I think we are out of the puppy search
The puppy's leash manners are iffy at best, and his house manners are atrocious. I think he was allowed to counter surf, on furniture, and allowed to do whatever he wanted. I was told he was intended to be a service dog, but he got too big and knocked over the small children, so they needed to rehome him. What I think is that he started through that awkward and annoying teen puppy stage and the woman with three kids aged 2, 3, and 4, with the 3 year old having special needs, was overwhelmed. Unless something big comes up over the week that we don't think we can work with, I guess we'll have a big goofy mutt.  Becky likes him quite well and thinks that she can work with him for 4-H. Its the first time I've seen her genuinely smile in the past 3 months since her granddad passed away, and since Amy the sheepdog bit Naomi (starting the process on Amy going back into rescue).So I'm hoping he settles in quickly and we can get to work sorting him out. Becky likes him because he kind of looks like a sheepdog. We'll have to shave him due to him being matted clear through, so he'll look a lot less sheepdog-like in a week or so. |
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| Interesting mix - do you know if it was accidental, or on purpose? There just aren't that many Bernese Mountain Dogs floating around. Do they know the parentage, or was it a guess? He sounds like a good project. He would for sure keep your daughter (and family) busy! |
Sounds like he could be a fun goofball. How big is he? Please stay in touch and let us know his progress.  |
| Oooh, I'd like to see pictures. I agree--he's just at that goofy age. I bet he will mature into a wonderful dog. Name?????? |
| It was an intentional, designer dog mix that someone paid too much money for. I know people say wonderful things about mixing other breeds with poodles, but I see a dog that has a lot of the difficult attributes of both breeds in him. We took him on trial, and he's kind of a pain in the butt, but he's in pretty bad shape. We can feel every single rib under the mats. His back is a solid sheet of matting, which we tried to see if we could work on a little yesterday. Under the parts that we got separated, you can feel every vertebrae. I can't send him back to his original owner, not now. Not as we are beginning to see that "mild" neglect is much more than what we thought it was. He's got a sweet spirit about him. He's stubborn as a mule, but its not out of fear, or aggression, as far as I can tell. He just doesn't want to do something that doesn't seem fun. Like a mule, he can be motivated to behave. Oh, and in the ongoing theme of naming our pets after rocks and minerals, his name is Andelucite. We call him Andy.  If he will sit still long enough, I'll try to get a decent picture. |
| Oh and you asked how big he is... He's about 50 pounds now and 26 inches to withers. Dan and I were talking last night and decided that when this dog is fully healthy and grown he'll probably be around 80-85 pounds--maybe bigger. We'll see if he's more poodle under his mats or if he's more bernese mtn. dog in structure. He seems pretty stout with solid features, even for being a mess, so I'm guessing the bigger breed will prevail. And now that I've had a couple cups of coffee I forgive him for his 45 minutes of running around the backyard between 2:30 and 3:15 am, refusing to come in. I also forgive him for his 45 minute stubborn refusal to "down" this morning before I had my coffee. He's not impressed with being expected to behave, and having it enforced.  |
| I think it is great that you are taking him in and giving him a chance. I volunteer at a shelter and it breaks my heart to see all the wonderful dogs there that just want a home. Congrats to you...please send pics!! |
| You just can't resist a challenge, can you? Seriously, he sounds like he'll be a handful, but a manageable one. Good luck with him, and (of course) pictures, please! |
| I don't know why I have a giant sign over my head that says I'm a sucker for a challenging ball of hair. Or maybe its the "one man's trash is another man's treasure" mentality. I don't know how to get the pictures to turn out right when I post them off the phone. But if you want to turn your computer sideways here's Andy.   |
| I think he's beautiful even with the matts and skinny body. I laughed at what you forgave him for but he sounds like he can be a great dog given the opportunity. I hope it works for you and for him. |
So wonderful to hear he has a home. He is a handsome boy. I think with all of the training you and your family have had, your home will be a great home for him. HAPPY HAPPY DAY FOR ANDY !!!!!  He is probably so excited to get love and attention he doesn't know how to behave, poor baby. I think the universe led you to him because he needs you and your family so bad.  Are you going to take him to vet just to see if there are any underlying issues other than neglect that is making him underweight? If you do, let us know what the vet says. |
| We'll take him in for medical after he's groomed. I've gone back and forth on doing medical first or grooming. Since I can't see any urgent health problems to start with, we prioritized getting the mats off. That might reveal more health issues. If he does have any major issues, he certainly hasn't complained about them. |
| Andy is adorable! Good luck! Cindy |
| He is very cute!! |
| Hi, I'm so sorry to jump in uninvited but I need help. I tried to join a couple of weeks ago and after registering I received an email that told me I would get a response from the administrators and then I would be good to go. I never got anything. When I try to log in it says I am inactive and to contact a board administrator to activate my account..... Please, please help. I have read 3 or 4 of your stories for the past year or so. You all make me laugh and cry. I have 3 dogs now the 3rd being a 9wk old OES. Some of your wisdom has already come in handy but I really would love the continued support!!! He was born with Swimmer puppy Syndrome but besides that seems to be above average in intelligence and certainly in appearance! Haha! Anyway, again my apologies for busting in on your conversation, please excuse me rudeness. I hope you see this and can help! Thank you in advance! |
 Andy is adorable! |
| So we had Andy shaved down. There were a a number of hot spots under all the mats, and horrible foxtails everywhere... He had his vet visit where he was found to have the hotspots, foxtail spots to watch for this week between his toes on 3 feet and a spot on his chest, double ear infections (which we are hoping isn't caused by foxtails), and he's a little underweight. He'll go back next week to check the progress of the ear infections, the foxtail spots and the worst of the hotspots (which are looking better already). Training wise, he's slowly getting the point that we don't let the dogs on the furniture, we don't allow counter surfing, and we don't allow begging for food. He still chases the cat, and the cat still kicks his butt daily. He's quickly getting better on leash. He's had some leash training but it was probably not reinforced for a while. He's getting along with Opal the collie, and she enjoys herding him around the yard. Opal will bring her frisbee to someone and sit to have it thrown for her. She'll run after it but lets Andy pick it up. Opal will then herd Andy and the kids together, and she expects the kids to take the frisbee from Andy. If the child fails, s/he gets barked, and then Opal herds Andy back to have the frisbee taken away from him. I always thought it would be better to have herding type dogs together, but I'm getting a huge kick out of watching Opal herd Andy around. I'm not even sure he realizes that she's doing it. He hates riding in the car, and drools like a faucet. I don't know if its due to car sickness or nerves. He'll have to get over it since he'll be riding in the car with us for all those reasons we take dogs places. I'm open to ways to protect my car from it though. My husband said something funny the other day. He mentioned that once we get these two dogs trained well, we'll have to get a third one. What difference it makes in a household where all the members are at ease with one another (minus the cat). |
| I bet Andy feels so much better not having those mats and foxtails pulling on his skin. Hope his ears and hot spots heal quickly. Sound like he is having fun playing with Opal and the kids. |
| Oh please, please, please get video of Opal's frisbee game! It sounds like he's already relaxing and improving, and I know you'll all work very consistently with him to help him understand the "house rules." Good luck!  |
| Andy learned the purpose of fetch, and now they won't play the frisbee game. I sat out all afternoon on Sunday trying to get a video of the kids and dogs playing the frisbee game, and now they won't play it. I need to catch these things faster. |
| How are his hot spots and ears doing now? Hope they are much better. He is still doing well around you and your family? Is he learning there are rules to follow? Let us know how he is doing. |
| He goes for his checkup tomorrow. The hotspots are healing nicely and the hair is starting to come back on all but the worst one. Its still healing and looks like it will probably recover. His ears are looking healthier, so we'll see what the vet says. One still bothers him a little, so it might have a little more work left. The foxtail spots all seem to be healing up ok too. The vet will check on those, but only the worst one concerns me, and its not as bad as it was last week. I think he's gained a little weight this week too. He seems a little less boney. He is also a lot more animated. He isn't sleeping all of the time either. As for learning, I'll just say he's not a herding dog. I would think that a poodle/bernese mtn. dog mix would be relatively intelligent, and he is for a regular dog. He's just doesn't seem to have a lot of intuition. Maybe he'll develop some over time, but I'm not holding my breath. He'll end up being a good dog. He won't be a great dog, but he'll be a good companion. He won't be a great hunting or water dog (some poodles are). He doesn't show any sort of farm dog intelligence (like the berners). He's just goofy ol' Andy. We'll get him trained and he'll be a good dog to have around. |
bekalm wrote: He'll end up being a good dog. He won't be a great dog, but he'll be a good companion. He won't be a great hunting or water dog (some poodles are). He doesn't show any sort of farm dog intelligence (like the berners). He's just goofy ol' Andy. We'll get him trained and he'll be a good dog to have around. He sounds like the BEST kind of dog to have around. |
bekalm wrote: He goes for his checkup tomorrow. The hotspots are healing nicely and the hair is starting to come back on all but the worst one. Its still healing and looks like it will probably recover. His ears are looking healthier, so we'll see what the vet says. One still bothers him a little, so it might have a little more work left. The foxtail spots all seem to be healing up ok too. The vet will check on those, but only the worst one concerns me, and its not as bad as it was last week. I think he's gained a little weight this week too. He seems a little less boney. He is also a lot more animated. He isn't sleeping all of the time either. As for learning, I'll just say he's not a herding dog. I would think that a poodle/bernese mtn. dog mix would be relatively intelligent, and he is for a regular dog. He's just doesn't seem to have a lot of intuition. Maybe he'll develop some over time, but I'm not holding my breath. He'll end up being a good dog. He won't be a great dog, but he'll be a good companion. He won't be a great hunting or water dog (some poodles are). He doesn't show any sort of farm dog intelligence (like the berners). He's just goofy ol' Andy. We'll get him trained and he'll be a good dog to have around.That description is our lab Biscuit to a T. He's a non hunting, non-fetching or retrieving lab. He's goofy and he's sweet. He is not the brightest bulb by any stretch of the imagination. He does love pulling with our team out carting and then sledding in the winter. He's the wheel dog - the one closest to the cart or sled, and pulls like a work horse! Other than that, he's just a big, clumsy doofus dog |
| So Andy is in surgery today for foxtail removal from both ears. Considering how many of those insidious seeds were embedded in between all his toes but two, matted in his curly coat, working into his chest and legs, The removal for 3-4 with punctured eardrums might not be a bad outcome... If you live west of the Mississippi, please remember to check your dog for foxtails and cheat grass (I've read that those of you east of the Mississippi River don't have these as a problem). What a miserable reason to suffer. The vet seemed confident that, unless something went wrong, there shouldn't be lasting damage to his hearing. A simple daily grooming session would have caught these. |
| Good luck with Andy's surgery today. Hoping he recovers well and it doesn't have lasting effect on his hearing. |
| Poor poor baby!!! I hope he recovers well. |
| Hope Andy is doing well after his surgery. Very interesting that shortly after I read this post, Murphy and I were at the car wash and met a lady who is on a waiting list for this mix of dog. I didn't offer my thoughts in regards to the 'designer' dogs, but did take the opportunity to ask her a lot of questions. The breeder she is using is in Canada--she will be on the waiting list a year to 18 months-maybe longer because she wants tri-color-she won't have any choice of a puppy, she will just be assigned one from the litter and she can not choose the gender. She will pay 3500 to 4000 for the dog.  . She originally saw one of these dogs while on vacation in Canada and fell in love with it.I would say the 'marketing' tactics have worked their magic on her. She is bound and determined to have one of those puppies and is looking to research for more information but hasn't found much, she said. I haven't taken the time to google, so I don't know what is out there. Murphy did his best to convince her to look at an OES- he was a perfect gentleman and posed for lots of pictures for her --but she is bound and determined to have a 'Bernedoodle'. She an her husband own the car wash and she invited Murphy back for a frozen treat (their machine was down that day) so maybe we will have another chance to show her how special OES can be. |
| Andy is absolutely adorable and is going to be a really good dog, but even after dealing with a special needs sheepie, I would still choose the sheepie. It goes back to that intuition and intelligence that a sheepie has. There are no guarantees on the coats that people will end up with these mixed breeds, Andy is not as easy to groom as a sheepie (or a poodle). Andy has what appears to be the double coat of the berner, but with the kinky curls of the poodle. This was the groomer's first bernedoodle and she was expecting poodle-type coat, but got something much more challenging. I happened onto a grooming board and the comments on bernedoodles were not favorable. Some of the groomers were saying they no longer took this mix because of the crazy coat. The berner part contributes to an enormous amount of drool. So. much. drool. Especially when he's nervous and riding in the car. I'm currently surfing the net for a cargo area protector that covers the backs of the middle row and the sides of the cargo area as well. The drool--there is so much of it. I have to take full size towels and mop up the car after every trip with Andy. Its not so bad in the house, but if he's nervous, well... wear a raincoat. So the carwash lady should really consider a sheepie over a designer dog. If Andy hadn't been in a situation that he needed to get out of right away, I would have continued to wait for a sheepie. I'm just a sucker, and saw a dog that needed to come home with us. But yeah, the drool. There is a lot of drool when he's nervous. What if she gets a dog that's a little more high strung? Can you imagine the drool? |
bekalm wrote: Andy is absolutely adorable and is going to be a really good dog, but even after dealing with a special needs sheepie, I would still choose the sheepie. It goes back to that intuition and intelligence that a sheepie has. There are no guarantees on the coats that people will end up with these mixed breeds, Andy is not as easy to groom as a sheepie (or a poodle). Andy has what appears to be the double coat of the berner, but with the kinky curls of the poodle. This was the groomer's first bernedoodle and she was expecting poodle-type coat, but got something much more challenging. I happened onto a grooming board and the comments on bernedoodles were not favorable. Some of the groomers were saying they no longer took this mix because of the crazy coat. The berner part contributes to an enormous amount of drool. So. much. drool. Especially when he's nervous and riding in the car. I'm currently surfing the net for a cargo area protector that covers the backs of the middle row and the sides of the cargo area as well. The drool--there is so much of it. I have to take full size towels and mop up the car after every trip with Andy. Its not so bad in the house, but if he's nervous, well... wear a raincoat. So the carwash lady should really consider a sheepie over a designer dog. If Andy hadn't been in a situation that he needed to get out of right away, I would have continued to wait for a sheepie. I'm just a sucker, and saw a dog that needed to come home with us. But yeah, the drool. There is a lot of drool when he's nervous. What if she gets a dog that's a little more high strung? Can you imagine the drool? Oh I had not thought of the drool and the challenges of the coat. So glad that Andy has you! Maybe the research she is going to do will lead her to some of the downsides of the breed. |
bekalm wrote: So Andy is in surgery today for foxtail removal from both ears. Considering how many of those insidious seeds were embedded in between all his toes but two, matted in his curly coat, working into his chest and legs, The removal for 3-4 with punctured eardrums might not be a bad outcome... If you live west of the Mississippi, please remember to check your dog for foxtails and cheat grass (I've read that those of you east of the Mississippi River don't have these as a problem). What a miserable reason to suffer. The vet seemed confident that, unless something went wrong, there shouldn't be lasting damage to his hearing. A simple daily grooming session would have caught these. Maybe you'll find Andy is more intuitive when he can hear properly. He's lucky you're there for him.  |
| I had to pop in here....I think I know which breeder the car wash woman was talking about. I too was looking in my search and you see my sweet Steel! Please remember one of Steel's siblings is a miniature Australian Labradoodle. The hair was a main concern in my NOT getting another poodle "designer" breed. That breeder does offer very healthy puppies from what I could tell but as mentioned you can't guarantee what type of coat you will end up with. My Sonny is an amazing boy, healthy in every way, smart, very unique coloring, beautiful blue eyes and his hair is soft not brittle and picky. BUT and this was a huge factor for me....if I try to brush his curly hair every day to keep him mat free so he can have long hair (as I wish) he looks like he stuck his paw in a light socket! Even if I dampen the curls back down again when I'm done I have defeated the purpose. Trust me when I tell you I have tried everything, please just trust me. His hair can only grow to a certain length and that is with constant maintenance. Steel is only a baby but I have read the grooming section - all of it. I already brush him every day. I have clipped his feet just to get him used to the noise. I have trimmed around his eyes. The thought of being able to brush a dog every day and have him look fuzzy and floppy sounds amazing to me! I know what I'm getting with Steel! Andy's hair didn't look so curly but the undercoat on top of it - Oh Man! Again, I am being careful - Steel is still a baby and I do realize I have my work cut out for me but in comparison from what I know with all 3 of my dogs hair wise...I'd leave the poodle out. Thank goodness you and Andy found each other! |
| How are things going with Andy now? |
| How funny, I haven't been here in a little while as we've been busy, and thought I'd pop in. Andy is all healed up from his health problems. Becky finished 4-H with him, and they are going to districts in a couple of weeks. Not because he's a great dog and complemented her beautifully in the ring... No, its because Andy is a goat and Becky handled it with grace. His training is coming along and next year he will be an excellent complement to his handler in the ring. He's going from skinny rag-a-muffin to a nice dog to look at and put your arms around. He's still a bit hard-headed, but overall he is quite sweet and happy. He does pretty well in public. I can't get him to come off leash when he's even a little distracted. We work and work on this. He won't leave the cat alone, which drives me nuts. We're working on other behavior that seems to be taking a while to get out of him. I hold by my original opinion that he is intelligent but has limited intuition. He's a great companion for Opal. He's pretty good with the kids. I think that around the neighborhood he's better behaved on leash than Opal is. Opal handles the show stuff better, but can be a brat at home. Andy doesn't see any purpose in walking figure eights or standing any certain way, so he isn't as good in the ring. I'm starting an obedience class with him tonight. This will take us to his CGC. Becky wants to focus on furthering obedience with him, and she said she might like to try agility. The dog certainly has the athleticism for it. We had a housesitter for a week and she ran him a couple of miles morning and night, she said it made no difference, he was still as energetic as ever. |
| On the topic of 4-H, Becky received a Grand Champion ribbon for her record book. The comments mentioned her record keeping of Amy's and then Andy's medical issues. All three judges commented on her story which was primarily about her experience with Amy, since we only had Andy about 2 weeks when books were turned in. Becky also won first in fitting and showing, and a blue ribbon in obedience. Naomi won blue ribbons for her book, fitting and showing and a red in obedience (missed blue by one point). Considering that it was hot and the end of the day, that wasn't too bad. |
| Congrats to your children for their ribbons!!!!!! Did Andys ears heal up all o.k.?? So he can hear you fine, just being stubborn sometimes? So like a man. Sorry guys, couldn't resist that one. Please update with pictures so we can see how handsome he is becoming. Glad to hear things are working out good for you and your family. |
| He sounds like he's really become part of the family. Congratulations! |
| Happy to hear Andy is doing well. Funny my two oes agree with him. They don't see the purpose if figure 8s or standing in a certain position. But they are great! |
| I was mistaken when I was looking at the ribbons. Naomi took first in obedience and Becky took red. I should remember to take a pen with me when I go to these things... He can hear fine now, and he's becoming less stubborn as he learns his place in the house and family. He's still stubborn in some areas, but we're working on it. With 4-H being all but over (the kids have the district show tomorrow), we have Andy in Obedience 2 working toward his CGC. He's really made very nice progress in the short while we've had him. I have to hand it to my 9 year old. She has happily worked with everyday, twice a day, as well as made sure he gets walked daily. Any other kid would have given up on him early on, but she is so patient with him. In fact, he's much better behaved than Opal the collie, and I attribute that to Becky's patience and firm handling. Becky and I are planning on taking both dogs to other classes this winter together. We haven't decided if we'll pursue another obedience class or if we'll try agility. My only real worry/complaint is that he gets carsick. He's such a great dog, but he hates to ride in the car. I don't blame him. If he rides in the car after a meal he does throw up. He also has the unfortunate side effect of passing gas when he's in the car. I think he just feels so yucky. Is there anything we can do to alleviate carsickness in a dog? |
| Does he get carsick right away? Sometimes it can help to build up his tolerance with very, very short rides that stop before he gets sick. Build up to slightly longer rides over time. Depending on how fast he gets sick, that might mean in and out of the driveway to start, before building up to around the block. You'll still have some setbacks getting him to and from classes, but hopefully he can overcome this. |
| I don't know if it is like this for all dogs but for Skye it was looking out the window that made her sick. It took me quite a few car rides to figure this out but it was very clear that was what was doing it. I did what Diane mentioned and started taking her on short trips and with a helper. She was already rather large by the time I figured it out so my lap wasn't going to work. She sat on my son's lap and he covered her eyes with a blanket or his hands (kind of like a shield) and tried to keep her as calm as possible. I started out just driving around the block, then to the gas station, then to a friend's house. I would let her hop out and back in to go home. After awhile he let her take glimpses. I did this for a couple months and she was fine and never on a full tummy obviously. The people at the gas station ask about her all the time! Haha! She rides safely in a seat now and sticks her head out the sunroof at stop lights. I don't think it was a puppy thing she was going to grow out of....She was past that point. |
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