Why a Breeder & not a rescue?

 

Pretty much all our pups, minus Lada, were rescues.  We've either adopted them from shelters, rehomed pets, or a rescue.  

We love dogs.  We have the ability to make their lives better & the room.  It has always been our thing.  However when we came to Peryn, it changed a bit.  He was from an "Ooops litter".  A couple who bred cattle dogs mistakenly assumed their ACD's were done.  When the new litter was born, they were more concerned with getting rid of the puppies than keeping them.   

They told family & friends the pups were free to a good home. Timing was right & we took him.  It was a learning curve as no matter how much we read up on the ACD, owning & raising one is completely different.   Their monsters.  Take a puppy & make it 10x worse and you have yourself a cattle dog puppy.   
We were lucky that the girls, Athena & Duchess, loved to wrestle & play with Peryn.  It made things a bit easier.   However Rich brought up the fact that there was an age difference between him & the girls.  Approximately 8 years.  Knowing he was an energetic dog, we knew he needed a companion to keep up with him.  We found her online & she fit the mold. Cattle dog, young (9 months younger than Peryn), Female & red.   Best decision ever as they instantly became BFFs & they adore each other. 

Not that we were looking for another, 4 is quite enough, we did talk about future pups. I was securely in the rescue another ACD camp.   Along the way, Rich was changing his mind.  He had met a few Bernese Mtn Dogs though the years. Either at work, the park, in passing, or wherever.  He fell in love with their look, personality, & pretty much everything about them. He would bring them up every so often until finally one day he made the statement that when the time came, he really wanted a BMD. 

I scoffed. I wanted my ACD rescue! I knew of the breed, but not too much about them. Looked them up in curiosity during one conversation and wasn't impressed.   Since it didn't look like we'd have an opening anytime soon, we just let it drop.   Athena was in the obvious stages of DM at this point & we figured when she finally passed. However at this time we didn't think that would be anytime soon.

I definitely was in the mindset that saving a dog via rescue was how we would continue to go.  I didn't want a puppy anymore & these poor souls needed us.   I would NEVER buy from a pet store as they are the reason we have puppy mills and sick animals in shelters.   

Prior to Peryn & Lada, I never gave much thoughts to breeders.  Other than "Why would you pay that much?!!!"     However, after adopting the ACDs & joining online groups I began to see the how a lot of how they acted and what they did could be traced to the breed itself.  It amazed me that how much of what they are is in their genes & bloodlines.   

Now add in that I now have a dog that is a puppy mill rescue with DM (although we didn't know it was that at the time), we begin to see the importance of reputable breeders for the Breed.   I also begin to understand some people want a healthy dog or are looking for certain traits in their pups.  Particularly with ACD's as they are a working dog. 

Essentially I see that the reputable breeders out there due to their love of the breed, are doing their best to create healthy dogs and pro-long the breed.   I can respect that although I could not imagine needing to go to a breeder for a puppy.  We're "done" with puppies.

Losing Duchess was the most unexpected & heart wrenching thing we've ever done.  It was out of the blue & so quick we never had time to accept it.  All our dogs previously were old & having old age issues / knew it was time. It hurt, but it wasn't a surprise.  Duchess was and it devastated us.

We never intended to get another dog as quickly as it happened.  When asked if we would get another dog, we said we would but we were going to wait.  It was shared that when the time came, we'd get a BMD because Rich really was pushing for it.

Volos was a surprise.  Saturday night I am with my friends telling them just that, when the time came we would get a BMD.  In our discussion the girls looked up pics & I explained that it is hard to find one in a shelter setting.   

Very next morning one of those friends sends me a screenshot of something that popped up in her FB feed: A BMD rescue at a shelter about an hour from our home.     We discussed it & said "let's just put in an application for him".   Never would have thought we'd be driving down to bring him home the next day.  

During the time from when the application was submitted to even after he was home, I did my research.   Volos was a loving pup from day one (although you had to allow him his space & time for him to come to you) and I immediately adored the big goof.   

Reading up on the breed was another eye opening experience.  The average life span in 8 years. They have high rates of having cancer.  DM as another possibility.  The breed has many health issues that give it an average of 8 years.    I was horrified. Horrified that our newly adopted 5 year old Berner could leave us too soon.   And lord, another DM dog?   It killed me.

His MCTs don't help matters.  They need to be monitored & removed to prevent them from developing into a worse state.   

Volos--this dog turned me from a "Ehh...not impressed" to "I absolutely love this breed".  As Rich often points out, he knew from the moment he fell in love with the dog that it was the breed for me. 

I love big dogs that I can squeeze tight. I love dogs that have soft fur & big brown eyes. I loved dogs that cuddle.  I love furry floppy eared dogs.  I LOVE his temperament (except his obsession that all toys are his) Voila! BMD!

After we said Goodbye to Athena, we were in no hurry to bring in another. We needed time to heal & were in the middle of a pandemic. 

We did decide we'd look after February. We wanted a young female Berner. That was the only requirement. We were very specific about it being female & young.  In order to fit in with the current pack we required a female to balance out the personalities and a young one to have the energy to play with the pups.

The few female rescues that fit the bill weren't meant to be. Either they were quickly adopted or we weren't chosen.   Plenty of males--no young females.   At this point we had a serious discussion.   
In order to get the dog in the timeframe we were looking for we had to get her this year (2021).  We can hold out hope that we come across a rescue OR...we actually go to a breeder.  

Getting a BMD from a reputable breeder is easily $3000 on the low side.  Add in there are waiting lists at a number of these breeders--10-18 months long.   Additionally a deposit would be required just to be on the list.   We were hesitant because we didn't want to put $ down on something that may take 2 years to happen. 

I put myself on a number of groups on Facebook: Rehoming, BMD puppies, etc.   Nothing but scammers. 

One day Rich is telling a guy at work about my crusade against scammers on these groups & when the guy asks what type of puppy we're looking for -- turns out he knows a breeder!!!

Even better she's taking the female to be bred when we speak.  Her family has been breeding Bernese for years. Her pups average 12 yrs. They're cleared from being DM carriers as well as a number of other diseases.   

This really helped put my mind at ease and we paid a deposit.   I love puppies, but I am not looking forward to training another, but knowing I'll have her for a number of years longer than average helps.     

A rescue would have been great, but finding what we want when we want is not so easy. The dynamic here with the dogs can't have any old dog come in. We need a young female.  That is the only way this current mix is going to gel.    

SO that is essentially why this one isn't a rescue.   
Rescuing is the best way to go if you have the time & space.   Reputable Breeders are acceptable when you have very specific wants & needs.      AVOID BUYING from stores & BYBs.   

NO MATTER WHAT though you should ALWAYS research a breed before you bring it home. A majority of the dogs in shelters & rescues is because someone thought the breed was "cute" and when they begin to act as their genetics dictates, they end up discarded.

 

Rescues...

I think prior to Volos we had it pretty easy with the dogs we've adopted & raised.   Our first abused dog was Sheba who was 6 months at the time.  She was wary of men and would become agitated at anyone "throwing" or doing the throwing motion.   She flourished with us and was extremely protective of us.   Other than that, she was a good dog and had no other big issues, outside of "puppy" issues.

Athena was our second dog with issues.  Assumed puppy mill escapee-since she was found outside- from the visual evidence it appeared as such.  She was underweight, had infections all over, was missing skin off her backside, and had "callouses" on her underside and elbows from where she rested all the time. Additionally she had distended teets.  We were lucky with her.  She was a joy. She craved attention and loved being doted on. She struggled with stairs-never having done them and long walks and running-as she rarely used them.  While we rehabbed her back to health-struggling with house training--she did well.   Once we able to get her strong enough, she loved going to the dog parks and running with all the dogs. That's all she did and she was happy.    We really had it easy with her.

Right now we are struggling as we deal with the Degenerative Myelopathy. Having to assist her in getting up, walking, going outside, cleaning up after her, making sure she eats--it's a lot of work.  We love her and she's still all mentally there, so we're going to work to let her enjoy her life as long as the disease holds off.  

Back when I still lived with my parents our family dog Max had DM.   Then it was pretty much a death sentence. When he got to the point where he was unable to hold himself up, we had to say goodbye.  Times are much different and there are so many resources at our fingertips.  

The sad thing is though, there are so many people out there that when they get a dog--don't "sign up for" this stuff. When the dog becomes older and begins having Senior dog problems, they take then to be put down or surrender them to a shelter.    What is even worse, there are those who get a puppy or dog without doing ZERO research and return the puppy/dog when they begin to act the say they are bred to.    I see so many Cattle Dog postings for people returning them because they were mouthy or they were herding their children.   THEY WERE BRED FOR THAT!!!!    All some people see is a cute puppy and they want it---end of story.  This is a disservice to the dog and to the people who adopt.  

Foster parents and any person willing to take on the special cases-- to give them a chance at having a good home/life are amazing.  While we could never foster, we welcome dogs into our home --even special cases.

he came into the office willingly

Volos is a special case. We've been pretty fortunate with every single dog we've had before him.  We brought them home and soon integrated them seamlessly into our family.   Volos is the first dog where we have to give him space.   Whomever had him before obviously frightened him terribly.  His flinches when you move a certain way.  He runs from the littlest things. It is killing me that this sweet dog is so terribly frightened.

In my last blog post I mentioned I've been running into some issues with him.   It's very hard not to let it get to me.   I've been spoiled in the past that the dogs we've rescued have been welcoming to be loved on and gotten over any fears rather quickly.     Volos--he loves attention. He still likes it from me--but he's not skittish around me and it kills me.    Believe me I'm aware it takes time --all I want to do is sit there and hold him and just pet him all night long.   I know he wants that--but getting from where he is to that seems like a long way. He's not even been here a month and he still has possibly months before he'll feel at home...hopefully.   

I know he was meant for us. I firmly believe if anyone else had taken him home, they may have given up on him already. He obviously feels more secure with Rich and that is good.   It's just hard to sit back and give him time and space.  Peryn so badly wants to play with him-but Volos isn't there.

There are good signs-- he'll happily greet me in the morning or when I come home.  He has been sneaking toys or my slipper.  He shares the same bowl as the rest of the pack.  Outside he will love up on me like there is no tomorrow. He loves to be out in the snow. 

It's just the isolation that he keeps himself in--saddens me.   Right now he's across the hall in Rich's office, lying there alone.   Peryn is in the basement and the other 2 are in my office with me.   If I were to get up and go to him, he'd leave his room.   I don't want to make him uncomfortable so I don't.   I do pop my head in to talk to him sweetly and give treats--and it is so hard not to try to get him to love up on me like he did a week ago.  

Hoping it's just a phase or maybe a reaction to the pain from his surgical sites.   I really adore this dog and it kills me that we've taken steps backward.    I know this is requiring patience and I will give him the space, but part of me just wishes we could FFWD to that day already…

He really is an easy dog overall.  He is super quiet—still have yet to hear him bark.  He stays out of the way and doesn’t beg. He’s mostly house trained.  He only asks for attention ever so often and we’re happy to give it.   Putting our wants and wishes aside to make him comfortable and help him feel safe is all that matters now.

Completing week 2

Hello Again.

Athena is doing well.  She's definitely gotten some meat on her bones and is looking healthy (aside from the obvious issues). Her coat glows & she appears to be very happy.

She LOVES her bed.  She sleeps there when we are at work.  She loves her sister Duchess.  When we adopted Athena it was our hope that they would be playmates.   We've definitely achieved that.

I'll get to that again in a minute.   Athena also LOVES being outdoors.   She loves to sit or lay out there and just watch or bark at whatever she sees.   Yesterday I worked from home and it was in-out. In-out. In-out. 

She does whine a lot.  I do not know the reason but she'll just be lying there and start the whining.  It makes me sad as I do not know what the issue is yet.

Duchess and Athena definitely are bonding. We adopted Duchess 10 months ago and from day 1, sleeping in bed with Mommy has been her thing.  No one sleeps next to Mommy except her.  No one gets Mommy's attention except her.

That has changed over the past week.   Duchess has now taken to sleeping on the floor right next to Athena at night.   It makes me sad, but it warms my heart that they're getting close.  

They play with each other once a day.  That relieves me.  Finally Duchess has a way to burn off some of that excess energy and she and Athena bond even more.

Athena is definitely not afraid to get what she wants.  For example, just a few seconds ago Duchess was on the throne looking out the window. That is normally Athena's spot. Athena wanted it and just went over to get on it.  Duchess chose to leave.

One thing Duchess still has issues with is that with Athena being so affectionate, she just crawls on your lap or snuggles in next to you.  Duchess does not like that, sharing attention.  In fact she is sitting next to me pushing at my hands because they're not rubbing her.

Overall-Athena is doing very well.  
Below is a video I shot this morning as I was trying to work.  It started with Athena cuddling into me...

One Week Later

Sorry to make you wait for another part.  I had to go out of town for a wedding.   Athena was left home with her sisters and Daddy.

 

She's doing extremely well.  Had her first round of shots and was given more medication.

 

The vet thinks she'll do well. The patch of skin on her back is 'healing'. We're still not sure if hair will grow back or not, but everything is healing nicely.

 

Her spaying is being put on hold for awhile. They really would like to see the ear infection & her skin heal more before we get to that point.

 

She has bonded well with her sisters.   She is very sweet with them and she and Duchess play with each other often.   It was exactly what we hoped.   

Athena loves to sit out side and be on guard (to protect us from all those squirrels and cats that roam

Athena watching for local wildlife.

out there).  She's very gentle with kids and adults.   Very sweet.  

She's navigating the stairs better.  She still looks a bit awkward climbing stairs, but she has picked up speed and confidence in climbing them.  She also doesn't crouch low to the stairs as she originally was.  She still is no Duchess when climbing (or running in Duchess' case), but there is obvious improvement.

She loves looking out the window.  She has taken over Galen's old thrown. It's very bittersweet to watch.  

The "throne" was Galen's for the entire time he lived here and it was very saddening to see it empty as his body wouldn't allow him to climb on it anymore.  I think he might approve of her taking it over.



Galen on HIS throne

 

Athena, taking over Galen's spot


Actually, both Galen & Goldberg both use to love looking out the window. They could sit there for hours. Only Galen had claimed the spot and no one was allowed to sit there when he wanted it. Not even Mommy.  

 He would make you get up so he could rest upon it and watch outside if that's what he wanted.    I really think Athena and Galen would have gotten along.   We're just glad she's enjoying it.

I was sidetracked! Let's get back to the vet visit. Athena has gained approximately 4 pounds since she was weighed in at the shelter.   We're glad that she's putting on the pounds.  She has a very healthy appetite.   I have yet to see a sign of any food aggression and that makes me happy. After dealing with it for years with Goldberg and Sheba (no one tried with Galen), it is nice to see a dog eat with a healthy appetite and no issues.

Unless the hub failed to tell me, we haven't had any more incidences of her going in the house.  She's very good with holding it.

I'm extremely happy with the progress she's made.  I also love that she is extremely affectionate.  The other dogs, not so much. I haven't had an affectionate dog since we lost Goldberg 2 years ago.    Athena definitely wins the title of most affectionate ever though.

We're very happy to have brought her into our lives and I think it's safe to say, she's happy too.

Say cheese!

Close up of Athena in the back yard

Days 3 & 4

Athena is adjusting well.
She's doing much better on the stairs. She still looks awkward going up and down, but she's got speed now.

Monday I worked from home, to give her more time to adjust to her surroundings. She slept on her bed right next to my desk the whole day. 
Once I finished, I brought out the puppy puzzle toys for them to play with. She got into them.  She was rather impatient with the one & broke a piece, but nothing major.
She also played a little bit with Duchess.   That made me smile.  


One thing I did notice about her is the possibility she's going into heat. I've never had a dog that was unaltered, so this is new to me.  We're keeping a watch out and we'll definitely find out at the Vet on Friday.

Today, I returned to work.  Today was a real test as this is going to be the schedule she deals with during the week.  9+ hours without the humans.
I was running late, as was my husband, so I was anxious to what I would find when I came in the house.

Three happy excited pups greeted me at the door.   All my girls waiting for me.   While I let them outside, I searched the house for a sign of a mess. Nothing.  Nothing was amiss.  She did so well.

I played with them a bit outside and then brought them back in.   Once inside, Duchess tried to engage her in play.   Athena joined in. They were chasing around the large chair and having a blast.
It warms my heart that they've all started to bond and care for each other. 

Athena's back scabs are falling off. She has healthy looking skin underneath so that is good.   Rich & I both think her teets do not look as big as they did the day we brought her home. Whether that's from us getting use to her or they actually are, remains to be seen.

Right now she & Duchess are at the window right next to me watching the neighborhood.

 

 

 

 

Adopting Athena

After we saw her picture, we immediately sent an inquiry about her.   We also sent in the adoption papers along with a request to meet with her so our dogs could do a meet & sniff.

I spoke to the shelter and one, we were approved to adopt her and two, we were scheduled to meet her and possibly take her home on Saturday April 5, 2015.

In the end, we decided not to bring the other two with us.  We knew Athena, would probably be a good dog, Duchess would be the problem.  We wanted her to have time with us before introducing her to the dogs.  

Besides, it was a 2 1/2 hour drive and did not need the headache of 3 dogs in the vehicle.
It gave us time to bond with her in the car. 


We arrived down there around 10:15 AM & they brought her out right away.   It was a bit of a shock to see her at first. Even though they tell you right there in the adoption post, seeing it in person was something different.

She has that patch of dry scaly hairless skin along her spine. Additionally the black belly & knees, and the extended teets, were a bit of the surprise.   It wasn't going to change our opinion, it just made us realize that this poor girl has been through much more.
They mentioned she was probably over-bred based on her teets. 

Looking at the other spots, it looks like she was kept on her belly or laying down quite often.   It seemed she may have been a puppy mill mom.    

While all the dogs were cautious when they met, they're pretty comfortable with each other. In fact, Duchess and Athena have played a little bit.

You can tell Athena was not a house dog nor did she have a good life prior to us. She tends to walk around with her tail down between her legs.  She isn't use to going outside.  We ask her if she needs to go & she waits at the door with the other 2, but then she goes right there.   We will need to work on the house training.



Athena with her new sisters

She was totally unfamiliar with stairs.  She had the hardest time walking up and down them. She still does but she is a bit better with it than yesterday at this time.

She is an absolute sweetheart though. Very affectionate.  She also took very well to her new bed.  

Sleeping on her new bed next to big sis, Sheba

 

We made an appointment with the vet to go over her issues, get her shots and schedule a date for surgery (she obviously needs to be spayed).  We also need to put some weight on her. She's way too skinny. I'd be happy with 5-10lbs but we'll see what the vet says on Friday.

 

 

We adore her so far and we're going to everything to get her healed and feeling safe and happy.  

 

We're going to keep you up to date on her healing & progress. 

 

 

Below are some pictures of her visible physical issues.



patch along her back

 



Knee

A view of her knee & underneath. Black & hanging low



Another view of her other knee & underneath.

Meet Athena

Welcome.  Let's introduce you to Athena.   Her information was shared in a Facebook Post by a friend of ours. It just so happened we were in search of a new dog.   

We lost our first fur baby in late January after 14 years together.  It was heart breaking.  We had two with us still. Sheba, Galen's (my first), bestie who is 13 1/2 years old.  She has slowed down in her old age and this is the first time she's ever been without him.   We also have Duchess, a four year old we adopted last June.  

We were looking for a companion for Duchess and someone to cushion the blow that is going to come.  When we saw this post, we fell in love with her sweet smile and story.   So this here is the beginning of it all.