Puppy News

Snowbound Bernese Mountain Dog	Thank you to our wonderful families. Keep those photos coming! Georgia, Snowbound's Georgia On My Mind (Gizmo) now Bernie, Snowbound's Bernoulli Effect in his Halloween Frankendog costume. What a handsome fella! (Angel) now Ivy, Snowbound's Got The World By the Tail (Callie) now Gracie, Snowbound's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road with golden sister Noraa in her Halloween Ladybug costume Enjoying a nice fall day in the yard (Gunner) now Stanley, Snowbound's Going Country (Geronimo) now Griffin, Snowbound's Get Over It Enjoying all the new toys in his house We are anxious to see Griffin in the ring next year! Snowbounds' Goodnight Moon (Nora) is staying right here! ______________________________________________________________ Photos from past litters are posted below. We thank all of our puppy families for staying in touch and sending us photos of your Snowbound babies. In good weather, the puppies get lots of fresh air and sunshine in the play yards. In the cold weather they have an extra play yard inside with toys. objects to explore and climb on. We use the "Rule of Seven" with our litters and start pups on clicker training. Pups learn to sit for their dinners. Young pups using the litter box in their inside pen. Pups are held by many different people, exposed to crates, and played with daily. Puppies exploring the gardens and puppy socializers from the neighborhood. Another play yard for the puppies and where the adult dogs like to relax. Due to the dense tree canopy even in summer the yard is cool. Early socialization at a local ski resort, and more neighbors! Neighbors make excellent puppy socializers. So do husbands! These photos were submitted by my past puppy families and can not be used without permission. _____________________________________________________________ Gunner and family out East Berners in the Berner cave Marley (C litter) at 1.5 years, and Fergus (A litter) at four weeks. Charlie (McKinley) - C Litter Ancha - A Litter Lily Puppy Time (Luna left) and new Therapy Dog Marley (Beemer) from the B Litter, enjoying the snow. We're so proud of him. Congratulations to the Blair family! Fall portrait of Marley. He loves having photos taken. What a handsome boy. Left, Sydney and her sire Ozzie, right . . . .Born to run! For litter information and inquires please contact us at tennesse@charter.net Puppy 101 *Neo-Natal Program* In an effort to improve the performance of dogs used for military purposes, the U.S. Military developed a program called "Bio Sensor" in the 1970's. Later, it became known to the public as the "Super Dog" Program. Based on years of research, the military learned that early neurological stimulation exercises could have important and lasting effects. Their studies concluded that there were specific time periods early in life when neurological stimulation had optimum results. The first period involves a window of time that begins at the third day of life and lasts until the sixteenth day. It is believed that because this interval of time is a period of rapid neurological growth and development, it was of great importance to the individual dogl. The "Bio Sensor" program was also concerned with early neurological stimulation in order to give the dog a superior advantage. Its development utilized five exercises which were designed to stimulate the neurological system. Each workout involved handling puppies once each day. The workouts required handling them one at a time while performing a series of five exercises. Listed in order of preference the handler starts with one pup and stimulates it using each of the five exercises. The handler completes the series from beginning to end before starting with the next pup. Studies show that removing pups from their nest for three minutes each day during the early days of life causes body temperatures to fall below normal. This mild form of stress is sufficient to stimulate hormonal, adrenal and pituitary systems. When tested later as adults, these same animals were better able to withstand stress than littermates who were not exposed to the same early stress exercises. As adults, they responded to stress in "a graded" fashion, while their non-stressed littermates responded in an "all or nothing way." Benefits of Stimulation Five benefits have been observed in canines that were exposed to the Bio Sensor stimulation exercises. The benefits noted were: Improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate) Stronger heart beats Stronger adrenal glands More tolerance to stress and Greater resistance to disease. In tests of learning, stimulated pups were found to be more active and were more exploratory than their non- stimulated littermates over which they were dominant in competitive situations. *Rule Of Seven* At Snowbound Bernese , we also use the Rule of Seven with our puppies. This gives young pups exposure to many different environments, materials and experiences to help build solid temperaments. Pups are exposed to a variety of experiences before the first fear stage, so that they have already learned that the metal food dish or the vacuum is not a scary thing. -- By the time a puppy a puppy is 7 weeks old, it should have: 1. Been on 7 different surfaces: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, woodchips, etc...... 2. Played with 7 different types of objects: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, wooden items, milk jugs, etc....... 3. Been in 7 different locations: front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, kennel, etc.... 4. Met and played with 7 new people: include children and older adults. 5. Been exposed to 7 challenges: climb on a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence.... 6. Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc.... 7. Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, bathroom, x-pen, etc... *Puppy Socialization* We adhere to the Rule of Seven and also gradually expose the pups to household sounds such as television, radio, vacuums, kitchen noises, trimming nails, brushing and even bathing. The pups live inside with the family but also enjoy the outside play yards, weather permitting. They are use to crates in their play area, car rides, and more. I have very trusted friends who provide experiences with all ages. Young children with their higher voices and quick movements and older friends, both male and female, who have lower voices, canes or walkers, with and without glasses and some will wear hats! When the pups turn 5-6 weeks old I begin separating them for a couple minutes from the litter and we play one on one. I also start working with the clicker, not using commands, but getting them to start thinking. There is nothing quite like seeing a litter (most of them anyway) sit for their supper dish. During the eight weeks the pups live with me, I work with them every day. I handle them every day. Prior to pups leaving me, each family is given a gift. A wonderful puppy DVD, produced by a dear friend of mine who has bred working dogs for over 35 years. Everyone gets a video regardless of the number of pups they have had. I microchip each and every pup and they come registered by the AKC. Families can have input in the registered name but all names must contain the word Snowbound. Families are invited to visit and help socialize the entire litter at 5 weeks of age. I administer a Puppy Aptitude Test at 6-7 weeks and at seven weeks I assess the litter for show potentials. Questions to honestly ask yourself before considering a puppy. Do you have time and patience to care for a new puppy? Do you have the financial means to cover the yearly vet bills, food, obedience training, yearly licensing and kenneling. Do you own a home with a yard for daily exercise? Berners don't do well living in a kennel. Can you live with a large dog in your home? Is your entire family allergy free from dogs? Berners are shedders. Will the fur on your carpet, clothes and occasionally in your food drive you nuts? Have you researched the breed and health concerns, such as hip and elbow dysplasia, or cancers? Are you willing to be committed to this pup for it's entire life? If you are interested please contact me. I would love to discuss any concerns or answer any questions you may have about the breed, nutrition or training, whether you're looking for a puppy or not! I am dedicated to each puppy that I bring into this world for it's entire life. My puppy contracts do not have a lot of strings attached but instead use common sense, which includes a spay/neuter clause. This is to look after my puppies after they leave me. I will be available to answer any questions you have one week, one month or years after you adopt a pup.
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