Carson brings me such joy and has taught me so much about eating.

First, he taught me the importance of eating organically grown foods.

Second,  he taught me about nutrition of raw/live foods compared to cooked.  Now I am learning the value of cooking and eating gluten free.

All these lessons have made him and I both healthier and happier beings.

Why do people let their dogs go poo and then not clean it up?

Do these people live in filth?  Why do some dog owners/dog walkers have to be so LAZY? Dog owners/dog walkers who leave their dog waste are disrespectful of their street, their neighbors and the environment.

Dog waste is a form of poison contamination to other pets as well as humans.  Dog waste spreads disease and worms. Dog feces contains bacteria such as Giradia, Salmonella and E. Coli and more.  If your dog has ever had Giradia then you know this is not a fun time for your dog or you.

Dog feces left behind can harbor worms as well as the eggs.  When another dog comes into contact with the left behind feces it can become infested with the worms.

As dog feces breaks down it slowly leaks into our ground water, streams, rivers  and our wells leading into our drinking water.

Dog feces/waste should NEVER be used as fertilizer on your lawns, flower or vegetable gardens.

Children may step in the poo while walking to and from the bus stop or just out playing in the yard;  then track it into their homes where the contamination spreads from shoes to their bare feet.

Dog paws that come into contact with left behind feces will track it on to the floors and furniture.  Dogs paws are in constant contact with the contamination as well as the humans barefoot.  Animals, (dogs & cats) alike lick their feet/paws so guess what happens now?  The left behind feces is now being ingested orally.  Oh yeah your pet just gave you a big sloppy kiss and you are now contaminated orally as well!

Are you pleased with your rewards for not taking the extra 10 seconds to pick up your dogs waste/feces/poop?  Maybe your rewards will be illness for yourself, your spouse, your child or even your grandchild.  Maybe your reward for being negligent will be iliness or death to your beloved pet.

Dog waste should always be picked up and disposed of in the proper trash receptacle.

Please Pick Up After Your Dog – Be A Good Canine Citizen

You can use plastic grocery bags, produce bags, or bags designed especially for picking up feces.  You can also use newspaper or paper towels.  Just do it.

Have you seen these signs?

I'm sure all of us have had our yards and homes sprayed with poison for insects at least once.  We all recognize the little bitty signs the Pest Control Companies put in yards warning that poison has been sprayed. Humans and pets are not to walk on the grass until dry.

Did you know that your dogs paws can absorb these poisons and any contaminates they come into contact with?  Are you aware once your dogs paws have absorbed these poisons they enter the body into the bloodstream and then circulate all through his/her body and all the way into the brain?  These chemicals are deadly, this is why the Pest Control Companies spray to kill the insects!  These same chemicals that kill the insects can be deadly to you and your pet as well.

Carson and I were out walking along our street this past week as we do everyday. Unfortunately we did not see the little bitty sign the Pest Control Company had placed as a warning before Carson had already walked in the wet grass.  The sign was laying on the ground behind a mailbox!

Unfortunately, Carson's paws absorbed some the poison and it spread throughout his body into his brain.  He began to have excess salvia and drool and the plaque build up on his teeth was heavy.

His brain was unable to send all the necessary signals so his body could function normally.  The poison had caused a blockage of these signals.  Once we were able to get the blockage cleared his brain was able to send the proper signals.

Within hours of clearing the blockages his saliva returned to normal and his teeth began to clean themselves of the plaque.  Two days later his teeth were back to sparkling white and clear of all plaque.

We are now very careful what lawns he walks in.  If it is a pretty green lawn, we stay out of it!

Beware also of the lawns that are self-treated with granules.

Carson was very lucky!

Our new year has started out with new adventures!

Carson and I  ended the old year with a trip to the Naples Botanical Garden.

We met our friend Beau & his guardian, Sue Ellen.  We had such a good time exploring all the new plants, walkways & of course we were the hit of the Garden!  We all had so much fun that we became members.  The garden offers dog days on Thursday afternoons and Sunday mornings all year long.

New Year's Day my husband, Carson and I attended the annual Arts Festival downtown Naples.  We walked a lot & spent time admiring all the art from around the country.  We tried new foods.  Carson & I discovered we really like artichoke french. This was prepared by a vendor from New York.

On Sunday, Jan 2, Carson & started training for the Run for Paws event that will be held the end of Jan.  The walk/run is a 5k and funds go to support our local Humane Society.

Today, we went to Freedom Park and walked the 1 mile scenic pathway.  Quiet & relaxing walk with lots of new smells, new plants.   We did have to be on the lookout for snakes and alligators…..but luckily we did not see any today… whew!

Carson is such a good boy, he loves to explore new places to walk and socialize.

Tell us about your adventures…. we love new ideas.

The Holiday season is in full swing!  

Christmas trees and homes are decorated and baking has begun.

Reminder to all that the holiday trimmings can be a very dangerous and stressful time to all furry friends, dogs & cats alike.  (I have had dogs that drank the water from the tree stand, and then the boys  felt compelled to give the water back to the tree!! Not fun to open wet presents.)  Do NOT put Aspirin in your tree stand water as Aspirin is fatal to pets

For many pets, shiny ornaments, stockings, stuffed Santa's, tinsel, ribbon, etc.  can present a problem if chewed or ingested. I am always hearing stories from friends how their dog ate one of the ornaments.  Some of the round ones resemble balls to be played with.

Remember all electrical  cords can cause severe burns or shock or even death.

Also gifts can be dangerous as well.  Watch for the plastic tie wraps, plugs and cellophane used to hold toys in place in the packaging. Stuffed animals and small parts in toys can be chewed and/or ingested.  Wrapping paper, ribbons & bows. Think of your pet as a very small child and use the same safety measures.

One of my good friends told me how she had baked a Turkey for Christmas dinner and had set it on the table.  While she was in the kitchen her Berners stole & ate the whole turkey.  So while our furry friends are tempted to sample foods from our buffets of holiday hams, turkey and all the trimmings, this could cause serious gastric issues resulting in a trip to the Emergency Vet Hospital.  Please keep them safe and away from foods.  

The following is just a small list of plants and foods are harmful if swallowed:

Poinsettia, Baby's Breath, all Lilies

Chocolate, macadamia nuts, grapes, raisins.

Wishing all our furry friends a Happy, Safe & Stress Free Holiday!!

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