Happy New Year everyone! From my family to yours, I hope you enjoyed your holidays and are able to move into 2022 with peace and love.
The session on the blog today took place at the Berny’s farm in College Grove. I have some pet faces to share today that are a little different from the norm…a cow and a bull! You also get to see four sweet pups captured in the photos below.
But first, the humans, which include Doug and Tracie with their kids; Hannah, Abby, and Blake. Blake is with his wife Savannah and they are adding a baby boy to their pack May of 2022. How exciting!
Now, about the dogs. All four of the pups you see are English shepherds. Belle is their first English shepherd and is 10 years old. They got her from a three generation farm and named her after the Disney character in Beauty and the Beast. Belle loves being in charge and prefers rules and boundaries. She respects them, too! She loves to fetch with great intensity and gets pretty sad when it is time to put the ball or stick away. Belle is the poultry and livestock work-horse. She puts the birds in at night, will play games of chase with the horses, and is affectionate to all…including the animals she watches over and herds. She is both protective and nurturing and joins her family on whatever task is at hand. At the end of a work or play session, she is content chilling out right by her humans’ side.
Hank is 8 years old and was re-homed with the Berny family. Hank’s name came from the children’s book series, “Hank the Cowdog”, and his personality is certainly a fit. Hank is most content to be right next to you, will lift his paw for attention or to be petted. He is very affectionate. Hank is the protector of the farm; animals and people are under his supervision. “He has no fear and is fiercely protective of his farm and inhabitants.”
Scout is two years old and is Belle’s baby sister! Scout was a name that seemed to fit her curious and inquisitive personality. She is still a puppy in many ways and has many of the same characteristics as her older sister; loves to fetch, loves to cuddle, and loves to make the family aware when something is out of order.
Last but not least of the Berny dogs is Murphy! Murphy is Blake and Savannah’s four year old pup. She was named after a movie character in the couple’s favorite movie, Interstellar. Murphy is the daughter of the lead character played and called “Murph” for short. Blake and Savannah frequently find themselves quoting the movie…”Come on Murph!”. Murphy loves to cuddle, eat snacks, and play fetch! She hates her paws being touched and does not like being left alone! “Murphy is amazing! She is a calming presence, always glad to see us, and is full of joy anytime we mention going on a walk.”
The best thing about English shepherds is that they love to play, but are also content just resting. It is great to have a dog that loves to rest at the end of a long day.
Hope is a Yearling Registered Fleckvieh Simmental Heifer. She was the Reserve Grand Champion Fullblood heifer at the Jr. Simmental Eastern Regional show in 2021. Hope is an extremely docile girl with great genetic potential and will be utilized in the Berny’s breeding program. Fleckvieh’s are an old line of Simmental cattle that were developed for their combined traits of milk production, draft animals, and beef production.
Lastly, meet Sinatra, a Yearling SimAngus Bull. Sinatra is the first bull calf that was bred and born to Abby’s show heifer “Misty”. He has an impressive set of expected progeny differences (EPDs) with great genetic strengths in calving ease, future milk potential of his daughters, growth and docility. He will initially serve as a herd sire to breed some of our heifers but will eventually find a herd of his own with his strong genetic foundation.
Hope you enjoy some of my favorites!
~Mandy
