Rescue – Page 2 – Heart of Michigan Bernese Mountain Dog Rescue

Rugger, needs help with his new home

Posted on March 13, 2014March 24, 2014 by Rescue

Rugger1 — I've got a lot of love to give still!!

ADOPTED!!!! 3/23/14

This is a courtesy posting for his owner and not part of our rescue program. He is living near Indianapolis IN.

Posted 3-13-14

Rugger is a 90 pound 6 year old neutered Bernese Mountain Dog

Born February 27, 2008; Adopted October 2008 from the Hamilton County Humane Society
Updated on all shots, and given a clean bill of health on 2/13/14

Here’s Ruggers story;

When we first adopted Rugger, he was very sick. We worked closely with the Humane Society to get him back to good health. We tried crate training him in the beginning, but he did not do well with it at all. He would Houdini out of the crate all the time, and cry and scratch at the door. He eventually just became our house dog – lounging on the couches and our bed while we were at work. He is house broken, and is accustom to being inside for 8 hours a day without a bathroom break. He is a pretty lazy dog, except when we have a visitor at the door, or its time to eat, when you pick up his leash for a walk or when he really needs to go outside to potty after being cooped up all day. He LOVES food and has been a counter surfer since the day we got him. Don’t turn your back with food on the counter! He loves to go on walks, but can pull at times. He use a gentle leader for our walks.

He is great with kids, and has never ever shown signs of aggression. He is also very good with other animals, but can be too curious with them, usually resulting in the other animal becoming annoyed. His favorite thing in the world is to petted, and sometimes thinks he is a lap dog. He does not love being outside, and will usually just sit/lay at the door or window until you let him in.

We are looking for someone who has the love and time to give to our sweet Beast. Our family is quickly growing (two kids and another one on the way), and he just do not have the time, patience or space for everyone. (Or the energy for the constant hair clean up!) We will require that he go to a fenced yard, with a real fence, sorry not the invisible le shock type.

For more information or to enquire about adoption please e-mail [email protected]

Cammi is getting ready for her new home.

Posted on January 27, 2014March 4, 2014 by Rescue

ADOPTED!!! as of 3-2-14

Posted 3/5/14

Chamomile is a darling 6 month old puppy who is looking for a dedicated and devoted forever home. Cammi has missed out on a lot of crucial socialization. As a result, she is extremely shy, and prone to panic attacks in new situations. Cammi needs a home with a securely fenced yard (physical not invisible). She is prone to bolting in fear, so no exceptions will be made. When she is comfortable with you, Chamomile is your typical silly, sweet puppy. She gives kisses, chews hats, and loves to play with toys. Like all Bernese Mountain Dogs, Cammi will not be fully mature until she is three years old. Hence she will need a home with a lot of patience and love. She is very food motivated and has already learned to sit and lay down. Cammi is currently living with veterinary behavioral technician who is working with her to learn to overcome her fears. The ideal home for Chamomile would be one with clicker training experience, another dog, and the ability to not leave her alone for extended periods of time. She will need continuous training and socialization. Cammi is spayed and up to date on shots. She is great with cats and other dogs and is learning to be house trained.

Chaplin (Chappy) needs to have a home where he is part of the famiy

Posted on October 28, 2013April 1, 2014 by Rescue

ADOPTED!! 11/16/13

Chappy life has been difficult. His family left him to their parents after the loss of a child to cancer and fond it too difficult to stay in Michigan. So Chappy has spent the last few years tied outside and not part of a family. He will turn 4 on 1/5/14, he is neutered and up to date on shots and micro chipped. He is OK on a leash but needs more training and will need to be reacclimated to being inside. He understandable gets excited around people that want to see him, likes people, other dogs and cats. He has a lower caning that has been fractured and is doing fine but may need it removed if it ever gets to be a problem. He is currently not is foster as we are working on a foster home. His owner is needing surgery soon so he needs to be in foster before the weather e the outside but it sure would be nice to spend time with people!

Chappy2.1 — I love to spend time with you and become a family

Jasper, needs an experienced home

Posted on October 27, 2013November 6, 2013 by Rescue

ADOPTED!!!! 11/5/13

Jasper is 16 months old neutered boy, and is being fostered his breeder. He was returned to his breeder because his family was becoming too busy for him and he was getting growly. With a new child on the way they decided that he was not the right fit and they were concerned about it getting worse and them not being able to address it. He has little training or manners (but good on a leash) which is most likely the root as he thinks he can do what he wants. He will need an obedience class and an experienced dog family to allow Jasper to learn and flourish into the companion we think he can be. Because of the growling at first meetings and lack of training he should not go to a home with children and will require an above ground fence.

Although he does not show and outward indication of any problems, his x-ray show him to be dysplastic and may, in the future become arthritic or show symptoms. He is very mouthy and will grab arms to get your attention. He also has a sensitive stomach, is up to date on shots. Jasper is very eager to please and his growling is quickly correctable with a verbal reprimand and calms down quickly.

Bella #5

Posted on October 18, 2013November 10, 2013 by Rescue

ADOPTED!!! 11/10/13

Bella turns 1 on 10/28/13. Sweet when she wants to be which is most of the time and crazy some of the time. Her craziness is in the form of lack of any boundaries on interaction. She is very mouthy and does it very hard. Not biting but grabs at your hands so you have to interact with her. She also digs at your arms and hands to get attention. For these reasons and others she should not go to a home with small children or a lot of patience, as it will take a lot of work to get the through these things that she should have outgrown already. She also will grab anything in sight and even out of your hands and take off with it. Sometimes she will trade it for a proper item but others times she is very stubborn.

UPDATE 7/19/13

She is recovering nicely and will get the staples removed next week. She get along with small dogs and other dogs. She is still on the mend and will get the pins out sometime later. Because of her lack of current training and following directions, we want to see a fenced yard or area where she can be safe outside to eliminate.

UPDATE: 8/10/13

Per her foster mom: She is doing great. She likes to get a shoe then carry it over to me and sit and look at me. Then she will do a silly growl when you take it away. She likes tug of war with toys. Loves cats! loves all size dogs and does mind well. Well pretty well. Not destructive at all.She has a cute personality. She is using leg somewhat not heavily but using it. We go back the 13th to get out staples and talk about PT

UPDATE 8/21/13

Bella’s foster mom said Bella is ready to start looking for a new home as she is doing very well with the leg and using in pretty well. So no physical therapy will be needed. She still should not do rough play for several more weeks. I asked for the parameters for the best type of home for her which will follow soon.Here it is!! 8/25/13

Bella is coming along nicely. She is regaining use of her hind leg quickly.The vet said daily walks will help. She is a very sweet girl.She has not got a mean bone in her body. Loves cats and does not chase them. Gets along great with other dogs large and small. I have not given her run of the yard with large dogs as I don’t want any accidents, mine play rough sometimes. She follows the little dogs around and is never rough with them. She has manners now and is learning to wait for her food bowl to be put down for her. She is not mean if other dogs get near her food. She is wonderful around kids and lights up when she sees them. She does need to learn to be a little less excited at times but that comes with age and more training . I think she is a very sweet dog. She definitely likes to be part of a family. She will have to be closely watched and on a leash as she does get distracted as any dog does when outside.Also she is still a puppy and behind in what she should know. She lays quietly in the house sometimes she gets a shoe but is good about giving it back . Loves tug of war with toys. She has come a long way in a short time. She has lots of potential and would love to see her in rally or obedience as she learns quickly. I know she would like to please her new family. I can recommend this dog highly to anyone wanting a sweet girl and will treat her right!. Someone home during the day with her would be nice too but she is not destructive when alone.

update 9/5/13

Bella’s leg is doing great and can run like crazy again. Now that she is feeling better she is showing her puppy exuberance again. Bella will need a commitment to take her to some training classes which will help the bonding process of her and her new family. She is very mouthy and may be a bit much for small children and she will take things that kids will leave laying around. She may eat them which could be potentially fatal so she needs a home that is will policed and puppy proof.

UPDATE 10/5/13

Bella is doing great with her leg and has gained normal use of it but still may have a limp all her life. She runs and wrestles without a problem. She loves our Golden and because she has so much fun playing, we think a companion would be best for her to keep out of trouble. She gets board and will chew on things, and will still grab things that she is not supposed to but is much better about it. She will trade up and give up what she has for a treat. We still think that small children under 15 would not be good for her as she will take things if left around and not picked up. We are afraid that with young kids she may end up hurting herself by eating something and get blocked.

bella 5 boat1 — I really like this vaation stuff!

UPDATE 10/18/13

Her leg is fine although she sits with it sticking out sometimes. She is so much stronger now and her muscles have caught up back to normal after not being able to play for a few months. She loved going on vacation with us and enjoyed the boat. Great in the car. Not a big fan of the water as she fell off the dock twice. Good in a crate. The more she spends with our gang we want her to go to a home with an active second dog to play with. She is not a normal “lay around” Berner and is very active. She does love to be with her family and is most of the time laying under my legs. She is a great girl with need of learning boundaries and she thinks everything is a game still.

Oso needs your help and understanding

Posted on September 20, 2013April 1, 2014 by Rescue

Went back to old owner as of 10/4/13

This gorgeous boy is Oso.

Oso is not part of a program and this is a courtesy posting for his owner.

He has had a very confusing life and needs someone to see if he can live the rest of it happy and safe. Oso is 3.5 and started life as a pet store puppy most likely from a puppymill. It was not his fault he was separated from his mother and siblings too soon so he never learned important lessons from them. then he was brought into a loving home but busy lives never got around to training him as he should be and did not learn his place in the family order. He is neutered but his v early vet supplied by the pet store never treated his suspected food allegories so he continues to suffer from itchy pays, ear infections and get hot spots. Because he is so uncomfortable he has become grumpy and may have some orthopedic issues also yet undiagnosed. He get self protective at the vets so he does not get a good exam because of him acting aggressive. We think because of his issues and not feeling well is a major component of his history of snapping, of which he has broken skin several times.

He is reactive with touching his paws, ears and tail. All could be from the underlying issues. What Oso needs is a home or foster home wiling to take on his challenges to see if he can be saved from himself. We have advised a grain free, fish based food source kibble to help, but to add to his dilemma, his family has had to move to an apartment and the addition of a new born 2 legged baby. So things are really stacked against Oso, but we believe there is underlying potential in him to give him a chance. With the right experienced family he may be able to out grow his unacceptable behavior. He is sweet with his owner and prefers female to males. Likes other dogs, and if left alone he warms up to new people that do not try to force themselves on him. Per his owner, “after 5 minutes if the ignore him he is ready to get on their lap.”

Please contact us if you would like to discuss Oso to better understand his issues and we can put you in contact with his owners. He currently lives in the Chicago area.

Due to his history Oso will require an above ground physical fence and even though he seem to like children, we do not think he should go to a home with them because he has bitten his 11 year old housemate he loves, while being brushed. We think she his a sore spot, but we are not willing to risk the injury of another.

Shy Shonei needs a home

Posted on August 26, 2013April 1, 2014 by Rescue

: More ice cream please! Who needs a stinkin diet.

ADOPTED!!!!! 9/8/13

Shonei turned 6 years old in May, he’s neutered and house broken. He is very sweet and bonded to us in just a few hours. Shonei’s issue is he does not like noises and perfers not to assciiate with new people. When company comes, he just chooses to go to his safe room. He likes other dogs and gets along well. He used to have another dog in the home but with it’s passing he lost his guide on when things are OK. So he would do best with another confident dogs and a quiet home. Due to his fear of new people and will never come to a stranger, he needs the security of a fenced yard. He also would not do wil with small kids just becasue of the bamgs and yells that children always do. He never really learned how to deal with new situations as he was not eposed to them. He has been with us 3 days and he really likes us and our gang. He looks to us for protection when scared. He barked at me last night wanting me to play with him and rolled on his back. This is very good for a fearful dog being so relaxed in a strange home in just a few days. Shonei is very overweight and needs to loose over 20 pounds.

UPDATE 9/2/13

Shonei is doing very well and is happy and comfortable. He is very attached to us and he is a dog that likes to follow his owners around for all the attention he can get. We wee told he was afraid of noises but does Ok , only mildly bothered by storms and far away bangs did not upset him. No fear of vacuums or lawnmower. But the odd noise of opening the windows upset him. He responds best to a soft voice and loud voices make him nervous. He likes to be near us and lays next to the chair we are in, and the bed at night. Al in all he is a sweet dog, just clingy. He loves our yard that he can actually run in now. He has lost some weight already as we can se it. We think now that he ca do more and is more comfortable with our gang he’s having fun. He also has decided he likes the couch!

Sully is coming into rescue

Posted on August 3, 2013April 1, 2014 by Rescue

: Aahhhhhhh, cool tile!

ADOPTED!!! 9/4/13

Sully is around 2.5 years old. He was born in January of 2011. We promised his owner that he will only go to a fenced yard, no exceptions. Sully is just entering into the program and will spend a few weeks being evaluated to make sure he corresponds with the description below.

He’s neutered
He’s a pure breed Bernese
He’s friendly with people, kids and dogs
Housetrained
Crate Trained (but I haven’t had a need to do it)
Will walk on a leash
Up do date on shots (all he needs right now is a trip to the groomer)

Although he’s not proned to running, he should go to a home with a fenced yard. Since he’s young and playful he could “run” if he saw a critter or another dog to play with. The new home should also be made aware he does require monthly grooming, and he sheds and home will require weekly vacuuming to keep up. Some tips about Sully:

He’s affectionate and loves to play

He LOVES the snow
Since he’s so hairy he needs cool places to lay down and spread out. He avoids carpet, bedding, blankets because he gets too hot. He prefers to lay on hardwood, tile, etc. (that helps keep him cool due to his furry coat)
He likes hard & soft toys. If you keep lots of them around for him he wont chew any household items.
NO rawhides (his tummy doesn’t like it)
He needs to eat “sensitive skin” dog food or he’ll get a rash
When you’re petting him he likes to do 2 things. He’ll stretch out really long and we call that “The Super Sully Stretch”. He also likes to flip over and we call that “Upside Down Sully Cakes”.
Sully does like to spend some time on the couch. (He doesn’t stay long because he gets hot, but the new home should be aware he does this)
He loves to play tug-of-war with his big rope.

: I’ll make a very nice addition to the right family

UPDATE 8/14/13

Sully is doing great and is ready for his new home.

Sully is very happy and has no fear of new people. He still tries to chase the cats so a home without them would be best. He loves to be petted but is not a snuggler. He will usually lay away from us but close enough to see what we are doing. Nothing else to report which means he should be easy to place in the right home.

Briggs needs a home,

Posted on August 3, 2013April 1, 2014 by Rescue

ADOPTED!!!! 8/10/13

This is a courtesy posting for Lilly Bears Rescue in N/E Indaina, the contact e-mail address is [email protected]

Briggs is a 3.5 year old boy, neutered, vaccinated, heartworm tested negative, and on heartworm/flea prevention. He is healthy and in good condition. He weighs about 100 pounds and is kinda chubby. Here is some of the discription of Briggs, “He gets along well with other dogs for the most part. I have 5 other dogs ranging in size from 15 to 60 pounds. He does get into tiffs with a Sheltie I have because he tries to herd him and bites at his back legs. I also have a cat and rabbit he is fine with them too. He is a pretty good dog for the most part. He does have some bad habits like getting into the trash and taking food of the counters but those are about it. He is housebroke and great with kids. My son has worked with him a little in 4H.

I would like him to be in an indoor home with a fenced in yard. He loves to go for walks so an active family who wouldn’t mind taking him for a long walk everyday would be nice. He did have a lot of bad habits when we first got him. So we waited to put him up for adoption for awhile (he has been in foster and traing of about a year). But, now everyone who has been interested in him doesn’t want to keep him as a indoor dog or doesn’t want to deal with getting into the trash etc. I do believe in being totally honest so I will tell someone everything I know about an animal. So, many of the people I talk to just want this “perfect” dog but it doesn’t exist without work.”

The contact person is Jenelle and e-mail is [email protected]

Briggs in not part of the HMBMD Rescue program

Helping Berners Find Forever Homes…

Posted on April 11, 2013May 6, 2014 by Rescue

She was adopted from our rescue... — Daisy was adopted from our rescue

We’re glad you’ve found us! We are a resource for people with a special place in their heart for Berners.

To date we have assisted over 200 Bernese find forever homes and start a new life with a loving family that they deserve.

Of the dogs we have had come through the program, 10 have become therapy dogs, now assisting people with their own life issues. Several of these dogs were slated to be destroyed due to aggression.

We have had dogs that were beaten, starved, barely walking, and dogs that could have walked out of the show ring, along with everything in-between.

Click here to Learn More