The countdown has begun. There’s less than a week to go before the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America National Specialty in Frankenmuth, Mich. But the packing has been ongoing for weeks. It’s a skill I perfected traveling the world alone as a USA TODAY staff photographer. Now I travel with Bernese Mountain Dogs (Teddy, […]
A Christmas tale: She was afraid of dogs … then she met Teddy
On this day, the nursing home residents would hear Teddy before they saw him. He was all decked out in Christmas bells, a Santa suit and his red Therapy Dogs International bandana. The 3-year old Bernese Mountain Dog jingled his way down the halls, wagging his big fluffy tail whenever someone would look his way. […]
A wreck in the Rally ring, but 1st place at the hardware store
It was a beautiful morning, a day for success. It had been many months since Teddy and I competed in the Rally ring. Real competition always trumps training in the backyard, so that’s why I ignored the temptation to sleep one recent Sunday to go to a match where we could test our skills without […]
Six steps to a successful therapy dog test
Affectionate, comforting, enjoys lazy evenings curled up on a comfy couch, sensitive, intelligent, caring, loves kids, gives unconditional love, great hugs and sweet kisses. Sounds like something out of a personal ad, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not what you think. These words describe Teddy, our 3-year old Bernese Mountain Dog. I knew when he was […]
First-time show jitters: Worst fear … don’t fall in the ring
WRIGHTSTOWN, Pa. — The time drew near for Diane Pachella Nelson and Bentley, her 14-month old Bernese Mountain Dog, to enter the show ring. Bentley, Diane’s first show dog, was keeping cool under a ringside tent at the Burlington County Kennel Club dog show. He was the picture of calm … not his first rodeo. […]
Teddy was doing great in the ring, and then he saw … TOYS!
Ringside Ramblings from a Rally trial: FRIDAY, JAN. 9, 2015 7:01 p.m. – The countdown checklist Teddy groomed… check! Crate, pads and blanket in car… check! Armband holder, water, bowl, treats (gotta have treats)… check! Rally sign book, training leash, collar… check! Entry paperwork… check! Ringside chair… check! Breath mints, snacks, water… check! Phone/charger/poop bags… check! […]
Doorway manners: Training your Bernese Mountain Dog to wait (Video)
So, you have a 100-lb. Berner that loves his walks and wants to bolt out the door with you flying behind him like a magic carpet. If you have a stay/wait command, it’s easy to train a dog to wait for you to go through the door first. You can start out training at a door […]
Scent worthy: Teddy shows off his nose work (Video)
Teddy was our first Bernese Mountain Dog. He’s a pet, not a show dog … but he sure has shown me a thing or two. And the video above shows it. Fun and games to start It started when Teddy was a young pup. We played hiding games in the basement with his toys. […]
No ‘bad dogs,’ only bad owners: Learning the hard way
What’s a dream photo assignment? For me, it’s being around people who are the best at what they do, like Anne Rogers Clark. It was 2002 and the series for USA TODAY was called The Road to Westminster. It was all about dogs. Perfect. “Annie” was the first female professional handler to win the […]