Carson is my Guardian

I have wondered if Carson would become protective of me and I am happy to say yes!  

Last evening while walking out back with Carson, my husband came out from the side of the house and started walking towards us.  I am pretty sure Carson recognized him, but still he was very cautious.  

Carson walked very slowly & kept gently stepping in front of me until he was sure who was approaching us.  Once he was sure he took off to meet my husband & left me in the dust!   

I am so full of love and admiration for my beloved Carson.  Truly overwhelmed with the love he gives to me every minute of the day and night.

Berners are the best companions ever.

We would love to hear about your experiences too!

Do you let your Berner dig?

Molly Bear never really digs in our yard …

… but recently our yard has been taken over by moles and they are driving her nuts.  We have noticed her stalking them lately, which is pretty hilarious because she stands tall and walks super slow.  Sometimes she will be in the stalking stance until she loses her balance, then she will pounce on top of the mole hole.

Of course, she is so slow that she will never catch one.  I must admit though, her hearing or sense of smell must be incredible because she will be on the opposite side of the yard when suddenly she will spring into action.

I guess today was her breaking point.  She came inside for a drink of water and I noticed her cute little feet were covered in dirt and her pretty white nose was all dirty so I got up to see what was going on.  It was then that I noticed the bottom of water bowl was filled with dirt & mud. 

About that time she turned and went right back outside and began digging like crazy.  See the short video to the right side of the page for your entertainment.

Is Florida to hot?

Almost every Saturday we are asked, how does Carson do in the heat here in Naples?  Our reply is always, very well he lives in Air Conditioning 24/7!!  

Carson does seem to thrive here, we brought him home in January which is one of our coolest months and he has adapted well.  Yes he truly does live in the A/C 24/7, but he also goes on walks & plays in the yard everyday.

We make sure to walk him in the cooler early morning and late evenings.  He has a cooling vest to wear, that helps shield his black coat from the sun. Swamp cooler vest made by Ruff Wear and purchased from our friends Fetch Dog.

 He also has boots to wear to protect his feet from the heat of the pavements.

I also use Musher's Secret paw wax.

Weather here in southwest Florida, (Naples – Ft Myers area) really isn't all that much different than other areas of the US.  Yes it is hot in the summer & late fall. August & September being the hottest 90's and above. 

The upper east coast and midwest of the US have these same 90 degree days throughout the summer months as well.

We did a lot of research before adopting a Bernese Mountain Dog to live in Florida.  We talked with a previous Florida breeder Mary Guy, of Lemark Berners.  We visited other Berner guardians (Mike & Kathy Maher) who lived in our city and of course our breeder, Elke Adair of Eur-Am Bernese Mountain Dogs.

As we visit the Farmer's Market's and Art Festivals and other events hosted by our City of Naples we are learning of more & more Bernese Mountain Dogs coming to live in Naples and surrounding areas.

We also do not have mountain here

Other Florida Berners have any comments or suggestions?

written by:  Connie & Carson

Doggie Daycare Contracts.

written by Connie and Carson

Well $130 later I learned that doggie daycare is probably not going to work for Carson.

As required by all daycare facilities;  I had the blood test for heartworm and fecal. Titer for parvo & distemper vaccines. Bordatella vaccination given.

I found what I thought was the ideal daycare, super clean & sanitary, friendly and lots of space to play indoors & out.  Wigglebutt Inn, ( I thought) was the place for Carson.  I was so excited I made an appointment for evaluation.

Then I read the contract.  What an eye opening experience!

Reading the contract I discovered Wigglebutt Inn wanted me to allow them to place a lien on Carson as well as give them permission to keep him should I not pay any charges due.  Carson is not a thing, he is a member of my family!   Would you sign this contract for your human child to go to daycare?  I think not.

 This sent up a red flag to me.  I just can not sign such a contract.  Had I been in a hurry I would have probably just filled out the pertinent information and signed on the dotted line without taking the time to read the contract.

One final note, the contract shown on Wigglebutt Inn website is not the same as the written contract in house.  Be very aware of the fine print and please read very carefully.

Has anyone else had this experience?

These contracts concern me.  Scary very scary.

Picture says it all.

Look what I have

When Carson wants attention he grabs the dishtowels from the kitchen or picks a throw rug as seen in the picture.  Sitting on the couch he says look what I have, do you want to play chase?  He is such a character!

I have lost several throw rugs as he loves to chew them up  and much to my horror has actually consumed some of them.  Gratefully he does pass them eventually, I guess this is a form of fiber!

Always interested in hearing about your Bernese’s antics.

written by Connie & Carson

Dental Hygiene Month!

Wow! I am just overwhelmed with solicitations via postcards in the mail, emails and phones calls from previous Vet for Carson to come in and get a  professional teeth cleaning.

 Carson began having a lot of tarter build up and our  new Vet, Dr. Covino was concerned.  He recommended we try some over the counter alternatives to professional cleaning, however, most of the alternatives were chemical based.  We opted to try all natural alternatives.

Professional cleaning is hazaradous to your dog.  It usually requires being put under anesthesia and the cleaning actually pits the teeth which allows bacteria and placque to grow more quickly after the cleaning.  Once the teeth are professionally cleaned it will be vital that you continue to have the cleaning every 6 months to a year according to Dr. Covino. Mike & I opted to try the alternatives.  

First we tried Breath-Less Plaque-Zapper made by Ark Naturals here in Naples, FL. This is an all natural crystal that is added to the drinking water.  We have good results with this product and continue to use it a couple days a week, especially after Carson has been digging in the dirt or eating some of his favorite yard treats.

I also use another natural product by Wysong, Denta Treat.  This is a milk powder and is sprinkled on the food.  It works ok, but we did have some bowel issues in the beginning so my advice is to use very little amounts to begin with (1/8 teaspoon or less).

We got the very best results by giving Carson raw bones with bone marrow. The bones are  natural product to use for sparkling white teeth. Our Bernese Mountain Dog just love them. Simply amazing results instantly.

You can purchase them at some of the specialty pet stores as raw frozen beef or buffalo bones apprx. 2 for $7.00.  My preference is to go to the grocery, Publix, and ask the meat department for the bones.  I get a 9" bone fresh not frozen cut just for Carson and the cost is much cheaper $2.00 each.

What kind of alternative dental treatments have you tried?

Socializing Dogs, Training Humans!

Dog Training is so very important for all dogs regardless of size or breed, but it is the human that really needs the training.  Mike & I have worked very hard to learn the proper technique.

Socializing is just as important, not only to practice your training but to get your dog used to being in public places around lots of different people, dogs, smells, and noise.  We have such fun taking him to Farmers Markets on the weekends as well as the strip shopping centers where we visit the pet shops.

Saturday we took him to the big Everglades City Seafood Festival.  This event draws thousands.  Live bands, carnival rides, vendors of all types & lots of food everywhere.  Carson was a STAR  he behaved perfectly while adults & children came up to pet him, give him hugs.  Our training taught us to keep in a sit position while people were saying hello to him or just talking with us.

Mike & I are so very proud of our marvelous Berner and ourselves.   I am very confident that Carson will pass his CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test.  Our goal is for Carson to become a therapy dog.  We hope to have our testing the end of Feb or early March.

Carson is the love of our lives and we have so much fun taking him everywhere.  Training is an everyday practice for all of us.  Keep practicing your training and take your pets whenever you can.

How has socializing your dog made an impact or improvement in your dogs behavior?

Bernese Mountain Dog wearing his new Swamp Cooler Vest

Notice the reflective stripes to help us be safe in traffic, this is a real plus as we don’t have sidewalks in our neighborhood & we walk near dusk when some cooler.

This vest has been the best investment…it really does keep him cooler on his walks. We live in Naples, FL really hot & humid here. We highly recommend this to anyone living in hot climates.

We purchased the cooling vest from our friends at Fetchdog, click on their site through our link under friends.  

Tip:  I keep the vest in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until our next walk.  I take it out just a few minutes before needed, this saves me from having to dry & re-wet for each use.  I wash it once a week on gentle cycle.

Bernese Mountain Dogs are the Greatest

Dogs in the World!

It is hard to explain the bond between man and dog.  Molly has been my best friend since the day we brought her home.  This picture will give you an idea of why I love here so much. She wakes me up every single morning by cuddling next to me.  Sometimes she will squeeze next to  me and rest her head on my chest until I open my eyes.  The sweetest thing is to hear her tail go thump thump thump the moment my eyes open.

Berners in general are very loving dogs.  They are a family dog in the truest sense; they desire to be with their family at all times.  Whether its a walk down the street, time in the garden or a car ride to the bank – they want to be with you.

They are sometimes called “leaners” because they like to lean against you.  Bernese Mountain Dogs are also known for sitting on your feet.

Bernese Mtn Dogs are a large breed working class dog.  They are easily recognized with their striking tri-colored coat.  Their white blaze forms a cross, some say this is inheritant of their Swiss heritage. Read more here on the American Bernese Mountain Dog Standard.

Berners are extremely intelligent and loyal. Though we have heard of a few Berners being mischievous, we have been lucky as Molly has never chewed anything up.  She can be wild at times, like a bull in a china shop, but overall she is very obedient.  She does much better off leash than on leash…I guess she is a bit rebellious, like a teenager.

Carson eats a modified diet of raw foods.  His typical breakfast is half cup of kibble mixed with raw egg including the shell, sweet potato, avocado, frozen green beans or peas ( sometimes a little broccolli), tablespoon of canned pumpkin, with a choice of raw chicken, pork, turkey or beef.  All this is mixed together like a stew.  Chicken may be thigh w/bone or chicken leg or chopped/cubed chicken breast.   Evening meals is about the same, no egg.  Sometimes cottage cheese is added, maybe a little applesauce.

We try to stay away from doggies packaged treats as they seem to make him hyper (we found red meat does also).  Instead we give him kibble as his treat.  I also use apples or bananas as treats & during the days he is in the office with me the fruits are his mid day snack!!

We prefer to purchase our meats & vegetable & fruits individually from local farmers markets & we try to find organic grown and meats that are growth hormone and antibiotic free.

There are pre-mixed raw food diets as well.

http://www.barfproducts.com

http://www.bravorawdiet.com