question about lump
Hello List, we discovered a lump on Tatty's left side (from back) just in front of her hip close to the spine, from nothing in one day it was egg sized. Took her to the vet today and surgery is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The vet said it felt like a . and its position between the skin and muscle also indicated this. However I didn't understand the . (due to it being in French) and I forgot to ask him to write it down so I could look it up. He said this is usually benign, but surgery was needed quickly due to the fast growth. It hasn't noticeably enlarged today and her behaviour is normal, touching the lump does not cause her pain. He said she was very young for it to be cancer (she is 11 months), but obviously this is our concern. Any info would be appreciated, though it will take a few days for me to reply as I can get mail fine, just can't send it out! Emma and Tatty in France
crying in distress
Tatty and I are exhausted, I was woken up around 11pm by a strange thud and whimper and then I heard it - two dogs barking and howling like there was no tomorrow. Instantly I knew, Tatty was crying as she was afraid (barking dogs terrify her despite the fact that she barks with the best of them, a very loud deep bark over and over when she is in the mood.As she still sleeps in her crate I went to reassure her - she was so distressed she was making the crate rock, so I opened the door, we cuddled and I moved the crate to a 'quieter' place. She could still hear the howling and barking , so I opened the crate door - not good enough, so I opened my door. She paced and paced, whimpering despite my best efforts to settle her. We went out, in case she had to pooh (normal side effect of meeting large dogs) but no, she just cried. So upstairs, get her bean bag, place it next to the bed - call her to lay on it, drape arm over side and caress her. Despite all this Tatty was still distressed, pacing whimpering the odd 'whuff' now and then. I am afraid I fell asleep around 2am, as she was somewhat calmer. The alarm woke us both up, Tatty moved onto the bean bag and let me lie in for 10 mins whilst she got her cuddles. (the bean bag is bed height) She is now sleeping (not demanding her food). My question is if (when) this happens again how can I calm her, ease her fears. I felt so bad for her but couldn't seem to calm her at all. I think the two dogs were locked outside as when we went out it sounded like one was next door. She is getting over her fear of all dogs (poodles and Beaucerons are now the worst for her), and I don't want her to become fixated on her fear, any ideas would be most appreciated, thanks a very tired Emma and sleeping Tatty in France
Re: BERNER allergies or cold
I asked the vet last week about the swollen bits unders the eyes, accomanied by redness of the third eyelid - she said Tatty has hayfever! If it bothers Tatty she said she would give us something to put in her eye, but it rarely swells only just after she has been into a bush sprouting new leaves and buds (certain type of hedging found in France, no other bushes). It also goes quickly when we ar eback indoors. However, it could be something else... Emma and Tatty in France
re:coffee table tails
I have to laugh about all the tail wag stories. We don't have coffee tables but a cardboard box on its side (don't ask) and the stone fire surround. Tatty likes to steal wood from near the fire surround so things are safe on that - if she knocks them we know where she is in the wood stealing process. She had two glasses of beer all over her in two days from the box so no matter how fast she is going she avoids it. HOWEVER, she loves to nudge me when I have a full mug of hot chocolate especially if I am sitting on the sofa - so much so we have got to dye the sofa cover chocolate colour, but even worse... I work on a table with folding legs, Tatty likes to be near when I work, and one day she tried to walk between the legs, as she came out the other side, the legs bent, collapsed and table fell on top of my foot - computer, printer, files etc everywhere on the floor! I had to get everything out of the way to remove my foot whilst Tatty was jumping around with her 'what me?' look (head tilted sideways, eyes all pleading). She is now forbidden under tables - 'out of there' is now one of the most frequent commands. (by the way this worked in the hotel last week when she had her head in the toilet bowl) Emma and Tatty in France
Re: Back to basics
A wonderful article, and one will stay with me as we choose our next pup in a few years. We wanted a Berner temperament - not what we got, though we are getting there with a lot of hard work - many months down the line. Having fallen in love with the breed we would maybe like to breed in the future, but have talked about the fact that it is show qualities which seem to count, and we as outsiders (at the moment) are more interested in temperament and health. I know that you cannot show a dog who has a completely unsuitable temperament (just like our Tatty), however it appears from the uninitiated that looks are prioritized over temperament. When we got Tatty we were turned off by joint ownership - a concept totally alien to me, so would not buy from this source. I could not understand having to do something with a dog that was mine because the breeder wanted it when perhaps it would not be suitable for me. This may work for some people, but my attitude was if the breeder wants that then they are not the breeders for us. Perhaps we would have got an easier Berner out of it, who knows. Tatty is incredibly strong and healthy having survived her crisis at 3 months. A more delicate puppy would not have survived. I can see why people buy from pet stores and not breeders (though I would not) as here the pet store guarantees health for 1 year, the breeder will take the puppy back only in the first 7 days if your vet says they are not healthy. The pet store also supplies the pedigree certs. We were saddened to see a 3 month old skinny berner in our local pet store he was so beautiful I am sure he will be sold but he did not look too healthy (very red eyes, skinny, poor posture). I did note what region he came from and there are no registered breeders in that area! We will be selecting a possible brood bitch in a few years though careful research, visiting breeders, checking out health histories and interacting to view temperaments. Plus we will also look at each countries rules for breeding to see if one country facilitates breeding of lower quality dogs than others (so we can avoid that country). I find it interesting that some country allow dogs to have full registration and be bred even if hips and elbows are not good. I am sure some breeders will not want to sell to us (contacts etc). I only hope we can find what we are looking for, because after all this selecting we may choose not to breed once the puppy reaches maturity should this not be right for the dog or for us at that point. I wonder if we will find a breeder willing to sell a top quality pup to someone who may not breed and may or may not show except for confirmation, but will ensure a good and loving home either way. If not we will have to change our minds and just look for a companion puppy! Emma and Tatty (hey mum, I'm not bad at all now stop keep telling people I was) in France
Berners and their cars
Ahh Molly how can you say such things about The Renault Kangoo, or as our green one is called Roo! It is definitely Tatty's car - her crate fits well in the back and she can jump in and out fine. As you said it is great for all those van jobs too - building materials etc etc After being hit by a half size truck on the motorway (freeway) I can also say they are tank like in their construction! Despite going around 720° and hitting the central reservation the car was not dented but not written off, and I was unharmed the cake on the seat next to me was still on the seat! (6 weeks later it is still in the garage but that is quite another story). Although I am sure we could all happily adjust to a Range Rover if it was called for LOL. Emma and Tatty in France
Good News
Hello list, as many of you are requesting good news, I thought I would share our progress with you. As many of you know Tatty has not been an easy fur ball, and we have had some difficult behaviour. We joined a new training group and it has worked miracles for us all. Tatty has always been scared of dogs, and would jump all over children or run away as fast as possible if she could. Yesterday I took her for a walk on her new 5m (15ft) leash, to a new park. We met a lovely group of 7 kids aged from 5 to 14 who waited for her to calm down and go to them, she let them pet her happily and best of all. they had a Samoyed puppy with them, and it melted my heart to see Tatty gently approach and sniff his nose, and sit quietly next to him when he barked! We spent 15 minutes with these lovely kids who were patient, kind and helped Tatty on her way to being a kind and gentle dog. It was so lovely to see the two fluff balls, one white the other black white and tan walk around for a few minutes next to each other. Emma and Tatty in France
lazy eye in puppy
Hi Joan, Tatty has had this intermittently, and it goes away in a day without seeming to bother her, so we have never done anything about it. However, we were away and she wallked into a new type of bush (to see under it properly) and came out with her eye swollen up and the inner lid across half of it. I thought she had something in it or a reaction to the bush. I planned to take her to the vet if it stayed but two days later not a trace of it. ( I waited 2 days as we were away in another country and I didn't know any vets). In our french guide to BMDs it says that this can happen to some Berners all their life. As long as she is not bothered by it our vet said to leave it. If it starts to bother her, then she may need surgery. The best thing you could do is ask your vet, you can always take a photo of the eye when it looks bad to show the vet (as of course it will look fine when you get to the vet) hope this helps, Emma and Tatty in France
call names
We have two short listed names when we went to get Tatty; Tareva Shenah and Tatiana, but when we saw her she just looked so Tatty we had to call her that, and yes she lives up to her name, all our clothes and sofas ane now tatty too. When she is being particularly cute she is Tatty wigglypuss from when she wiggled as a pup, or igglepiggle! Very sad I know! Emma and Tatty (who is barking less) in France
BMD w/"issues" needs help
I just had to write, as many of you know my now 7 month old girl came from a volume breeder (not huge, 10-24 litters a year). We did not know this when we bought her. Her french pedigree and registration papers came last week (the day after she was spayed). We have had behaviour problems with her from day one. We chose this breed for their temperament.. we did not expect to have a hyperactive bite-monster. We love her to bits, we work hard with her everyday to improve her behaviour, we try to avoid trigger things, however we are not experts, if we had known in advance we would never had wanted a dog like this. We bought a dog for life, and we will continue to work with her (many many thanks to all the advice we have been given, she is so much better, but still difficult). I suspect that there will be a time when many more BMD's needing rehoming have behaviour problems, and it will be because owners can't cope, not always because they won't. Luckily I was a special school teacher before so have patience, but many people do not have the type or amount of patience needed to deal with behavioural issues. However, we have to live with the knowledge that as she grows up she has to improve or it we be all of us having to pay the price, Emma and Tatty (how long before spaying changes my character) in France
After the spay
Hi there, Tatty was finally spayed on Friday, and is doing fine, though she has eaten the t-shirts, so it is back to a head collar thing until monday when the stitches come out. Thank you everyone on the list for your information and ideas, which meant we felt we were making an informed decision not to breed her. On Saturday the post brought her pedigree, plus her registration papers! Her grand-parents on one side had excellent hips, there was no info on either parent or her other side... I have one question, can spayed dogs (and fixed male dogs) be shown? If not why not, one of the reasons we wanted to keep her 'whole' was to possibly show her. (however her temperament is not really suited at all) I don't know if any of you read The Economist article about dogs and kennel clubs, but I am sure they could be approached to do an article about the economics of the dog trade. They seem to give balanced views about these sorts of things. Puppy mills are there because they make money. They need to not make money to go out of business. States that can pass laws via referendums could would on that angle. Anyway, thanks again, Emma and Tatty in France
Re: taking back puppies
Admittedly I am not an experienced dog owner, Tatty being my first, but when researching where to get a puppy from none of the breeders we found would take back puppies for any reason other than within 7 days if the health check was negative (the legal state in France I believe). With the 3 cats my family have had over the year, all in the UK they were for life too. Two had to be rehomed, one due to moving out of the country and the other due to homelessness (mine after a break up, not the cats). The second cat went to my parents, the first my parents found a home for with a family locally who wanted an adult (ie trained cat). I think that perhaps there are differences on either side of the Atlantic in regards to breeding animals, as I believe Mark has mentioned before. It seems there are also differences with regards to sales too. I have spoken to friends over in the UK about this, with the consensus being that they would not buy from a breeder who retained co-ownership, with one comment being: You wouldn't adopt a child and have to raise it how the birth family dictated, why would I want to be told how to raise my dog. Dogs are family members, and I share the view that they are for life, if there is a reason the dog (or cat) needs to be rehomed it is the family's responsibility to place the animal in a home that they feel is good for the animal, just as social workers place children in the best possible home. We know that when we got Tatty her life is around 10 -12 years, we plan to be in Europe for that time, so that is one security, we have jobs and a farm for us all to live. But things can come from no-where (there but for the grace of God passes though my mind every time I see a long term homeless person). Perhaps the last puppy had two or three buyers who just changed their mind. I don't know, I just hope the right home comes along for the pup. I will be checking Tatty's vulva for signs of mushiness, thanks (she is licking a lot, so its hard to get in there, however she is in a growth spurt so her body is all different, so swollen is going to be hard to tell too) perhaps the vet will get a visit soon Emma and a soon to be prodded and poked Tatty in France
Re: intact female and bonding
Well, we went to the vet on Christmas eve to get Tatty spayed, after a lot of soul searching (my partner wants to breed her, and I was not so sure, as her temperament is a bit hyper). My partner wanted to leave her intact until she was adult so we could make a decision about breeding based on her adult temperament (and x rays etc). Also we both wanted to show her, but she has a scar and a wierd sticky out bit on a non removed dewclaw bump, so she wouldn't win! Well I won on the health grounds - if we had her spayed before her first heat, the cancer risk plummeted. Well the vet wouldn't operate, it being Christmas eve (don't ask why they gave us an appointment for the op on that day then). The very next day her bed smells really weird, there is clear discharge, she starts humping everything and everybody in sight, and she smells strange. This is still going on (just under two weeks later). As new dog owners we are not quite sure if she is in heat. but there you go. If she is (please someone let us know if she was/is or not) then we will leave her intact until she is just over 18 months to see how her temperament goes. She is the love of our life, and we may still want to show her, she trains easily except for no bite (clothes) and no jump (but I like this person). So that is why we have an intact girl. (6.5 months) On the bonding, with just two adults and no-one else, we are Tatty's pack, she pines if one of us is on a business trip. She goes crazy if we argue, she loves to sit across the sofa (couch) on both our laps, just one person and it isn't quite right. She lets me brush her easily, but trains better with my partner. Emma and Tatty in France
Re: intact female and bonding
Well, we went to the vet on Christmas eve to get Tatty spayed, after a lot of soul searching (my partner wants to breed her, and I was not so sure, as her temperament is a bit hyper). My partner wanted to leave her intact until she was adult so we could make a decision about breeding based on her adult temperament (and x rays etc). Also we both wanted to show her, but she has a scar and a wierd sticky out bit on a non removed dewclaw bump, so she wouldn't win! Well I won on the health grounds - if we had her spayed before her first heat, the cancer risk plummeted. Well the vet wouldn't operate, it being Christmas eve (don't ask why they gave us an appointment for the op on that day then). The very next day her bed smells really weird, there is clear discharge, she starts humping everything and everybody in sight, and she smells strange. This is still going on (just under two weeks later). As new dog owners we are not quite sure if she is in heat. but there you go. If she is (please someone let us know if she was/is or not) then we will leave her intact until she is just over 18 months to see how her temperament goes. She is the love of our life, and we may still want to show her, she trains easily except for no bite (clothes) and no jump (but I like this person). So that is why we have an intact girl. (6.5 months) On the bonding, with just two adults and no-one else, we are Tatty's pack, she pines if one of us is on a business trip. She goes crazy if we argue, she loves to sit across the sofa (couch) on both our laps, just one person and it isn't quite right. She lets me brush her easily, but trains better with my partner. Emma and Tatty in France
Re: dandruff problems
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Re: carting, training, and retrieve
I have been following these posts with interest as Tatty loves to carry things around (nearly 6 months). we have trained her to collect various toys and bring them to us. She spontaneously brings her Kong if she can't get out the inner stuffing! We would like to teach her to retrieve as she seems to like this. Is there a book or method that is recommended? For those of you who remember she does still bite too much but nowhere near as much! Emma and Tatty, France
Re: SARDS
Hi, my father had SARDS but with emergency laser surgery the sight was saved completely in his eye. He had preventiive surgery for the other eye, and 6 years later no problems. I hope this reply is fast enough have been away, he had to have the surgery within a week to save the sight. good luck Emma and Tatty, France - Original Message - From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 9:21 PM Subject: Re: SARDS > :::copy and pasted entire post for list::: ;-) > > In a message dated 12/11/2002 11:01:39 AM Eastern Standard Time, FlowerPower216 writes: > > << My Berner has a preliminary diagnosis of SARDS, sudden acquired retinal > detachment, with the prognosis of being blind, in fact she is pretty close > to that now. They weren't kidding about the sudden! Does anyone know anything > about this or have personal experience in this area?. As you can guess , we > are devastated! > I know this may not print in plain text as instructed, but I went to AOL on > the Web as instructed by Pat and couldn't get that to work today, for some > reason. I got to my mail page but then nothing would move or respond from > there. I will try again later, after we go to the opthalmic specialist this > afternoon. I want to know if this is genetic. > Carol Westaway Flowerpower216 and Tobie , ( Silver's Honey Swiss Chocolat)>>> > > I have checked both Padgett and Ackerman and, unless there is another name for it they don't include in their detailed references, it is not listed as a genetic condition. Then again, with "sudden *acquired*" in the name, one would tend to think it is not genetic but acquired -- sometimes bad things 'just happen' to good dogs. Hopefully, your opthamologist can give you the information you need. Please share your experiences with the rest of us when you have an opportunity. > > Take heart, as another poster shared, that dogs typically handle blindness very well and there are e-lists and books which offer support (including US! =) ) > > My thoughts are with you and your pup today. > > All my hopes, > > Vicky and the Horde =P~ > Seleya > > "Don't demand perfection -- everything has cracks in it. It's what let's the light shine through." >
Re: Being chased by humans
LOL the boulangerie (bakery) lady, the garage mechanics, the cool guys at the kebab shop - Tatty knows more people than we do! She is great for our French as people always want to ask questiosn. A guy up a mountain wanted to talk as his Berner is 3 months older than her, fantastic. Emma and Tatty, France
Re: the dog on the mountain in Switzerland:becoming rare breed
Michaela, thanks for expressing thoughts I have too. Emma
Re: Berner on Swiss Mountain:becoming rare breed?
My french berner eats french dog food (kibble to you and croquettes to me) although she absolutely refused to eat one brand after a few days of runny poo! She will only eat croquettes with parmesan, but we are so grateful she started to eat after her illness with the parmesan - she gets it! She also eats grass and charcoal whenever she can. Grated veggies (or stolen veggies) are occasional treats. Don't know what the others eat Emma and Tatty, France - Original Message - From: "Lisa D Allen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 3:52 AM Subject: Berner on Swiss Mountain:becoming rare breed? > To me, Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston will always be a place > where miracles occur. The staff is always helpful and kind. > Moses' internal medicine specialist and surgeon are considerate, gentle, > brilliant and available to assist dog and owner. > Pat is correct; we must not moan about what is wrong with the breed but, > rather, seek to help where assistance is most necessary. > Due to the closeness I shared with the humans of Yoda's littermates, I was > able to get a clearer picture than many of health trends. A good many of > Yoda's littermates died from histiocytosis and there was also kidney cancer, > hemangiosarcoma, and meningitis suffered by littermates. > Yoda lived for nine years six months and died from synovial cell sarcoma, to > which he lost a leg sixteen months earlier. This information was quite > crucial to have for Yoda's veterinarian and specialists. > I fully agree with Mary Ann Bowman; I journeyed 6000 miles, twice, the > second time to escort Yoda to his new home with me in New England; I could > never imagine shipping a pup without his or her human accompanying pup. > Back to Yoda's litter; very carefully planned, producing magnificent, typey > dogs; Yoda was a bear of a Bernerboy, my soulmate; we figuratively finished > each other's sentences. > I do feel that the basic constitution of this breed is so fragile(Jordan > having to take out a second mortgage and me spending thousands and thousands > of dollars; I mention such because this should not be necessary or at least > it should be a rare exception in a rigorously protected breed; to ascertain > the wellness of family, of course I shall ALWAYS spend what is necessary, > the issue with which I emotionally struggle is that the breed has or is > evolving in such a direction with astounding and alarming alacrity that this > is going to become the norm) and the population is exploding such that the > future is not bright. > If we can clone Pat, Joye, and others, than I, for one, would certainly > sleep better at night. > Lisa Allen > By the way, I am curious as to what is fed to Berners in France? > > > > > > _ > STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail >
Re: the dog on the mountain in Switzerland
Good to see so much positive energy. On our first berner and deep in love we tell eveyone who asks not to get from our 'breeder' (whom we now know has at least 12 litters a year, but we didn't know before). To only buy from someone on the national assoc list, to check for health in the past - not easy when neither of us speak perfect french, but we can do our bit. Emma and tatty, France - Original Message - From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 10:24 AM Subject: Re: the dog on the mountain in Switzerland > Doom, gloom, gloom, doom, gloom and doom. Yes, the breed has problems. Yes, they will get worse. But, we have plenty of choices. We can sit around and shout doom and gloom, but for what purpose? To tell people the breed is in trouble? We all know that already. We've known it for years. We predicted it. We saw it coming. And it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. These are not news flashes. > > So what do we do? I am not a hand wringer, I don't believe in being depressed for no good reason. It's too early in the day for a good Cabernet, so I refuse to waste time shouting doom and gloom. It accomplishes nothing except to depress other people without fostering anything positive. > > I like to find productive and realistic methods to try to improve current conditions or to at the very least slow the rate of deterioration. For YEARS now many of us have been doing just that. The breeder checklist? I completed it in February of 1999. A list of Philadelphia area breeders willing to help educate newbies? I did that in 1998. Advertisements in dog magazines? I helped Lesley Rouillier set that up several years ago. A website to promote reputable breeders and help educate the public, thanks to Jim Barrett and Adam Conn and a tremendous group of other people, like Sherri Venditti and others (the consortium website), done in 1997 or so. BARC was established early in 2001 to try to keep as many Berners out of puppy mills as possible, thanks to Amy Kessler and a good many others. Lisa Allen did the first set of breed baseball cards in 1999. Fundraising and Joye Neff go together like hand and glove, she's been doing it for several years now. A better BMDCA Code of Ethic! > s? Worked on dilligently for years, thanks to Gail Vogel, Susan Ablon, and many others. It's not finished yet, but not for want of trying! A booklet on the breed for newbies by the Southeast Wisconsin club, an excellent tool. Lobbying, Dr Melcher, hired by the BMDCA, and has already done a good bit of work in the short time he's been at it. Berner-Garde in the early 1990's to try to share information to minimize genetic problems in the breed, thanks to the enormous efforts of Barbara and Martin Packard and a number of other people over the years. And this is just the short list of all that's been done. There are far too many other names and efforts to list them all here, which is great news for the breed, but my apologies to all of you whose names I haven't listed. > > We can continue to pursue educational opportunities. We can identify other opportunities and find ways to do the work. Rescue anyone? They're going to need more and more help in the coming years, now is the time to start gearing up! > > Or we can just sit around and moan about the current state of the breed. > > Me? I've got better ways to spend my time. Posters anyone? Baseball cards? Clip art? Health disks? Information? Photos to shoot. Money to raise. Articles to write, currently working on The Vocabulary of Cancer, then porto-systemic shunt, Hemangiosarcoma, Lymphoma, Fibrosarcoma, glomerulonephritis. Berner-Garde File Manager & documentation. Health Committee, Light One Candle board, Berner-Garde board. There's stuff that needs to be done, so I'll just keep doing what I can! > > Pat Long (& Luther) > Berwyn PA > > Check any e-mail over the Web for free at MailBreeze (http://www.mailbreeze.com) >
Re: Claustrophobic Berners and Bad Dreams also
As for the bad dreams, Tatty has nightmares fairly regularly. We just let her sleep on unless she is shaking too in which case I reassure her gently and stroke her. The length of nightmare seems to be dcreases as does the frequency. and we got her at 9 weeks! Emma and Tatty, France - Original Message - From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2002 8:27 PM Subject: 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. >
roll on deoderant
can't remember who said to try this on stuff your dogs eats but. I have a dog who likes it, she licked and licked and licked (plug socket which she is trying to chew off the wall). Will try Vicks vapour rub next (as an expat Brit I have some). Emma and a fresh breath Tatty, France
barking mad
Now in text! Tatiana has discovered her voice in a major way, she has gone bark mad. Is this normal? (5 months - seemingly healthy though has just decided today that she needs to pee every two hours signalled by barking) She barks at everything, the phone cables, the door, the oven, the bed, the noises from another place. Having used a cry to go out, now she barks, however I do not know which bark is for outside and which for nothing/everthing. Should I ask her if she wants to go outside, go potty every time she barks more than once so that she knows we associate her noise with that? The problem is we want her to bark at strangers approaching the farm in the future, not to always be silent or use barking for go potty.. help. Sometimes I feel such an idiot - but its my first dog! Previously we always asked for outside/potty if she cried as she would then go to the door if that was what she wanted. She is distressed at the moment (had to take her on a business trip last week and this week my partner is away on business). Should she really need to go pee that frequently? And have accidents if I don't interpret the bark correctly? Should I take her to the vet? She was potty trained through the day until last week! thanks Emma and the lakes of Tatty in France
barking mad
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Re: Unexpected jealousy
talking in sleep is something Tatiana does all the time, we thought she was so strange at first but now we are used to it. She also thrashes around, though she is quite a restless pup of 5 months, padding around frequently. She cries and even wiggles upside down in her sleep. As for jealousy this is just starting to manifest itself in the most odd ways. She is happiest when my partner and I are in the home together, saddest when one of us is on a business trip - when that one arrives home unless she has some Tatty time with each of us she becomes insanely jealous and insists in the lovely puppy way that she gets it! We have no other pets or people around, though she sees others and is happy to have visitors. We are hers, and if not .. by the way thanks for the biting advice to those who proffered it, she is much better now, though gloves and coats are the latest thing to eat! Emma and Tatty France - Original Message - From: "Michelle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Bernese Mountain Dog Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2002 4:26 AM Subject: Re: Unexpected jealousy > Speaking of talking, has anyone else got a puppy that can't go to sleep or > wake up without all sorts of noises and thrashing about? Since he's taken > to sleeping in our bed this is particularly noticeable. There's whining, > single barks, moans, groans, and noise that defies description. This is a > boy about 6 months old. > He's also very jealous of our other puppy. We thought he had a problem with > taking walks. With some experimenting, we discovered he's jealous of me > giving the other dog attention. I can hold him and Chuck the other, or I > can hold both, or he can hold both; but I can't hold her and Chuck the > Berner. > > - Original Message - > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Mike Alexander" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: "Bernese Mountain Dog Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, November 25, 2002 8:39 AM > Subject: RE: Unexpected jealousy > > > > Yes, and we discovered our female BMD pup is so much more VERBAL than our > male...all kinds of "talk" always going on...must be a girl thing :~). > > Anne (with Maddie and Titan) > > > > >
