On June 20th my Mom took me to Aunt Wendy's for a Drafting course or known as Carting..us Berners use to take the milk from the barns to the houses via cart, and carting is still used today in the working dog titles...so off we go. Well there were three other kids there, one like me, one newfie and one boxer and YES boxers can pull carts and she was quite CUTE doing it. It was a long day of waiting your turn which I am not use to - usually when I go to Wendy's I am the only one and get her undivided attention........so I fixed that when she was paying attention to someone else I would do something silly or cute like pick up Mom's water bottle and TOSS it in the air,or roll on my back and do the bycicle move with my feet, you know silly things and it worked - next thing you know everyone is paying TOTAL attention to me..ha!
Finally it was my turn and I pulled the training cart with no weight like a pro and Mom has high hopes that I will get my title after I turn 18months, as you have to 18months to pull weight! Only forty lbs, and I weigh 120 - so no problem there. Although there is a TON of obedience involved so we gotta get off our butts and get busy with that...and sorry we forgot our camera.
See I really am a working dog...love Garin.

My Mom turned the big 40 on the 12 of June, and she said she did not want a party but.......Dad decided she need a little one...so we had our friends over that just moved home from Texas. AND I love them because when they come they bring two little boys - Jack and Aidan who are five and they are a constant source of fun and entertainment for me....So after a lot of hoopla and cake ( which my Mom said her BUTT did not need - i love my Mom's butt ) so not sure what she is talking about..it was time for Jack and Aidan to go to bed. I could not part with them and decided to go to bed with them...which only last for 20 mins as the boys would not stop loving on me and go to bed.......so My Mom made me sit out with the adults and I just kept watching the door for any little eyes to peak out! Aunt Lori said I was the best babysitter EVER as all I had to do is raise my ears and they knew someone was up and out of bed...GOSH I LOVE KIDS!

My Mom has been told when you start a blog you need to keep it going..so this will be a mish mash of a few events...

Fergus' Mom - Jen and I decided we were going to make our own hanging baskets with moss, much cheaper and of course self satisfaction..............so take the boys on a hike on the mission of finding MOSS! Not sure who had more fun us or the boys but they found a stream and had a blast, Fergus went swimming and Garin went wading. That happens when you are too tall for the stream....OK not sure how to rotate that......but this was the result of all our hard work, I made 4 and Jen made 3..........well after Fergus and Jen left I decided to keep planting my floor planters but Garin got bored. The next thing I notice he is long gone in the woods and doesn't come when I call he comes on the tear lugging and old pot that Mike must have thrown in the woods...dirt and all..he thought he I did not have enought pots to do and one more needed to be added...this is what he found and was sooooooooo proud of himself. I honestly did not have the heart to throw it in the garbage where it really should have been so he and I made a out door toy box out of it..great drains if it rains, and of course cleans the lawn up from looking like a graveyard of sad looking toys....

"Ice cream, you scream, we all scream for icecream" unless you are Garin and don't like "Ben and Jerrys" - Cherry Garcia!

I have to admit Mike and I CRAVE icecream, sometimes we will be at home and want DQ - so off we go for a 25 min drive just to get a treat! And of course Garin is in the truck willing and waiting. He always gets vanilla in a dish that he now holds himself between his paws. Yesterday I did last min groceries and thought - Oh "icecream", so I bought Ben and Jerrys' - Cherry Garcia! My favorite and obviously not Garins! Did not think to buy him vanilla, so I waited til I had all the choc and cherry chunks gone and offered him some of the vanilla left !!! NOPE - you would think I was trying to poison him!! Honestly - he turned his nose in the air. So much for the 7 dollar little tub! DQ plain vanilla for my main MAN!!!

Enjoy your saturday!

Yesterday was a pretty relax day for Garin, I worked all day so his favorite dog walker "Shelley" picked him up at noon and not sure how he does it - walks two goldens, one shitzu, one havanese and Mr Garin! When he has a not so exciting day (ie: when he is not into anything) then I will tell you about some of his friends he has ( tons- more then his Mom)!

His favorite I am sure is Fergus(a 14lb Parson Russel)

as you can see from the picture - Garin feels it is necessary to lug Fergus all over the barn yard in the winter by his blanket! Although we all think this is the cutest thing ever- we are not sure how Fergus feels about it - but he does come back and ask for more. If someone is going to get in to trouble at the barn it would be Fergus - he has a fettish for the turkeys and chickens, so Garin keeps him in line and drags his furry bum all over the place. In this picture he is kinda doing the "wheelbarrel" move - but Garin can pick him up and Fergus' feet don't even touch the ground.

Now that the summer weather has arrive Fergus is for obvious reasons not wearing his blanket - so Garin tries ever so hard to pick him up by the skin on his back!!! Fergus definitely has less tolerance to this and gives Garin the "big boy growl" to let him know! And like the gentlemen he his he promptly lets go!

Thats my boy - always trying his best! Even if it is digging up my flower bed ( that still has no flowers) - he, I am sure is just trying to make sure the soil gets over turned a few times. But for some reason I can't get myself to spend 100 dollars on flowers if I am going to come home and find then all over the driveway...

Garin was in bed with Mike and I this morning ( he usually arrives around 6ish) and he wedges (literally) as Mike is 225, me -a mare 150ish, Garin - 125lbs in between us in a queen size bed and gets morning lovings - I told him he is sooooooo lucky! So many animals out there are less fortunate! If you have some extra money or time - give to your local SPCA!! Everyone deserves a chance!!! We try and buy food at least once a month, but as far as time goes! Everyone that knows me - knows the whole SPCA would end up at my house!

Have a great weekend..

Well my Mom wishes that she had started this blog when I was little because when I arrived from Switzerland I was only 22lbs and now I am 125lbs - so she may flip back and forth from when I was little and wild til now when I am mature and do what unneutered males do - which take us to Tuesday!!

My Nanny and Grampy arrived and Mom, myself and Nanny and cousin Maggie ( 8lb shitzu- whom I love) all went shopping at the Barking Lot - well Nanny was shopping, Mom had forgotten her purse in the truck which i notice she often does when we shop with Nanny! Mom and I were just walking around and I decided I could not help myself and peed on the a whole rack of bisquits - the look on Mom's face, I knew I was trouble. She promptly took to the big litter box ( washroom) where I was put in the corner for a sit/stay command - thank gosh I master this one last week with distractions! And she made many trips back and forth with paper towel and spray and a whole bunch off apologies - I did give Heather ( owner ) and Mom the biggest saddest berner eyes I could manage and it must have worked !!! Before we left the store I was praised for a good sit/stay and left with the only pkg of peanut butter bisquits (Mom could not clean up) Heather put them in a clean paper bag and Nanny bought those for me and a bully stick. This is only the third time I peed in an inappropriate place - first time was on Baxter's bed at Aunt Peggys, second time was on Grampys leather recliner while he was sitting in it watching TV..That time Mom told the only thing that saved my furry butt was that Maggie pooped in Mom's bedroom the week before when they were visiting...Aunty Wendy says that is what unneutered males do...LOVELY my Mom says!

HI My name is Garin - I am a 1 year old Bernese Mountain dog! I arrived from Switzerland on July 29/2008 and have been living in New Brunswick with my parents ever since. Miss the mountains but love my parents! I just had my first birthday on the 19 of May! My Mom thought it would be cute for her friends that are away to keep up with me on a blog! My Mom is obsessed with me as you will see in future posts!
I have 3 of my canadian points for my CH and am currently enrolled in Pre Novice competitive obedience and also work very hard with my Mom and the horses keeping everyone in line when I am not playing with my buds: Fergus, Cowboy and Joey! Joey and I have a love/hate relationship. More on that later...