: maria [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: March 28, 2003 1:35 PM To: Bernese Mountain Dog Mailing List Subject: At what age . . .? Hello there experienced, veteran L'ers. This is my first time being raised by a Berner and I was wondering a few things about my Berner who is now a 7 month old male and still intact until next Friday. At what age . . will he finally get his adult ears? The rest of the fur on his body changed from that soft, fluffy puppy fur to his dark and shiney big boy fur but his ears are still the puppy fur which gives him that muffin head look. Also, at what age . . will the strength of his bladder be enough to keep him from peeing for about 9 full hours. I think his bladder is large enough but for some reason he more often then not can't hold it for a full work day. I'm hoping it's not that he is doing it out of spite for being home all day. His 10 yr old Choc. Lab sister is slightly smaller in size then he is and she has no problem holding it for quite a few more hours then my Berner boy. I keep Jack, the Berner and Arabia, the Lab confined to the kitchen/dining room all day with toys and bones to occupy them but I come home to presents left by him almost every day. It doesn't even matter to him if I put him in his crate, he'll go anyway which then means a bath when we get home every day. On a similar note, we had him trained to ring a bell when he had to go out but it seems that since we moved to a new house about 3 weeks ago he forgot how to do that. He will sometimes pee in the house without giving us any indication he has to go even if there is a door open and he can just walk right outside to pee if he wants. At what age . . . will he have all of his teeth in? He doesn't chew on our hands as much as he used to but he still tries once in a while. And finally, this one really bugs my husband, at what age . . will he start to lift his leg up to pee like a man instead of barely squatting like a girl? (I guess It's a guy thing). He is our first Berner so we don't always know what to expect. He does try our patience on occasion but we love him to death and couldn't imagine life without him and our Lab. Your responses will be appreciated. Maria, Mark, Arabia, and Jack Ringwood, NJ
Re: At what age...?
Maria, My, just turned 1 year old, berner boy still does not lift his leg. He's pretty much only around female dogs so I'm begining to wonder if he ever will, which is fine by me. Also my friends male black lab is 3 and still squats! Kelli Oscar Livonia, MI
Re: At what age?
Sherri wrote: While agree wholeheartedly about puppies not having to 'hold it' for long periods of time, I have to disagree with Kay when it comes to adults. While they don't routinely have to, my adults can easily go 9 hours without distress. Matter of fact, my 11 year old girl routinely goes longer than that during the summer when she doesn't want to leave the A.Cregardless of the fact that I'm here to let her out any time she wants. Even in good weather, the only time she'll relieve herself in between her AM and PM 'constitutional' (12 hours apart) is during active exercise. Sherri, there is a BIG difference though. A dog CHOOSING not to go out to relieve him/herself is in a very different position from a dog not being ABLE to go out even though he desperately might have to. Adult or not. As strange as it sounds, Harvey drives me bonkers with his non-peeing. This dog will go happily from 5 p.m to whenever I take him the next morning. This could be lunch time! The door to the garden is wide open and all he has to do is to stroll out, but he CHOOSES not to. Mostly. Even if I entice him to go out or go out there myself with him. But at least he COULD if he needed to. On the other hand, there is NO WAY Rupert could restrain himself for that length of time ( or maybe he could, but I think he would be really uncomfortable and dying to go out.) Michaela Devon/UK
Re: At what age?
Sisco was close to two before he consistently lifted his leg. But it's funniest in the a.m. when he first goes out to dump the night's load. This happens in two stages. Stage one is the strategic leg lift which results in first relief. This is followed by stage two which reverts to the squat because he then lets go for about 2 or 3 minutes and it's difficult to do the balancing act for that long. You can almost see him sighing with relief. On walks, he's so eager to cover every bush, tree, and blade of grass that he rushes along in such a hurry that he ends up hopping along on three legs, peeing all the way. And now that he's 3 he's finally developed the studly scratch, scuffle and stomp after he does a particularly satisfying irrigation. Dirt, leaves, and pebbles go flying 3 or 4 feet out the back and you'd better get out of the way if you don't want to get bombarded ;- Fran Sisco (Well, mom, this p-mail is serious stuff; you shouldn't be laughing) -- Fran Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED] SportSound Music:http://www.geocities.com/franinvancouver
Re: At what age
And finally, this one really bugs my husband, at what age . . will he start to lift his leg up to pee like a man instead of barely squatting like a girl? (I guess It's a guy thing). Funniest of all with this one was my Sam, around about nine months (and I still lived in London then) he started sniffing with great interest around trees and lamp-posts! We were down in Hyde Park one morning and around one particular oak tree he sniffed with greater than usual enthusiasm. Very slowly, up came that back leg. Then down again and another sniff up the tree! Then, so carefully, up came that leg again and other back leg was trembling but he was determined, I'll swear he hit that tree with his mark a good four feet up the trunk! Very happy sniff and we went on! Over the next few months on that particular tree the back leg on the ground steadied and he got higher and higher with his aim. Always wondered what had preceeded us there. A male Great Dane? Simbo brought up here at Longlease had no other dog to really mark his territory against! He first cocked his leg around the same age one day up on the bridle path in my woods, leg high in the air but aimed downwards! Maybe a Jack Russell had gone by! Definitely a guy thing! Now I have Rescue Barney here too, he and Sim follow each other around and cock those legs. So far they have managed to kill a privet bush (thought they were invulnerable) and one bit of my rhododendron by the house! Have encouraged Barney over the months he has been here to go pee way down the bottom of the veggy garden where there are brambles and nettles, Sim goes there too! Hopefully my garden will recover now! Interestingly, my Sweet Sunny Girl who never ever peed outside home limits (once took her all the way to Bangor and she held it until we got home some fourteen hours later) now when we walk to the village, watches the Boys then goes and squats!! Guess she is in charge! All love, Jean, Sunny, Simmy, Barney and the Gang X http://www.angelfire.com/anime3/longlease/index.htm
Re: At what age...?
Hi Maria In response to the following postI agree about settng up a pee area. We have a 3 month old puppy and I went out and bought puppy Pads at wall mart.I have strategically set them in three different places in the house where Hailey always seemed to go to the bathroomshe now only goes on the pads when she has to go and cannot get outside.like when we are too busy doing our own thing to pay attention to the baby...they really do work and it save the carpet. Karen, Thor and Hailey (I'm too small to hold it for very long) If the former is completely impossible, you MUST set up a peeing area inside the kitchen or somewhere ( with newspapers or towels or whatever) where he is allowed to relieve himself if he has to go. I never wanted my dogs to feel that peeing in the house was a good, acceptable thing to do so I didn't really do that. EXCEPT when they were very young when I put thick layers of newspaper right next to the door leading into the garden.
Re: At what age . . .?
Hi Maria Also, at what age . . will the strength of his bladder be enough to keep him from peeing for about 9 full hours. I guess that depends more on the individual dog rather than his specific age. My first berner boy could hold his pee for a long time even as a young puppy. Ditto my second Berner boy. My youngest peed for England until he was over a year old. My first 2 NEVER had an accident after 12 weeks, the younger one did occasionally until he was 8- 9 months. I don't think I did anything different with either of them. But Maria, I NEVER expected either of them to hold their pee for that long when they were puppies. And Jack is still very much a puppy. Nine hours is a long time. I'm not sure I could hold it that long and I am forty! Could you? If your dog is fed on dry food he needs to drink quite a bit and chewing on bones and toys is a thirsty activity, too. All my dogs wander straight to their water bowl for a long drink after a hearty chewing session. You wouldn't expect a young child never to pee for 9 hours, would you? Same with young Jack. I am certain that he ISN'T peeing out of spite or to punish you for your absence. He HAS to go to the toilet. You know what it's like, when you gotta go, you gotta go! As far as I can see you have 2 options here to address the problem. 1) you could arrange for someone to come in and take him out for a pee and a play half way through the day. I would coax, bribe, pay, exchange favours, whatever it takes - I'd do ANYTHING to set this up if I were you. It must be just horrible for him having to sit or lie in his own urine until you come back. Horrible. That is NOT an effective way to use a crate. Please think about how you'd feel if you would have to wallow in your own exrement. 2) If the former is completely impossible, you MUST set up a peeing area inside the kitchen or somewhere ( with newspapers or towels or whatever) where he is allowed to relieve himself if he has to go. I never wanted my dogs to feel that peeing in the house was a good, acceptable thing to do so I didn't really do that. EXCEPT when they were very young when I put thick layers of newspaper right next to the door leading into the garden. If they had an accident there, I simply cleared it up and sayed nothing more. But whenever they peed in the garden, I praised lavishly, treated, danced and clapped - I'm sure my neighbours thought my pups had just won the Nobel Prize, such was my enthusiasm! Use a specific word when you see him peeing, like be busy or go pee so that he connects the activity with a word. Eventually you can just say the special word and the desired activity will follow. The newspaper method has another excellent application. If an accident HAS occured, roll up some clean paper and hit YOURSELF sharply on the head, muttering I MUST pay more attention to the puppy. It's MY responsibility to train him properly, not his to train me. Repeat as often as needed. Like a meditation mantra. Very therapeutic and it will sharply increase your attention span. Worked brilliantly for me. G He will sometimes pee in the house without giving us any indication he has to go even if there is a door open and he can just walk right outside to pee if he wants. He WILL get there! Just make a huge spectacle of yourself when he gets it right and shower him with treats the moment you see him peeing in the garden. Ignore the accidents completely UNLESS you see him relieving himself in front of you in the house. Then say something like Oh - hold on! or Not there! or something that gives him some feedback on his activity ( Note: personally, I wouldn't use the word WAIT since I use that for another purpose, as in stay exactly where you are until I get to you and if you plan to do likewise it's better not to confuse your youngster). And finally, this one really bugs my husband, at what age . . will he start to lift his leg up to pee like a man instead of barely squatting like a girl? (I guess It's a guy thing). At about nine months with my first boy, 6 months with my second one and 12 months with my young peeing champion. Jack might go through an intermittent period whereby he'll sometimes lifts his leg and sometimes he'll squat before permanently lifting his leg. Or, especially since he is going to be neutered, he will keep in that intermittant period thoughout his life. All the best big hugs to young Jack Arabia Michaela, Harvey ( the water retainer) Rupert ( well, I LIKE peeing!) Devon/UK
At what age?
My boy had his bozo ears until he was a year old, because my husband loved them and would not let me trim them until it was time for a show. The grooming was done with thinning shears or a mat breaker, not sure.He just hated for those last remaining signs of puppydom to be gone. My six month old girl has had all her adult teeth for about a month now. I would imagine that your boy has his too. She still will have moments that she will try to mouth on hands, mostly when she is very excited. Just keep giving your puppy the appropriate toy or bone that it is supposed to chew on and know that this behavior will stop with age and reinforced training. I believe that my boy was around 11 months when he started trying to balance on three legs and hike. Really, it was more like an adventure in hopping than balancing, and he could cover great distances while he tried to go. Don't be in any rush, my plants were much happier when they did not get rained on. As to the last part of your questions, I will apologize in advance if my answer comes across as harse, but I do not believe that there is any age that a dog should be expected to wait 9 hours to empty its bladder, not a seven month old puppy or a 10 year old adult. First, it is not healthy for the animal to go that long before being let out. Can you go 9 hours at work without a bathroom break? Would you expect a human baby to stay in the same diaper for 9 hours? That is what you are expecting from your berner baby. Maybe you could have someone come over during lunch to give them a little time outside if no one in the family is able to do it. Possibly a neighbor or hire a dog sitter to visit them and give them some play and bathroom time. Nine hours is just too long for any dog to be left and confined and expected to hold it. It is just not a question of bladder size. Good luck with and enjoy that new boy. Kay Sloate Caddie and Divot
At what age . . .?
Hello there experienced, veteran L'ers. This is my first time being raised by a Berner and I was wondering a few things about my Berner who is now a 7 month old male and still intact until next Friday. At what age . . will he finally get his adult ears? The rest of the fur on his body changed from that soft, fluffy puppy fur to his dark and shiney big boy fur but his ears are still the puppy fur which gives him that muffin head look. Also, at what age . . will the strength of his bladder be enough to keep him from peeing for about 9 full hours. I think his bladder is large enough but for some reason he more often then not can't hold it for a full work day. I'm hoping it's not that he is doing it out of spite for being home all day. His 10 yr old Choc. Lab sister is slightly smaller in size then he is and she has no problem holding it for quite a few more hours then my Berner boy. I keep Jack, the Berner and Arabia, the Lab confined to the kitchen/dining room all day with toys and bones to occupy them but I come home to presents left by him almost every day. It doesn't even matter to him if I put him in his crate, he'll go anyway which then means a bath when we get home every day. On a similar note, we had him trained to ring a bell when he had to go out but it seems that since we moved to a new house about 3 weeks ago he forgot how to do that. He will sometimes pee in the house without giving us any indication he has to go even if there is a door open and he can just walk right outside to pee if he wants. At what age . . . will he have all of his teeth in? He doesn't chew on our hands as much as he used to but he still tries once in a while. And finally, this one really bugs my husband, at what age . . will he start to lift his leg up to pee like a man instead of barely squatting like a girl? (I guess It's a guy thing). He is our first Berner so we don't always know what to expect. He does try our patience on occasion but we love him to death and couldn't imagine life without him and our Lab. Your responses will be appreciated. Maria, Mark, Arabia, and Jack Ringwood, NJ
