Bernie Kosar Gets Knee Surgery, Will Play Again.

[calfoxwc]

Oh, okay, it isn't the quarterback.

It's our 95 lb, 11 yr Old English Sheepdog/Airdale terrier.

When we first had him, he was a beatiful, fluffy, long legged, big footed, gentle 5 month old pup, that just kept learning

to understand anything we'd ever say to him. His favorite toy was a little vinyl Browns football.

I took him to puppy training class back then. The instructor took me aside after several classes, and told me

Bernie was extremely intelligent - in all her years, only three times maybe, had she seen a pup learn how to do

all the tricks ... by watching the other dogs trying to learn them.

So, he breezed through the classes.

Two days later, I came home from work, and my wonderful cute Wife told me to watch what Bernie could do.

All the puppy training tricks? Were done on cue, by verbal commands from the puppy classes. She quickly taught him to do all the same tricks...

without verbal commands, and instead, by her hand signals she made up.

To this day, he has never forgotten the verbal or hand signal cues. He never forgets anything....

He understands anything we say to him...

He's super extra gentle around little children, loves all the older kids... and is at the same time, super protective.

He can hear a jogger 50 yards away from our home, and throws a fit. That isn't a joke. It's true.

He barks at joggers, bikers walkers, etc. One night, when he was about 3, I was hearing serious thunder that woke me up.

I got up to watch the approaching storm, and saw that Bernie wasn't in his bed... I found him at the front window.

I went and got down next to him, and realized it wasn't thunder. It was him growling like a male lion. A car had pulled into

our driveway, and an older couple were sitting there with their light on, looking at a map. I didn't know he could growl like that.

And, he meant serious business... it was very different, and he knew it.

He stepped in a groundhog hole last winter, we didn't see it for the snow. I stepped in another one. We know better now.

Then, about two weeks ago, a deer ran across the street, into our side yard.

Bernie flew past me to the window on the side of our house, then I barely got out of the way when he charged to the

back french doors, with my Wife and our friends laughing. But, Bernie took a bad slide on the kitchen floor, and it was only then, he let on

that his back leg was hurting him. But he still took us for a walk way out back to our woods, around our entire soybean field and alfalfa field.

So, his doctor examined him, and said his ACL was completely torn. She said it was 100 percent correctable,

and he'd only stay that day and overnight, then would go home.

He had surgery last Fri morning, and came home Sat. morning.

He's an amazing guy, Bernie is. The expert surgeon put two artificial new ACL's in place of the old torn one. It's what he does - he's

been a vet surgeon for twenty six years, and has done nearly 3000 of these surgeries.

Sat morning, Bernie took me for

a half hour walk around the yard. That evening, we walked around the yard and entire garden, for 45 minutes.

Sun morning, he took us past the barn, around the small alfalfa field.... for two entire hours. And I finally had to tell him

we needed to go back home and have breakfast... so, he relented, and we walked back home.

He'll always remind me of BK the qb's overtime win on an injured ankle. I think it was the Jets...

But, the name fit from the first day, and always will. One day this year, I want to start writing a book about him.

Sorry, I couldn't resist the title. I hate waiting for the NFL draft every spring...

[ballpeen]

Sounds like a darn good mix my man.

I had a Airedale as a kid.

The best, toughest bully on the block is the Airedale. You put a terrier mentality behind a dog of size and you have a honky tonk bouncer on your hands who can take on anybody.

Add in a good protective dog with shepparding instincts to mellow the brawler a bit and you have something special.

[calfoxwc]

Thanks, Guys !

A few years ago, I was on the computer, and heard something. After a few minutes, I figured I should have already gone and checked it out.

I went to check it out, and the door had come open, the door going out to the garage.

the garage door was open. And there, with one paw down on the first step, was Bernie. he had his head lowered - to keep our cat Foxy from going right out the door.

He was shepherding her back away from the door. She came back in, and he came back in follower her, with a silly look on his face.

Years ago, we were having a big party, and most of us were downstairs. The kids back then were in early grade school. They were playing tug of war with him,

and he actually could still win a bit - with 5 or 6 of the kids at the other end of the rope. The kids wore out, and he was still ready to play.

so, he went and got his yellow ball, and brought it to my Wife, who gave it to a friend. She had her infant son sitting on her lap. He was just old enough to

throw a ball. He did, and Bernie caught it. Then, Bernie brought it back - to her infant son, very, very, very slowly and gently placing it in his lap, for him to throw it again.

That was the talk of the party and then some.

Also, several years ago, our friend and her 8 yr old daughter were over. Her daughter was running and chasing Bernie, then she'd stop, and he'd chase her. well, this went on

for several minutes, until she got tired, and as she was being chased, and stopped too fast, he put out his paw to stop from bumping into her, and his claw accidently

put a slight red mark on her back. Well, she cried, and stomped over to the couch and sat down. Bernie, powerful as he is, went over to the couch, and tried to get her

attention by placing his head on the couch a few feet away. She saw him, but by then, she was mad, and still crying a bit. So, Bernie moved a foot closer, and put his

chin right on the sofar again. She saw him, but wasn't buying his apology. So, he moved a few inches away, and did the same thing. By now, she was trying not to smile,

but she lost that battle when Bernie gently moved over again, and gently put his chin on her leg, and again looked up at here with sad big brown eyes. So, she ended up hugging him, he got up on the couch at her request, and

she petted him for a long while, as she was watching a movie.

I could go on and on, but I don't want to bore anybody. But Bernie is an amazing guy. He gets a pain patch taken off in the morning. tonight, my Wife went to bed, and I went in

to ask her about something, and here came Bernie in by himself (he isn't supposed to) on three legs, and carefully laid down for the night. Today

is the the fourth day since his surgery. Unbelievable.

Thanks again for the great replies !