Fact #1

These breed are also called Berner Sennenhund. “Berner” is Bernese in English and is derived from the area of the breed’s origin, Canton of Bern in Switzerland. “Senne” is a German term for alpine pasture while “Hund” is German for dog. Another name of these dogs is Dürrbachhunde, derived from a small town where they were frequently seen.

Fact #2

Bernese Mountain Dogs are famous for pulling carts for kids and parade purposes. The fondness of the dogs for this activity was that they were originally bred to pull wagons for farmers. Their calm temperament and large structure also made them suitable for cart pulling.

Fact #3

Unlike large working dog breeds such as the Newfoundland and Saint Bernard, Bernese Mountain Dogs do not usually like water. Many owners mistake that their similarities to the aforementioned breeds make them good water dogs. The Bernese dogs actually do not even allow their legs to be wet, as they just do not like the feeling of it.

Fact #4

An alarming information regarding the Bernese Mountain Dog is that this breed have a short life span compared to other large and pure bred dogs similar to it. According to studies, the average life span of these dogs recently is between 7-8 years, far from their previous life span of 10-11 years. Cancer is thought to be the main cause of the breed’s shortened longevity and have higher rates of cancer fatality than other breeds.

Finally he achieved his goal when his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Baker let him adopt a tangled mutt. Than the whole story gets a spin as one morning, Owen discovers that he can understand the words that Hubble says – including a mysterious phrase: „Take me to your leaders.” Owen realizes that the existence of dogs on Earth is not an accident. They arrived here thousands of years ago to colonize and occupy the planet. He also walks a gassy Bernese Mountain Dog (Shep), a nervous Italian Greyhound (Nelly), a cool Boxer (Wilson) and a pampered Poodle (Barbara Ann).

In this comedy we can see how clever, polite and devoted a Bernese Mountain Dog can be. Bernese Mountain Dogs are excellent with children, but because of their big size, the best is if you never leave small children alone with the dog.

Do you know any other famous Bernese Mountain Dogs? Post a comment with your story!

If you are about to buy a dog, you’ll find this very useful. Euro Puppy, the reputable puppy finder company have launched a new website. As part of the promotion of their new site, they have released a coupon that will get you $100 off of any puppy you buy from them. Get the coupon code here.

If you want proof of just how extraordinary the relationsip between man and his best friend can be then you really must read a stunning new book called One Dog At A Time. It has been written by a British Marine and dog lover called Pen Farthing and tells of his time serving in the violent Helmand Province of Afghanistan.

While dodging the bullets and mortars, Sergeant Farthing witnessed the cruel and barbaric Afghan tradition of dog fighting. Rather than standing by as many would have done, he risked his life by breaking up the fighting and freeing the dogs. One of them, a big, battle-scarred mastiff he christened Nowzad after the town he was stationed in, found his way into the Marine compound where he befriended his liberator. As Farthing’’s tour of duty continued, he and Nowzad became inseparable buddies. The tough British soldier and the powerful dog formed an odd couple in the middle of the war zone. They were soon joined by other dogs who were drawn to the sanctuary the Marine compound provided. At one point, one dog pushed her litter of newborn pups through the wall of the compound so that they could be safe from the Taliban bombs and general cruelty of the Afghans towards the dog.

By the end of his time in Afghanistan, Farthing had more than a dozen dogs and puppies living in his makeshift sanctuary. As he prepared to leave, he was faced with the heartbreaking prospect of leaving them all behind.

We won’t spoil the ending of this powerful book, but suffice it to say that two of the dogs he rescued are now living with Pen Farthing in England. He has also set up a fantastic charity to rescue other abused dogs in Afghanistan. His work is truly inspirational and is winning the admiration and support of dog lovers everywhere. Part of the proceeds from the book will go towards his charity.

If you only buy and read one dog book this year, make it One Dog At A Time.

VEFM helps in four important ways:

(1) finding resources for immediate, short-term emergency care;

(2) teaching participants ways to avoid emergencies with their pets in the future;

(3) counseling participants in money management, so they will have resources of their own if emergencies do arise; and

(4) once the current emergency is past, reaching out and help others in similar situations. In other words, they will not get a free hand-out. Instead, they will get a gift that requires making a commitment to others: “a gift that is given again.” (See http://www.heifer.org for information on this principle.)

Tell Us your Story

We want to hear your story. No pet should be denied emergency care because an owner has fallen on hard times. Let us hear from you, to help kick-start the birth of the Veterinary Emergency Funding Mission, or VEFM. Help us meet our target start-up date of January 1, 2009. To tell your story, go to: http://vefm.blogspot.com/2008/09/we-want-to-hear-your-story.html