Meet Bernie!

From Bernie's mom:

In the late summer and fall of 2021, I determined we were ready for another dog. Our first dog, Doug, was three and in a great place with his training, so we felt ready, but in no rush, to add another fur baby to our family. While we were not looking very seriously, I followed several rescues and kept my eyes on their posts and stories. I often would send screenshots of dogs to Bernie’s dad, Zack, and he would say, “He/She’s cute,” but wasn’t interested in pursuing them any further. 

When Bernie’s smiling face popped up on Underdog Rescue’s stories, I knew I had to have him, and Zack’s exact words were, “I will do anything for that dog.” I immediately reached out to Underdog (via message and email), asking if he was available. We found out he was 7-8 months old and surrendered at an adoption event on one of the reservations in the Four Corners. They told me that they shared him too early and he wasn’t getting neutered for another couple of weeks, but that I could apply for a different dog and they’d save my application for when he was ready.

A few days later, they sent me an email letting me know that Bernie had started limping and while they thought he might be faking, they brought him into the office for the day. They offered to send me photos, and it seemed like they too felt that this was the dog for me. It turned out that Bernie did have an injury and that he had to have a surgery called an FHO (femoral head ostectomy. It was a routine surgery that he should recover from with no problems. However, they wanted him to recover in a home and asked if I wouldn’t mind coming to Moab early to pick him up. 

Zack and I rearranged our schedules and drove 4 hours to Fruita, CO on a Tuesday night with the plan to drive the additional two hours to Moab, UT, the following day. Before leaving CO, the rescue let us know that in his initial surgery, they found a lot more scar tissue than they were expecting, and they would need to do a second operation the next day. While they could not guarantee it, they felt Bernie would be ready to go home by 5 PM that Wednesday. 

We did not hear anything on Wednesday, so we assumed the best and made the final trek into Utah. When we arrived at the rescue, we discovered that Bernie had not undergone surgery until the end of the day. We wouldn’t be able to take him home with us that day. We had no choice. We had to drive back to the Colorado front range without our new pup. 

The folks at Underdog Rescue in Moab were incredible. They offered to let us spend the night for free in the owner’s in-law apartment, but Zack had to work in person the next day. Thankfully, they offered to meet me in Glenwood Springs with Bernie later that week. Three days later, my friend and I drove 3 hours to pick him up at a rest area on the side of I-70 and bring him home to the front range. 

A year into having him, Bernie developed some dog reactivity. It has primarily presented as reacting to dogs in his personal space or as resource guarding (that resource being anything from food to a person he loves). Unfortunately, it could be severe enough we worried he might be a bite risk. While I shed plenty of tears, his reactive journey has made me a better dog parent. He has made huge strides in the last few months, and I couldn’t be more proud. 

All in all, we drove 18 hours to get Bernie, but even with his reactivity, I would do it 100 times over. He has been the perfect addition to our family. He is the happiest, goofiest boy who has turned into a fantastic adventure buddy. He is always up to hike, camp, backpack or go on a run. While initially terrified of him because of his cone, it took Bernie very little time to win over our first dog, Doug, and they are now the best of friends. 

Bernie wins over the hearts of everyone he meets. You can follow Bernie and his brother Doug’s adventures @adventuresofdougandbernie on Instagram.