This adorable little girl is Abby, also known as Posie. She is an extremely sweet and joyful 10 month old puppy who needs a loving home. She is great with other dogs, cats and has been around children. Very young children would probably be too much for her. This darling little girl has been afflicted with several orthopedic issues and needs a home who will be dedicated to helping her enjoy life to the fullest and to provide her with the care she needs. She does not need surgery but would benefit greatly from ongoing therapy such as laser, supplements, acupuncture, and/or underwater treadmill. This is an amazing puppy who has proven to be a survivor. She is a petite little girl at 63 lbs but her capacity for love is huge. Due to her orthopedic issues, a home with lots of stairs would NOT be suitable for this little darling. If you are interested in adopting or fostering please contact Laura at alpinemeadowberners@gmail.com
***This precious girl just went to her fantastic new forever home in Chicago!***
We have been contacted about a young Berner puppy with a Portosystemic Liver Shunt. He needs surgery to repair it and the family can not afford the $5,000 quoted at MSU. The breeder is willing to help by refunding the purchase price and the family can help so they can come up with a total of at least $1,500 of the costs but need help with the rest or he may be euthanized. Or he could be given to our rescue to absorb the cost and the adopt him out. His family deeply loves him and wants to do what is best what ever will allow him to live, even if that means giving him up.
I’m trying to arrange a form of donation to help raise the $3,500 still needed. If you can help please contact me at BMDresQ@aol.com
We’ve received several commitments already for donations so this will make it easier to help donations. The will go to the HMBMD Rescue, Inc’s account and then will be sent to MSU when the surgery is scheduled. Your support is deeply appreciated by Kevin’s family. If you prefer to write a check, yo can send it to us at
Heart of Michigan Bernese Mtn Dog Rescue
Bruce & Linda Whiteside
1063 Legault Blvd, Ortonville, MI. 48462
When I agreed to try to help, this is what I got in response. I asked that he be entered into Berner-Garde, and he not be bred.
“ We appreciate any help that you can give. We will be happy to get the DNA test done and planned on getting him neutered anyway’s. And for some reason if the surgery does not happen of course we would want the money to go to another Berner. We can’t believe that there are people so willing to help with our babies troubles. Thank you for all your help.Melanie
UPDATE 4/26/14
GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL…………..!!!!!!
Thanks to everyone we have reached our goal!! April added the check we received and we are even a little about the mark! WOW!!!
Berner people are the most caring we have ever been involved with. We are humbled know there are so many out there willing to help a family trying to save their little guys life. I’m proud to have been a part of Kevin’s recovery.
Since we have reached our goal and some of yo may have placed to donate but did not get the chance. Please save it for the next little one that needs help. Kevin’s care is covered. So until we can close the site we have met our goal. If you still want to help Berner in need, I’m sure regional Berner rescue’s could use your help. Here is a list from the BMDinfo.org site. http://www.bmdinfo.org/newpages/Bernese_Mountain_Dog_Rescue.php rescues can always use your help.
Thank you everyone!!
Heart of Michigan Bernese Mtn Dog Rescue
Bruce & Linda Whiteside, Michigan Web Site: http://michiganberneserescue.org/
This handsome boy is Clyde. He is approximately 4 years and is one of the sweetest dogs you will ever meet. He ADORES people and is great with kids! Clyde is great with female dogs and needs a fenced in yard with a 6 ft fence. He is neutered, heartworm negative, microchipped and up to date on his shots. This is an AMAZING dog! Clyde currently has an adoption pending, he hopefully will be going to his new home soon!
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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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 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.
OK, lets get some ice cream!!
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.
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!
This adorable little girl is Abby, also known as Posie. She is an extremely sweet and joyful 10 month old puppy who needs a loving home. She is great with other dogs, cats and has been around children. Very young children would probably be too much for her. This darling little girl has been afflicted with several orthopedic issues and needs a home who will be dedicated to helping her enjoy life to the fullest and to provide her with the care she needs. She does not need surgery but would benefit greatly from ongoing therapy such as laser, supplements, acupuncture, and/or underwater treadmill. This is an amazing puppy who has proven to be a survivor. She is a petite little girl at 63 lbs but her capacity for love is huge. Due to her orthopedic issues, a home with lots of stairs would NOT be suitable for this little darling. If you are interested in adopting or fostering please contact Laura at alpinemeadowberners@gmail.com
