Mar
19
2011
Scout (DOB 2006) Welcomes new baby to household
From: Rebekah
Sent: March 19, 2011 9:00 AM
To: Black Bear Farm
Subject: Re: Scout (DOB 2006)
Hey Brien
We’ve had lots of changes here and I will try to send you some updated pictures. We have a baby girl in our life now (14 months) and she has decided Scout is all hers. They are adorable together. She even gives him his treat when he comes in from outside.
I’m glad to hear from you. Hope all is well.
See more photos of Scout
Rebekah
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Jun
06
2010
- GBSD Penny has a proven protective nature
- Duke is a BBF Weimaraner
Weimaraners and GBSD have a protective instinct that is not well known. When we first acquired our GBSD named Annie and Avro, black 50/50 dogs, they started chasing all the black bears away or more often as not, they treed them. Some of these bears were 400 lbs plus. Avro, our big 90 lb male, actually bit the bears or jumped on them as they ran for a tree. These dogs were fearless. I supposed at first that this was their hunting instinct at play and thought little more about it for lots of dogs chase bears. Some two years later I purchased a large Weimaraner male named Duke. Duke was young (2 years old) and very playful but he had a habit of inviting one to play ‘Take My Stick’ by picking up a stick and shaking it and growling and prancing like a menacing dog! It was all in play of course but my much smaller and older Weimaraner Chief didn’t understand. He charged Duke from about 30 yards away. He leaped on top of Duke after flying through the air for the last ten feet and knocked Duke to the ground. I was startled but rushed to pull Chief off of Duke in time. After thinking about this performance I realized that Annie and Avro’s interest in chasing bears wasn’t to please them but to protect me. I was thunder struck and dumbfounded at the realization.
It took the other BBF dogs some time to understand that Duke wasn’t a threat. A week later Duke started his growling and prancing with a stick routine and Penny, a mature 85 lb daughter of Annie, did the same thing to Duke as did Chief. I saved Duke from Penny in a flash as Penny was determined to fight him to protect me. Duke was young and not experienced and would not have had a chance defending himself against Penny.
Chief is a Weimaraner with a proven protective spirit.
It took me years to see the first instance of the protective spirit of the Weimaraner and the GBSD. The GBSD protective spirit will show itself as the dog matures but only if something or someone threatens you or your family. Sasha from Saskatoon learned first hand about her dogs protective spirit. Here is her story (Sasha name her GBSD ‘Duke’ too). http://www.blackbearfarm.com/wp/?cat=67
When they were bred as a ‘forester’s dog’ or ‘game warden’s dog’ hundreds of years ago by the aristocracy of the Weimer region of Germany, they were bred in part to be bold and fearless in the face of large game like a stag or a wild boar. Weimaraners are used a police dogs even today in some European countries. Its probably safer to go walking, hiking or jogging with your Weimaraner or your GBSD at your side than to go alone.
Avro is our original 1st generation GBSD
History of Weimaraners and excellent articles about the general character description of Weimaraners.
1. bellaonline.com/articles/art4814.asp
2. breederretriever.com/dog-breed-history/226/weimaraner.php
3. weimclubamerica.org/weimaraners/index.html
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Apr
19
2010
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From: Sasha Semenoff Libby
Sent: April 14, 2010 4:05 AM
To: brien@blackbearfarm.com
Subject: Duke (Libby, Saskatoon 2007)
Hello Brien,
Ben and I just wanted to give you a little update about our beloved Duke.
He is the most affectionate dog anyone in our family has ever known – including my father who owned a wiem back in the 70′s. Those who remember the wiems on Ben’s family farm growing up remember them as temperamental and high strung. Duke is anything but that.
Wherever Ben is, Duke follows. From the moment Ben leaves for the office in the morning, Duke is my constant companion. And so it goes… if I leave the house and for some (rare) reason that Duke does not accompany me, sitting upright in the passenger seat watching the world go by – he stays to the side of whoever else is in the house… and if left alone, he simply takes his spot on the mat at the door and awaits our return. We have NEVER returned to the house to find destruction or mayhem. We began leaving him at home for short periods at two years of age and now we can safely leave him for three to four hours.
As I said, Duke is extremely loving and affectionate. He almost considers himself a lapdog. He is always in a snuggle position with one of his people, head buried under our arms or simply resting on our shoulder.
Duke has personality to spare! He is full of joy and life at the dog park and makes friends wherever he goes. At home he is mellow and gentle, even if he misses his daily walk for any reason he manages to stay fairly calm, cool and collected. He has his crazy moments of course but they are more a source of laughter for the family rather than an annoyance.
I especially can attest to the fact that Duke is a sensitive dog with a “sixth sense” for our feelings. I suffer from chronic illness and if I am bedridden, he will lay bedside for hours at a time, snoozing and watching me. Absolutely hours. Just yesterday I was on the sofa for the better part of the day and he remained there with me all afternoon, snuggling under the electric blanket. He snored a bit but I was so comforted by his presence it didn’t matter 
One last thing – I was alone at home one weekend while Ben was away on business. There was an attempted break-in and Duke leapt through the front door, I could not hold him back and he barked ferociously (I’d never seen him like that) at the man attempting to come through the porch. The man backed away and Duke proceeded to push his head through the porch door and stand on the step growling and barking! No one was as shocked as me – except maybe the bad guy!
Thank you for sending us our Duke. He is a treasure for all of us. He is loving, loyal, protective when need be… but most of all… a member of the family. A 90 pound lapdog.
Take care,
Sasha Libby
Saskatoon
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Duke at about six weeks.
Duke at about six months of age.
Duke three years old
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