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Apparently Bernese Mountain Dogs---like this fella:

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Apparently Bernese Mountain Dogs---like this fella:

<center><img src="http://www.petplanet.co.uk/petplanet/images/breeds/bernesemd.jpg" alt=Bernese Mtn Dog/></center>

---are smarter than Saint Bernards. But they <i>are</i> more susceptible to illness.

How do you think they'd be when it comes to <i>gravitas</i>?

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I love Bernese Mtn Dogs. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!

They're Swiss, you know. Friendly, happy, smart, pretty. Yay!

So, let me get this straight---are you saying you like them?

Yep! R digs 'em, too.

Gee, that'd be at least TWO of my friends who'd like the dog. And I bet S. would, cuz she digs the big dogs, and any kids I know probably would (though I know a lot fewer kids with the loss of H.). I'm trying not to give up on the hope for a dog entirely. Just have to wait until I can straighten things out a little better.

Yeah, now might not be the best time for taking on a dog. Although a big dog like that makes for a good teddy bear. Huggable, those guys.

My parents had a St. Bernard when I was ages 8 to 14, a collie before that, a golden retriever after that, and a German Shepherd/Labrador Retriever mix now. The St. Bernard was pretty smart, and the golden retriever was ridiculously stupid (not quite as stupid as she pretended to be when it was to her advantage to refuse to do any tricks, but she was genuinely slower than the other dogs), and the collie was in between the two . . . but the German/Shepherd/Labrador Retriever mix they have now is miles ahead of any of them in intelligence. Their house is built on a steep hill, with a deck around it that's at ground level in the front yard but one story higher in the backyard due to the hill, and the dog will climb up on the deck on the backyard side, deliberately push his toy over the edge of the deck, run around to the front yard to get off the deck into the yard, back around to the backyard to fetch the toy, bring it back up to the deck again and push it off so he can continue playing fetch with himself with no assistance.

I heard Shepherds are fairly smart, and trainable. The one I knew was a sweetie, but a little scary to strangers with the barking---and H. was afraid of them. (We'd agreed not to get a dog with any watchdog tendencies.)

I like the story of the dog who played fetch with himself.

This dog never barks. He's scary to strangers, but only because he's humongous. (Though not quite as humongous as the St. Bernard.)

My mother was always impressed by the St. Bernard's intelligence because when she talked to him the way you would talk to a human, just saying in a conversational tone "Would you mind leaving me alone, please?" instead of "Go!" the way you would say when commanding a dog, he would usually react and obey as though he understood perfectly. But he didn't react appropriately when I tried it, so I think he just guessed the usual range of things she was most likely to be saying to him.

But he didn't react appropriately when I tried it, so I think he just guessed the usual range of things she was most likely to be saying to him.

Either that or he didn't feel the need to do what you asked!

Well, that's another thing. Anytime any of us went anywhere near the swimming pool, he would always walk up to us and start leaning all his weight against us, all friendly-seeming except for the fact that his weight was pushing us right into the pool. And he was a lot heavier than me, and especially than my little brother, so we would have to dodge when we saw him coming or start clinging to him to hold on.

I'm sure that was plenty frustrating to you kids and all, but it sounds awful cute to me now.

Our first dog was named Victor. We used to call him stuff like mictor or bictor or rictor to see if he'd answer to it--he usually did. He was a mut. Not sure what all together. He was little, but he looked like a miniature german shepard (his coat was like that) with a smaller head. When my parents were potty-training him, they decided to lock him in a room one day while they went out. Well, he didn't like it and he chewed his way through the bottom of the door. So he had this little tooth in the front that stuck out and made him look all tough n' stuff. He wasn't tough, though. One time, he got out and I saw him around the block being chased by a huge black and white cat. he was yelping like a baby--it was funny.
TANGENT! While Victor may not have been tough, he was smart. I wanted to say that muts are the best! Pure bred's are psycho. I would definately consider trying to find a dog that has a few different combinations of breeds that you like.

Yeah, I'm all for a mutt, when it comes right down to it. They tend to live longer, too, right?

Victor with his tooth stickin' out---what an image.

Yup. They do live longer.
Victor...he was so cute! I still get all choked up when I think about him...I was about ten when my parents put him to sleep (he was about 18 yrs. old, I think). He had cancer and was in pain. We had the day off school for a holiday or something and I slept in. Right when I got up, my folks said, "Hey, how bout that Siamese Fighting Fish you always wanted!" I was sooo excited that I didn't even think to look for Victor. We went shopping all day and when we got back, I noticed his bed wasn't under my desk where it usually was. I said, "Mom, what are you doing with Victor's bed? Are you washing it or something?" She looked at me sooo sad and said, "Baby.." and I just burst into tears. I cried for three days...then one night, I envisioned Victor in a prairie full of wild flowers, running as fast as he could with his tongue hanging out next to his spikey tooth--he was so happy. I decided he was in a better place (this was back when that whole God thing still made sense to me).

You almost make me tear up, all wistful, right here in the (now archaically named) Referencing Room.

oh, STOP--I'm soooo sure.

You kiddin'? A dead dog story isn't going to make me tear up? All I can say is: it was a good thing you ended with the happy, flowered-prairie-rompin' pup.

Is that a picture of you when you were little?
too cute. If it is, what were you doing?

That's me. I'm by a pool somewhere. Don't remember it, but I do like my outfit and belly in the picture. And typical tomboy Lisa messed-up hair. (There's a bigger version of it on my info. page these days.)

I've been meaning to ask about the shot of you. That IS you, right? Are you (a) in a play? (b) at a Rocky Horror performance? (c) doing something I shouldn't ask about?

I knew it was you :-) you were so cute, what happened?! heeeheeeheee
And hahahahaha. My picture is from a play, yes. The Country Wife. I put it in photo shop and did a little grainy film filter on it--I thought it looked cool, but now I fear it's implications....thanks...thanks a lot?! ;-)

...Jake? The German shepherd of your landlord in Baltimore. c. 1995...? I am considering getting a dog, because right now (as you know) I am like a weekend father to the labrador that my ex-partner and I raised, and I've considered a few breeds: Lab, great Dane mostly. I was thinking the other day that i didn't like German Shepherds, but then I had to revise that opinion, because I remembered that I loved Jake. He had a frightening sounding bark, but he knew who was good, and could be quite cuddly with me. this is a quick entry-- my first ever.

actually, the pic is not me. Nor is it my dog Cooper. It's Cooper's daddy. Cooper looks a lot like him though.

It's funny that you have ancestral photos from the dog's side of the family!

Yep, I'm a-talkin' about ol' Jake. The Big Shep. I did love that dog, but only because I was in the family unit. Can't be havin' a dog who's not nice to strangers and new friends and kids and other animals. Jake might not have loved you so much if you hadn't been in the family (of the house) (if you know what I mean) OR if you'd been too skittish when you met him. Some dog-skittish guests never bond with such a dog, even when they've had the chance to come inside the circle, if you will. The dog gives up on 'em, you know?

Anyway, welcome to posting in lj!

By the way, I didn't write my first postings (above) at 1 and 3 am. (Not that it matters, really.) I'm just writing this so I can see the pic of Cooper's daddy pop up again.

This woman from the Midatlantic Great Dane Rescue League called me and left a message. I have to call her back.
http://magdrl.org/
Have heard good things about them from a co-worker who has adopted a few dogs from there over the years.

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