Our Favorite Collars!

Our new matching collars just arrived from The Mod Dog.  I don't know the owner personally, but ever since we bought our first martingale collar from her, we were hooked.  We've bought multiple collars from her over the past 5 years, but we have not yet worn one of her collars out!

We love her martingale collars.  They are perfect for our big Berner girls.  I love that they are soft fabric with soft trim.  I love that they offer me extra control, without causing any discomfort to my dogs.

This is a diagram of how a martingale collar works: 

You can see how it tightens, but no tighter than you set it too.  Unlike chain collars that are like a slip-noose, and tighten all around your dog's neck and throat.  These only tighten a couple inches, just enough to make up for that fluffy coat on my dogs, and keep them from slipping out of the collar.

Many companies make the tightening section out of chain.  Chain is TERRIBLE with our fluffy Berners!  Their long coat gets caught in it, and when we pull, it yanks those little hairs right out.  These Mod Dog collars are so much better with their soft collar all the way around.  

The best part is how well these hold up!  Koda has been wearing hers endlessly for 21 months, and it still looks nice.  The fabric / ribbon isn't worn through, and the hardware is all very secure still.  

Even though Koda's collar is still perfectly fine (you can see it fairly clearly in these pictures!), I wanted Koda and Karma to have new matching collars.  I look through collars often, and when I found these sparkle collars, I fell in love.  My hardest choice was what colors to order!

I did have a concern as to how well the sparkles would hold up.  My daughters all love sparkly shoes, and that glitter ends up EVERYWHERE, and they are scratchy!  I was SO thrilled to get our collars, and discover how soft the sparkles are - they are a soft ribbon, and feel like most other ribbons.

I ended up ordering two matching collars (custom sized for each of my dogs) in Hot Pink glitter on black webbing.  They turned out so cute!

These aren't the best pictures ... you know how Berners are!  Karma didn't understand why on earth I would want to photograph her instead of snuggle!  

If you could get any of these Mod Dog collars, which design would you get?

BTW: I am in NO way getting paid or rewarded at all for this product post.  

I simply love these collars, and wanted to share!

My Dog Ate My Homework ...

Last week, my 9 year old daughter came home in tears.  She had apologized to her teacher for her essay being wrinkled, and when she told him that Karma had gotten a hold of it, he replied: "That's the oldest excuse in the book!"

My initial reaction tends to be Mama-Bear mode, lol, but I decided that a nice little letter would suffice just fine ;)

Did your dog ever eat your homework?

Roughhousing

Geez Karma, you seriously want to roughhouse again?  

Can't we just relax for a bit?

 Relaxing is nice ... you should try it.

Wait ... I said RELAXING ... 

Pup, don't look at me like that ...

Seriously, I just want to relax ... I'm not here for you to attack.

You little punk, if I don't get to relax ...

 Hmmph. you aren't actually a piranha, Karma.  You're a little puppy.

Ugh, seriously? 

Fine pup, we'll play, bring it on.  

I win.

THE END

The FEAR Periods

The first 8+ weeks, your puppy was with us, receiving lots of good, positive socialization.  Their whelping box was in our family room / kitchen, and they were in the middle of our family life.  At different times, they heard children, stomping, running, wii-mote sounds, computer games, dishwasher, washer and dryer, babies crying, doorbell ringing, and hundreds of other noises.  They had quiet, calm time.  They had time to explore on many different surfaces.  They met lots of children and friends who came over to play, snuggle, talk to, and adore them.  They had a very positive start, and we worked diligently to ensure that your puppies early development was social and happy, with lots of great experiences.

So, why now is your social, happy puppy suddenly jumping at strange sounds, and panicking at new (or not-so new) situations? Why are they suddenly scared of the sound their dog tag makes on their food dish, or terrified of going on their normal walk?

First of all, take a deep breath, and stop stressing.  This behavior is a NORMAL STAGE of puppy development.  How you handle this stage is important, but you didn't do anything to cause this stage of development.  Now that you can let go of some of that "puppy-owner-guilt", remember that your puppy WILL pick up on how you are feeling and how you react to this stage.  If you are stressed, he will think "See, I should be worried about this, because my human is worried!"

The best thing to do is stay calm and positive.  Never punish or scold your puppy for being scared, all that will do is reinforce their fear.  Also be cautious not to coddle and pet your puppy.  What comforts us as people, doesn't give comfort to a dog, trying to soothe them is like saying: "You are right, that IS scary!"   Stay positive but firm, and MOVE FORWARD!

If walks are causing panic, work with your puppy.  Have him on a leash, and walk with him several times a day.  When he starts to slow down, or plant his feet down, encourage him: "Come on buddy, we're headed to the park!  Good job!".  When they sit or try to high tail it home, do not let them.  Each time, stay calm, and don't let your puppy dwell on the fear.  Pick them up, set them on their feet, and keep going, encouraging them with a happy, calm voice.

There are a lot of good articles written on the fear periods, so I will share those.  I encourage you to stay calm, reassure yourself that you are doing great, and remember that your puppy just needs you to show him the way!

Each bullet is a link, I found each of these articles helpful in their own way:

• Good article on how to handle your puppy's fear
• This isn't your puppy's only fear stage - here's a general schedule
• This article reminds us: "It may be easier to leave them home rather than take them on walks where a meltdown happens every block or so, but it's imperative to get them out in the world and continue their socialization."
• Article: Don't punish, but also don't coddle!
• Great information and advice
• Development, including fear period information

We hope these help.  Our intent is NOT to replace working with a trainer, so if you have additional concerns, a good trainer that works with POSITIVE training techniques may be able to offer some hands-on advice and training.  

WELCOMING KARMA!!!

 Miss Karma joined our family 10 days ago, and we already can't imagine life without her.

She *loves* being part of the family, and always wants to be near us, loving us.

She still is a puppy, and can be a super-stinker at times, like when she was chomping on my camera bag.

But then she looks at you with those puppy eyes, and you melt.

We are probably biased, but we think she's just darling.

Who's a pretty girl?

Karma's a pretty girl.

Both our babies playing with each other ... 

Naptime for Miss Karma.

A Letter from "Sky Blue" and his family!

Dear Dustin's,

Last fall, we lost our sweet family pet, a Golden Retriever that we had had for 14 years.  Our two youngest kids started searching for the perfect dog for our family.  Our 15 year old spent hours on the internet reading and studying for the perfect dog for us.  She wanted a dog more than anything in this world.  It was such a fluke that she happened onto your website and we all fell in love with your family of Berner pups!  Our daughter at college was coming down for the weekend, so she picked him up and surprised everyone.  

It took us a whole month to agree on a name.  We finally named him Bear and it fits him really well.  Our neighbors call him "the big Brown Bear," due to our last name being Brown, and he already weighs 32 pounds.  He has become somewhat of a celebrity here in our little southern Utah town.  It is so much fun to show him off because not many have ever heard of this breed.  We spend lots of time at a local ski resort and everyone loves him there also.  We can't wait to take him around in the snow. 

Bear quickly became a much loved part of our family!  He misses the kids when they go to school and he lays his head back and howls.  It is so darling. 

We are attending dog training classes with a group that trains dogs for search and rescue.  He loves to go and spends lots of time socializing with the other dogs.  (we laugh about him being the "class clown.")  We couldn’t love this dog more.  

Thank you for the great care you have given these pups.  It is very evident.  Our dog trainer was very impressed with his confident, happy manner, and she said she could tell he had been cared for and socialized well from a small puppy. 

I hope this gives you a small glimpse of your/our cute Berner Bear and how he is doing.  Give his mom a hug!

~The Brown Family

 

 

 

Miss Karma

We received pictures of our Karma today!  I've been going crazy only seeing pictures every couple weeks, especially since I'm a little obsessive about pictures! I'm SO excited to pick her up this weekend!

 

Behavior 101: Puppy Biting!

As Koda's puppies reach their teething stage, we've gotten several questions about the best way to stop puppy biting.  First of all, it is VERY NORMAL at this age (3-5 months) for your puppy to mouth / bite on toys, furniture, and YOU.  However, they need to learn very quickly "bite-inhibition", and that is now up to you.

While your puppies were here with their mama and littermates, they practiced playing and play-fighting.  They would nip at each other, bite, tug, and tackle.  However, if they played too rough, or dug those sharp little teeth in, their littermate would yelp, and refuse to play.  Very quickly, each puppy began to learn that if they were too rough, they didn't get played with.  This is our recommended technique for dealing with puppy biting.  When your pup sinks those teeth in, give a high pitched yelp, and turn away.  Ignore them for 20-30 seconds, then you can go back to giving them attention. NEVER hit them or hurt them for biting, it gives conflicting messages to the puppy and does NOT HELP!

Right now, those baby teeth are bugging them.  They are getting ready to lose them in the next couple months, making way for their adult teeth.  But, learning how to mouth softly and be gentle is VITAL right now.  They have those sharp little teeth, but not a lot of jaw-strength.  Once those adult teeth come in, they aren't so sharp, but their jaw becomes more powerful, and can do damage.  They need to learn bite-inhibition now, so please work diligently with them.

Tip: Don't play Tug-o-War with your puppy, as it encourages biting and is detrimental to learning bite-inhibition.

Here's some more good reading on this topic:

• Puppy Biting by Dog Star Daily
• Puppy Biting 101 by the Rancho Coastal Human Society
• How to Stop a Puppy From Biting by Dog Training Central
• How to Train a Puppy that Bites by WebMD

Hope that helps :-)

Puppy Development

Puppy training encompasses so many different points.  There's housebreaking & potty training, kennel training, obedience training, socialization, and more.  What do you focus on when, and how?

The "Developmental Stages" of puppies. 

Their first 7-10 weeks with us included lots of developmental opportunities, including neurological stimulation, daily one-on-one time with each puppy, plenty of household noises (vacuum, kids, infants, fans, etc), exposure to new surfaces (wood, tile, linoleum, carpet, cement, grass, etc), lots of playtime with mama and littermates, playtime with new people, and much more.  We worked with them every day to come home to you well socialized and well rounded.  

Now it's up to you! 

Our main thoughts on the puppy time period (and links to helpful reading!):

~ Socialize, socialize, socialize!  Let friends come over and give treats to your puppy.  Expose your puppy to new sounds and experiences.  If something sets them off, or freaks them out, gently repeat that something with treats, and work to help your puppy associate it with positive reinforcements.  A great socializing opportunity can be found in puppy training classes.

~ Be aware of the "fear period(s)".  Puppies tend to have these periods from 8-11 weeks, and again around 6-14 months.  Work to make sure that they have lots of great experiences!  

~ Be cautious of Parvo.  It can affect any dog, but puppies are the most vulnerable.  There is never any guarantee even if you are cautious, but little things can help a lot. 

• Protecting Your Dog from Parvovirus by the Whole Dog Journal
• Parvo: An Introduction by the Veterinary Insider
• The Importance of Proper Parvo Protection by Randy Walker, DVM

Most of all, let your Berner be a member of your family!  Like children, they need boundaries and firm rules, but thrive under love and gentle kindness!

Hello from "Pink"!

Its been a couple weeks since my husband hand-delivered Luna to her to her family in San Diego:

We just got this email (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hearing about "our" pups!)


Greetings from San Diego!


Sorry I haven't written but we've been busy enjoying our little girl. Luna has made the transition into our home exceptionally easy for all of us. We both can't believe how smart she is (or how fast she's growing - up to a whopping 25 pounds). She is almost fully potty trained and can already sit and shake. Crate training at night has been something we're still working on, though. Brandon & I could let her cry herself to sleep but I don't think our neighbors in the complex would appreciate it so she has been sleeping in her bed next to ours. I guess she's won that battle... for now. We made our first trip to the dog park on Sunday with a friend and her year-old boxer & Luna played with her and all of the other dogs until she was so tired she could barely walk. This picture is on the car ride home and you can just tell she had the time of her life.


Thats all the news as of now. Thank you again - we can't imagine how we lived without her!

~Erin D