 Barked: Sat Jan 26, '13 9:25am PST |
 | |  | |  Selli, you've met a most unusual berner!
Berners, even un-trained, are generally the type you can have off-leash anywhere and they'll stick close to you. When I go on outings with the local berner club, we have 10-15 berners running around off-leash and playing amongst themselves, but remaining close to us, and completely disinterested in the strangers walking around them.
I wouldn't suggest having one off leash around food though. At aforementioned outings, I always have a pack of dogs trailing my treat filled coat pockets and trying to charm me by sitting. 
I do know one or two berners who aren't as food motivated as most, but your sister's specimen sounds like a minority in the breed. Do you know how/if s/he's been trained, with regards to recall, and with treats? I mean, I know for some dogs trained with physical corrections, the idea of taking a treat or coming when called may be associated with discomfort.
I feel I must defend "my" breed here  - the berner's activity level is generally quite malleable, especially in youth. If you want a couch potato, you raise one - I don't, so I exercise mine more, and try to build more prey drive via play. |  |  | |  |
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. You learn to have lint brushes everywhere and to always do a last roll if going anywhere in public. I always say they are definitely not the dog for a neatfreak. But they are such clowns they will keep you endlessly entertained. And they are very soft dogs - a harsh word and they crumble.
