When we first brought Lothario home to our farm, I was amazed by his calm and confident manner. Never having seen livestock before, this 13 week old puppy knew exactly how to get close and observe them without scaring them. Lothario eventually knew just how to handle the goats and sheep without any instruction from us. On 100 acres, we lived without a fence or enclosure. Our goats, sheep, pony and various poultry never left the homestead, thanks to our Lothario.
When Mezza came along, she ensured this even more. Mezza also enjoyed leading the goats to where she wanted them to go. Gentle as can be, our Bergamascos could head them in any direction without ever hurting the goats. They did this in their own style. It was an important beginning for them. It reinforced their natural adaptation, to be among the flocks they have been bred to herd and protect for hundreds of years.
After Aria arrived, we moved to the rugged and isolated seacoast of the Bay of Fundy. Here the Bergamascos no longer had livestock to herd but they had the cool breezes of the Bay and the rocky shoreline to explore. In this very secluded fishing village, they enjoyed their time napping on the veranda and playing in the waves of the beach, while discovering seals on the shore. They joined us on hikes through the North Mountain pine forests to little known sites of paradise where we would camp down and lay by the waterfalls.
When we retured to Connecticut, it was the beginning of their lives as dogs who had to adapt to live with leashes, busy streets and cars. I am forever thankful that they had 3 wonderful years to experience the joys of being free. Without constraint or much training, they have matured into three amazing beings with extreme intelligence, balance and intuition.
Anthea, one of the puppies from our Nova Scotia litter, chose to remain with us. She was so happy to play with her mother and nap with her father, we could not let her go. She has aquired the best of both her parents and will continue to remind me of the importance of preservation of these precious lineages. Now with the support of the Bergamasco Sheepdog Club of America, we will continue to strive to preserve the integrity of this unique and ancient breed. Our dogs are of Champion Italian lines of the Dell'Albera Kennel, founded by Dr. Maria Andreoli, the revivalist of the breed. She worked hard to re-establish and preserve the original traits of the Bergamasco.
