Merry Christmas!!

Wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday

and all the best wishes for the New Year!!

 

The Berner Life

 

 

Mountain Rock Stars

Back in early October we thought it would be fun to take the dogs on a hike in Yosemite National Park for a few days.  Why we thought this would be easy and go off without a hitch is a mystery to this day.  Have we not READ this blog???  That being said, we had prepared in advance by training Bodie to wear a doggie backpack that he actually didn't loathe and seemed to wear with pride on our training hikes to Starbucks the weeks prior.  We booked a room near Yosemite at a trendy lodge that was surprisingly dog friendly (for an extra $75, of course) and made our way to the mountains.
 

While Yosemite is a beautiful place to hike, it doesn't exactly welcome canines with open arms.  They tell you to stick to paved roads and can't go in meadows or dirt trails.  Anyone that has ever been to Yosemite will tell you it is 99% meadows and dirt trails.  One does not travel all the way to Yosemite to take photos of the gift shop parking lot.  This was going to be my go-to response to any ranger who questioned me as to why I was standing the middle of a meadow with two dogs, having gotten there via a dirt trail.  Luckily, thanks to California's budget cuts, I didn't encounter any such ranger so didn't have to use my snappy one-liner.  This also meant my husband didn't have to bail me out of jail, either. 

 

Our first trek was to Mirror Lake which, ironically, has no water in it this time of year.  I guess renaming it "Big Rock In Dirt" for part of the year just doesn't have the same appeal.  Nonetheless, it was a pleasant enough walk that was mostly on a paved road ("See Mr. Ranger?  I'm complying!!") and the dogs were enjoying themselves immensely.  Occasionally we would pass another dog-walker and Leila would go on Red Alert but would stop short of actually putting on the after-burners and dragging me in the opposite direction.  She even stopped and watched in a combination of interest and horror as a line of horseback riders traveled by.  But there were just too many new smells and sounds for her to waste time fearing other creatures.  "I'll get back to hating you a minute, horse; I smell squirrel poop!"

 

One of the many great things about Yosemite is the tourists there from all over the world.  A majority of the busloads of camera-toting wide-eyed folks we met up with were from parts of Europe, although we detected many a twangy Southern and Midwest accent scattered throughout the group.  One thing the jolly folks from DeMoines and the smiling Londoners (and one delightful couple from Dubai!) had in common other than being so very sweet and friendly was their utter fascination with Bodie and Leila!  Up at Glacier Point, there were ooohs and ahhhs coming from people not even remotely looking at the view.  I heard so many people say "They are so lovely!" and "They make me miss my dogs at home" and if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me "What kind of dogs are those?" I could have put a sizable dent in their $75 lodge fee.  One woman was so tickled to see them she had to take a photo of herself with them.  One couple from Germany explained that they had two just like that back home.  It was all quite fun but I couldn't help wondering if Half Dome and El Capitan were getting just the slightest bit jealous.  Bodie, always the ham, was a tail-wagging tourist hugger, enjoying all the attention immensely.  Even Leila, the Greta Garbo of the Berner world, was getting in on the action, determined not to let a little thing like a fear of strangers get in the way of a series of head-pats and ear scratches, oh no.

 

Back at the lodge, we were provided two warm and cuddly dog beds that neither of the pups would so much as glance at.  Instead, they chose to immediately hop up on our beds, having obviously not read the memo stating that animals should not be on the lodge furniture.  Wearing their best "Hey, I'm on vacation!" expressions, one dog hopped up on one bed, the other on the opposite bed, and us four humans had to work around them.  I think the adoration of the tourist paparazzi has gone to their heads!

 

The next day we wandered into our favorite meadow (via a dirt path, no less) to get photos in front of Half Dome for our Christmas card.  Just our luck for once there was no one in sight, not a gushing tourist, scolding ranger, no one.  Except for a few deer in the distance we had the meadow to ourselves.  Ordinarily this would be an ideal arrangement but this time I wanted to see another warm body so we had someone to take the darn picture!  Instead we had to use the self timer on the camera, perched on a tripod, and then try like hell to get the dogs to NOT look at my husband who has now run back into the picture and instead concentrate on the tiny blinking red light on the camera way over there.  Yeah, you can only imagine how well THAT turned out!  Safe to say the outtakes are many.  When Leila finally got bored with it all and lied down, we knew we were going to have to make do with what we have.  That was about the time we saw the ranger truck drive by so we high-tailed it out of the meadow and back into the truck.

 

We probably could have seen more of Yosemite Valley and hiked more trails if we had left the pups at home, but it would not have been nearly as much fun (and law-breaking!).  And in addition to the beautiful scenery and majestic mountains, some tourists got an added benefit of seeing actual celebrities while on their trip to California, at least in Bodie and Leila's minds! 

 

"Rocks?  What rocks?  We're the only rock stars here!!"

 

 

 

 

49 Happy Clams and 1 Snapping Turtle

How long is a dog's memory?  Do they remember things year after year or is every morning a clean slate?  Sometimes I swear it is the latter, as every morning when I get out of bed, my two greet me like I just returned from a six month trip to Siberia.  They enthusiastically jump around, yowling and barking, tails furiously flapping, as if to say "oh thank GOD you woke up!!!!"  At first it was kind of endearing, now it's just downright annoying, as I am the poster girl for not-a-morning-person.  But there are other times when I wish they would remember an experience from last year (heck, I'd even go for last week) if it ended on a good note.  I thought of this as I packed up the SUV with water, biscuits, bowls and poo bags and prepared to head west to the coast.  Yes, it's time once again for the Bernese Mountain Dog Rally at Farmer John's Pumpkin Patch in Half Moon Bay.

 

Now, it would be really great if my two remembered the time we attended this rally last year, not because they had such a banner time, but because they actually SURVIVED it.  You may recall, my two have a bit of a socialization issue with other dogs.  Namely, they hate other dogs. I figured, "Hey, maybe they won't hate other dogs that look like them!"  They did.  But they managed to hold it together so I thought perhaps they would do much better this year, being older and more secure, right?

 

Yeah...not so much.

 

Bernese are by breed a happy sort of dog, almost "dufus" in nature.  When we pulled into parking area where the dogs were all running around playing and having a grand old time, we were met immediately by a large fluffy Bernese the size of a Volkswagen Beetle who proceeded to stuff his snout into the open doorway of the SUV to say hello and see if we perhaps had any food.  Needless to say, Leila took great offense at having her personal space invaded and went into a frenzy, content in the knowledge she was currently shielded by the truck seat and two children.  As soon as they moved, all bets were off.  We did manage to shoo away the VW and after much coaxing and biscuit-waving, get Leila out of the truck.  While other Berners ran and frolicked, my two immediately dove behind the hay bales.  Oh yes, this was going to be a fun trip!!!

 

Figuring out that Berners are tall enough to actually SEE them over the hay bales, Bodie soon grew tired of hiding and decided to venture out and do a reconnaissance fly-by into enemy territory in the hopes he wouldn't get eaten.  He did not.  Meanwhile, Leila managed to find a bunker behind my husband and happily tried to blend in with the sunflowers.  She did not either.  I finally managed to draw her out from behind the hay bales where she happily sat in the corner of a 90 degree angle of hay and got head pats and attention from humans.  All was well until another happy Berner came over to join in the love fest and Leila realized the error in her plan: she was now cornered.  Forget that the other dog could care less that she was there, she suddenly snapped at it with all the viciousness she could muster, which was rather inadequate at best.  A nearby poodle eyed her as if to say "Seriously?  That's all ya got?"  But still, I was horrified that in this midst of happy-go-lucky wandering dogs, mine had turned into the Hound of the Baskerville.  Bodie came over to offer moral support, unsure of exactly what his action item was.  I finally gave up and went to make a fuss over other dogs, embarrassed by their behavior.

 

While the "other dogs" merrily romped, climbed on tables, drank at the community water bucket and posed for a group photo, my two wanted nothing to do with them.  Bodie occasionally took an interest from afar at a passing pup, even extending his nose to get a whiff of the passerby, but as soon as he was acknowledged, he would bob and weave like a football running back to escape an introduction.  Leila would follow me as I walked the field, nervously glancing left, right and behind her as if preparing for an oncoming zombie attack.  When I made my way back to the SUV and opened the hatch, she defied gravity by levitating into the back with lightening speed, her jumping position only viewable with a slow-motion camera.  As much as her stand-offishness pissed me off, I loved the gaggle of happy bouncing black and white, the zaniness of the controlled chaos that was the pumpkin patch at that time, and the incredibly friendly and personable dog owners that were having a great time letting their Berners frolic. 

 

Time to start preparing for next year!!  I'm sure my two will be much better by then!!  (insert eye roll here!)

 

Stay tuned......

 

 

Many thanks to John and Eda Muller of Farmer John's Pumpkin Patch for hosting this wonderful event.

 

Inversion Layer

By design, dogs seem to be sturdy little creatures.  Four solid legs, ending in four feet appropriately proportioned for the size of the beast, gives four points of contact with the earth in which to balance and stay upright.  They are like little coffee tables, weight evenly distributed, feet and legs working in unison to propel them forward and rarely if ever tipping side to side.  Although the last time my coffee table propelled itself forward was after I had had one too many glasses of wine, but that's a story for another time.
 

That being said, even sturdy feet seem to need a break now and  then.  Even dog spines need to be stretched out and relaxed every once and awhile, just like us after a long day.  Maybe that's why dogs like to sometimes lie on their backs.  It stretches the spine in the opposite direction to relieve pressure and it feels good.  Most dogs lie on their backs and kick their feet up, sometimes wiggling from side to side to itch  an area on their backs they usually can't reach otherwise.  Leila will do this occassionally, writhing back and forth and kicking her feet like she's riding and invisible bicycle upside down.  Then she'll immediately flip back over and glance around to see if anyone actually witnessed her momentary loss of inhibitions, embarrassed by this rather unladylike action.

Bodie, on the other hand, is the king of the Inverted Downward Dog.  Whether it's to relax his back, take the stress off his feet, or just to release his inner exhibitionist by pointing his boy-bits skyward (what is left of them, that is), Bodie will stretch out on his back and stay there.  There is no wriggling, no itching, no bicycle riding.  Although sometimes there is snoring.  He doesn't care if I have clean folded laundry on the floor, am just about to vaccum right there, or even if I have company over....he walks over, flops down and there you have it: a shameless display of doggie-crotch.

I'm not sure if he thinks there is a tanning bed there or not, but there is no denying his comfort level with this yoga position.  He will stay that way for extended periods of time, sometimes falling asleep.  He doesn't care if there is a noisy action movie on the TV or if Leila is in the room as well, he just tunes out and turns on.  In some ways I envy his ability to get so comfortable that he can sleep in such an awkward position.  Maybe it's not awkward for him, just for the rest of us trying to avert our gaze from his display of manliness.  That's always the fun topic of conversation when I have company over, especially kids.  Good thing he has a hairy tummy!  And if there is an obstacle in the way like a shoe or a couch...no matter!  He'll drape over it or even up the side of it.  For those poor souls sitting on the couch at the time, good luck standing up.  An upside-down Berner that is half-way up the front of the couch takes up a lot of real estate!  Tread lightly, lest you step on something important!

Whatever the reason he likes to invert himself, be it relaxation, exhibitionism, or just to have a different view on life, Bodie likes the idea of lying on his back whenever possible.  Some think he is waiting for the inevitable belly-rub, but I'm pretty sure it's just to embarrass the daylights out of me.