REFUGE FOR DISPLACED BERNESE – AN INCREASING OCCURRENCE

by Jude Simonds – Bernese Welfare’s UK National coordinator

There are many and varied reasons given when owners relinquish their unwanted Bernese into our care, and Bernese Welfare has experienced ALL types of Bernese with ALL types of traits;

Big, Small, Young, Old, Healthy, Disabled, Friendly, Aggressive, Nervous, Calm, Lunatic(!), Pet dogs plus ex-show and ex-breeding Bernese.

Thankfully we see very few actual cruelty cases, although neglect of varying degrees is becoming much more common.  However, during the past decade we have been faced with a huge increase in the number of Bernese rejected by their owners because of temperament and behaviour problems that have made the dog difficult or impossible to live with.

It is quite clear that the absence of a sensible, structured training regime and inappropriate rearing practises employed by too many owners can have a huge effect on Bernese temperament and behaviour.  BUT it is also now painfully obvious that some Bernese families, bloodlines or combination of bloodlines produce a higher percentage of puppies which have the potential to be much more highly strung and excitable, or nervous, or `stroppy`, than is desired, or in fact EXPECTED in this big breed.  The purchasers of these puppies, often-inexperienced dog owners, inevitably find the ongoing management of these dogs extremely difficult or impossible resulting in their rejection of the dog.

Every welfare/rescue group/agent has their own idea about ‘rescue’ and rehoming but the most common reason for owners rejecting Bernese is temperament and/or behaviour problems which their owners have found unbearable, and Bernese can inflict a LOT of damage to both people and property if they have unstable or unpredictable temperaments.  Biting incidents involving Bernese are becoming much, much more commonplace – it happens in every breed as the population grows but that does not make it any the less worrying for Bernese enthusiasts.  The BERNESE TELEPHONE HELPLINE has received calls from quite a few owners who had taken on a rejected “rehomed” Bernese, only to find that their new family addition showed degrees of aggression to the new owners (NONE of which had been placed in those homes by Bernese Welfare I hasten to add!) Anyone facing such a situation is in real danger - an unacceptable and unenviable situation.

For those who may not know, let me explain a little about Bernese Welfare’s rescue and rehoming policy.  When calls come in to the Bernese Welfare Helpline I try to make things as easy (and be as non-judgemental) as possible for the owners who want, or need, to part company with their Bernese – the dog, after all, is the most important member of the equation.  But I also have to explain things very clearly to the people who are opting out of ownership and handing responsibility for the dog over to Bernese Welfare.  The document they sign when handing over their dog asks the question “Does the dog have any history of human focussed aggression?” and goes on to state that Bernese Welfare will not rehome any dog who has a history of, or who shows signs of human focussed aggression.  (Every agent for Bernese Welfare also signs a declaration to the new owners adopting a Welfare dog confirming that we have no prior knowledge or experience of aggression in any dog we place.)  Sometimes the owner of an unwanted dog insists on a guarantee that the dog will not be put to sleep in any circumstances – but we cannot give an absolute assurance until the dog has been carefully assessed and proven, as far as possible, to be 100% reliable and safe to pass on to new owners.  There is a moral, ethical, and now with the Dangerous Dogs Act in place, legal obligation to show extreme caution when rehoming large, extremely strong dogs.  Securing a safe and happy future for unwanted Bernese is a prime concern – but ensuring the safety of the new owners and anyone who comes into contact with the dog is of equal importance.

It is because of this that Bernese Welfare follows a fostering policy wherever possible.  Fostering a dog - any dog - is a labour intensive, troublesome, inconvenient, time consuming and therefore a more costly process than a "direct-from-one-home-to-another-home” placement BUT it is also kinder to the rejected dog to be temporarily fostered in a knowledgeable home environment with lots of company, attention and comfort rather than being isolated in a stark holding kennel whilst awaiting adoption.   Fostering is also the most efficient and therefore rewarding way of finding out exactly WHY a Bernese has been rejected, HOW the dog functions and interacts with people and new situations, and WHAT sort of family/home would be most suited to THAT particular dog's needs.  Allowing time for habits and traits to be easily identified and applying remedial action or training (or at the very least begin the rehabilitation process) BEFORE rehoming is of great benefit to all concerned.  This method of care and assessment means that a much improved chance of securing the best match of new home for each individual dog is assured - rather than just passing the dog on to the name at the top of the adoption list.  And, of course, it prevents the dog from having to be lodged and assessed in kennel accommodation – which is totally alien to most Bernese and is not conducive to them displaying their normal behaviour.

Bernese Welfare also follows a spay/neuter policy before rehoming whenever it is appropriate, and that is usually in the majority of cases.  All pedigree and registration certificates are retained by Bernese Welfare, NOT passed on to new owners, and Microchip details are registered to Bernese Welfare throughout the life of the rehomed dog.

There are many problems associated with rescuing and rehoming Bernese, but there is also a huge amount of pleasure and satisfaction in securing a new, happy home for a Bernese which needs love and stability.  Thankfully there rarely is a shortage of people who offer to adopt an unwanted Bernese and so we usually have a long waiting list of potential owners – but there is always room for more!

Anyone wanting to adopt a rescued Bernese should provide Bernese Welfare with as much information as possible about the kind of Bernese they would be interested in (age range, gender, activity level, size, whether the dog is required to live inside or outside etc.)  Please be aware that rescued Bernese are not an 'easy' alternative to puppies - rescued/rehomed dogs need lots of attention (and lots of training too!) and lots of human company so we would require that someone would need to be at home during the day.  Also, the garden would need to be enclosed with secure fencing a minimum of 6 feet high.

We also need specific information about the environment and daily routine the dog would need to fit into (garden facilities?; how many hours will the dog be left during the day?; are there children, other pets on the premises?; owners experience with Bernese, other breeds or rescue dogs? etc.)  Once all your details have been placed in our adoption files, it is a case of waiting to see if  a suitable Bernese becomes available.  The more information you have supplied, the greater chance you have of being offered a Bernese with the potential of being a good match!   If you would like to place your details on our "adoption list" then please TELEPHONE the Bernese Helpline by calling 01787 371940 to have a chat about the Bernese Welfare Scheme and allow us to take some details from you.  We do not accept details via e.mail nor through a third party.

The greatest problem Bernese Welfare faces is the ongoing financial burden we bear.  Bernese Welfare doesn`t have the luxury of an accumulated fund to meet our expenses, but thankfully a few very generous individuals and fundraisers have repeatedly met the shortfall whenever we face a bill that the fund cannot meet. Financing is a constant worry, so clearly we are very grateful to those groups who organise fundraising events and every donation from individuals.  Every penny donated to Bernese Welfare is spent to benefit the dogs – all of our agents and helpers willingly give their time and energy freely so we incur no administration charges nor do we pay any honorariums nor gratuities.

BERNESE WELFARE NEEDS YOUR HELP AND GENEROSITY

SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO CARE FOR NEEDY BERNESE

HARRY and TRUDE came into our care separately, but both were rehomed with the same Bernese Welfare Supporter.  Harry had been purchased by a couple with 4 young children under 8 years old, and this boisterous young dog just became too much to cope with for an already busy mother of so many young children.  He needed discipline and routine.  Trude was one of a pair of litter sisters who lived as kennel dogs in a back garden. When 2 years old the owners decided that if they had only one dog it could live in the lean to, and the kennel could be demolished to make more garden space.  Trude was chosen as the one who should leave, as they said they had always loved the sister better as that one had whiter markings.  Big, calm and desperate for human company, she adapted to living within a household immediately.

Harry and Trude are happy living with each other and a menagerie of other animals, although Trude would probably admit that young Harry is a bit of a pest sometimes when she wants a bit of peace and quiet!! 

DANNY came into our care at 4 1/2 months old.  His `crime ` had been to repeatedly walk on the flower borders in the family garden, and jump up at the children.  His owners had adopted a `training by intimidation` approach to his wrong doings, and consequently Danny had become nervous, confused and panicky. 

Danny needed a lot of confidence building and the chance to settle down to a normal routine.  He remained with Bernese Welfare for several months, and was rehomed with complete success – a happy healthy and well adjusted boy who enjoys life, and now has a new Bernese “sister”  called Carly.

     
                           Danny

ELLA and JANE were young bitches, approx 2 and under 1 year old who were given into our care by a dog rescue centre who did not have room to house and keep them.  Their owner had also handed in another male dog of a different breed to the centre at the same time.

It very soon became apparent that both bitches were pregnant!  Ella gave birth to three puppies and a few days later Jane gave birth to 11 puppies.  Both crossbred litters looked completely different.

Ella coped with the whole situation very well, and as soon as her puppies had been found homes she went to a new home where she is very settled.  Jane found the whole experience far more difficult to cope with.  A much younger and totally untrained, timid and inexperienced bitch, she was fretful and clingy, and the whole business of having puppies upset her so much that she killed one of her puppies and could not be trusted with them.  The pups were bottle fed thereafter and Jane was successfully placed in a new home as soon as she was fit enough and the puppies were weaned.  See photos of some of the pups in Gallery 2.

HANNIBAL and ROSY were the very first crossbred Bernese which came into our care – sadly Bernese crossbreeds are an all-too-common occurrence nowadays and they often prove to be very difficult, if not impossible, to successfully rehome. Hannibal and Rosy were originally purchased by their owners as purebred Bernese with pedigrees but no KC registration, from a known Bernese breeder who also owned a pedigree male of another large black and tan breed. 

SHEBA found herself picked up by a dog warden and taken to a large, well-known animal shelter for the fourth time in as many months.  Her owners finally tired of paying a fee to reclaim her and so she was delivered into our care.  Around 4 years old, she was in an extremely emaciated condition when she arrived.  Her depraved appetite indicated that she had obviously learned to forage amongst rubbish and litter bins when having to fend for herself during her forays, which sometimes had lasted for several days.  Her owners said that they were unable to keep her contained within their garden as she had learned to lift the gate latch with her nose!

Sheba settled into a new home very well, and is relishing the constant companionship of her new owners.  She has not escaped from the garden as the gate has a sliding bolt !!

HANNAH had been with her breeder for the first nine months of her life, but had then changed homes three more times before coming into our care.  Hannah was about 4 years old, and had been with her previous owner for about a year when they decided they no longer wanted her.  Although rather anxious and confused when she arrived here, she had good manners and an affectionate nature and was rehomed to a family who thought her the PERFECT dog.  Six months on Hannah suddenly became unwell, and within a few days Malignant Histiocytosis was diagnosed.  She died, at home in her bed, just one week later.

MAX had been purchased as a guard/watchdog for his owners smallholding.  By four months old he was permanently tethered by a long chain to his kennel as he had tendencies to jump up at people and wander away if the opportunity arose.  Max was brought into our care at 3½ years old when his owners retired. From details given this dog had never been in a house, nor in the car other than to the vet for vaccination, and he had never been trained to walk on the lead or understand the routine of grooming.  His coat was completely matted and had to be shaved off, and he had a longstanding parasite problem which had caused large skin lesions.

Despite being completely neglected for all of his life, Max had a wonderful, friendly temperament and just craved, and adored, human company.  Within a few months his `education` was complete and his condition had improved dramatically enabling him to be placed in a home to begin a happy new life.

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The Bernese Breeders Association of Great Britain  may not be as high profile (nor as wealthy!) as some of the Bernese Clubs which organise Bernese Shows and events etc, but within our capabilities we make a difference, a very positive difference, to a great many Bernese and their owners each year.  A continual shortfall of funds is all that prevents the BBA and Bernese Welfare from being advertised more widely, but until the BBA has the luxury of guaranteed solvency, it has to function within financial limitations. 

Bernese Welfare raises the funds used to care for needy Bernese by selling various Bernese themed items.  Keeping our expenditure down to a minimum enables us to maximise the profit we make on those items we produce, but if anyone out there has any contacts for cheap (or free) items to help us generate income in the coming year Bernese Welfare could again make good use of most things but especially;

Glossy or matt A4 card, paper or envelopes to reduce the production costs of Bernese themed stationery,

Any contact in the printing, photocopying business for same,

Any items which could be sold through car boot sales,

Any items suitable for raffle,

Any items to use on tombola or other fundraising boosters,

AND

If anyone has artistic skills they could put to use by creating some Bernese themed items or images we could sell, or would like to volunteer to organise a fundraising event or project – then PLEASE DO get in touch.

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Are YOU a BERNESE WELFARE SUPPORTER ?

If you want to do something positive and worthwhile for Bernese Mountain Dogs then YOUR donation will enable Bernese Welfare to help the ever increasing number of Bernese owners, potential owners, and of course Bernese Mountain Dogs who need our help.

A donation, no matter how small, will help finance Bernese Information Packs and other aspects of the Bernese Information Service and give much needed financial support to Bernese Welfare.

EVERY PENNY is spent to help the DOGS – NO money is spent on administration costs nor given away as Honorariums nor gratuities. 

Every year Bernese Welfare is kept very busy providing a much needed welfare/rescue/foster/rehoming service to the breed.

PLEASE HELP US.  A book of stamps is useful;  £2.50 covers the cost of printing and mailing out a Bernese Information Pack to help educate potential owners BEFORE they make a mistake in their choice of dog;  £7 buys a ream of laser paper;  £10 will pay for 2 weeks food for an unwanted Bernese.  Every donation in excess of £1 will be acknowledged.

Name…………………………………...................………………………….........

Address…………………………………………………………………………..

…….…………………………………………….………………………………..

Post Code……………………………………..Tel:………………………………

I enclose stamps/cheque/PO/ cash for £………………………………………...

Bernese owner?  Yes / No                                                 Date……………………....

(please make cheques/postal orders payable to Bernese Breeders Association or  BBA Bernese Welfare)

Bernese Welfare, c/o 31 Broom Street, Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk. CO1O OJT