Bromley Anne

We named our beautiful girl, Bromley, after the mountain near our second home in Vermont. Actually, her recorded name is Bromley Anne to appease our nephew who didn?t think Bromley was a girl?s name so we feminized it! Bromley was a real girl-- gentle, obedient, very patient, unusually communicative, and very comical.

Around 1995, while researching to find a breeder, information on the breed was almost non-existent. During this search we happened upon a New York City couple who described the breed in this way: "goofy, but smart." In time we came to agree. Bromley was brilliant and a real nut. I called her affectionately, My Little Cuckoo-Girl. She always made us laugh and filled us with wonder with her funny antics.

Bromley was a quick learner--toilet trained in just two attempts. Show her anything just twice and it was hard wired. We disagree with the adage, "you can?t teach an old dog new tricks," because Bromley had no trouble learning new material even up to age nine. She understood complex commands such as, "bring your toy upstairs to Bob and tell him you want to go out for a walk." We always spoke to her as if she were human (we think she was very close to being one!)

She loved to entertain herself with very challenging games that she, herself, developed. For instance, it thrilled her to place her ball at the very, very edge of the deck or outside stairs and snap it by pushing it against one front paw and with the other paw applying pressure until it flew into the air. The challenge was to see how many times she could do it at the edge without it falling off. Then, when it did, with great glee, Bromley would run down the stairs, look for the ball and bring it back to start the process all over again. She developed a similar game in the snow, snapping the ball into the air, and then running like the dickens to find it in the snow. And, could she run!

A few years ago I taught my little "Cuckoo" how to play "Puppy Ping-Pong." She caught on so fast. In a small hallway leading to an upper bedroom, I sat on the stairs to be on her level; she stood in the bedroom with the wiffle ball in her mouth. She deduced that if she dropped the ball on the door saddle, it would roll down the hall. I gave the "push" command and she would come running with both front feet crossed, slamming the ball towards me for a return volley! She often used one paw at a time, swatting the ball as if using a paddle. Similarly, she paddled the ball along the floor from her side of our queen bed to me on the other side and kept the volleys going a few times. I can?t tell you how many deep, belly laughs we had watching her play these games. She especially loved it when she swatted the ball beyond me to win the match! (I swear she always smiled!)

Bromley taught me the joys of nurturing and unconditional love, and how to be her loving Momma; and her Dad adored her and rough-housed with her and took her wherever he went. They had a tight bond because Bromley went to work with Bob during her first eight months of life. She was also a terrific car dog. The four-hour trips back and forth from Long Island, NY to Vermont were another adventure for her, especially seeing the cows she hoped to herd. She was very content. And so were we. You could tell by the many loving names we gave her and that she answered to: Bromley, Baby Girl, Miss B, Cuckoo, Sweet Pea, My Little Peanut, Cookie, Brommie Girl (always sung), Moose Girl (when she gained a few extra pounds), H-a-p-p-y Dog (always sung with the accent on Happy), and, of course, Angel Girl, because indeed she was.

Neighbors loved her, children adored her and gathered around her whenever they could to play and pet her. She was a gentle soul. But what saddened us was that she was an Alpha dog and was not comfortable around other pups unless they were slow-moving, older ones. Luckily she had a few friends.

From puppy-hood, I sang a song that I made up and called "The Entlebucher Song". I sang it to her every day, slowly, almost chant-like, while I massaged her head and body (I always thought this would increase her longevity). She would snort and seemed to drift into a trance-like sleep. I often crawled into her bed with her to do this. Eventually, she learned to massage her own head with her paws, then in Entlebucher talk, ask me to come sing her our song. A few days before she died, Bromley did this four times in succession which was highly unusual. I didn?t know she was dying, but apparently she did, and she wanted her Momma to massage her and sing to her before she left us. Gratefully, before she died at the hospital, she heard me singing to her and she made the same snorting sound that was an acknowledgement of our presence before she drifted off for the Rainbow Bridge.

Bob and I count our blessings and sincerely believe she was sent to us from Heaven a little Angel -- who taught us so much about life and love and reverence for all living things. We miss her terribly and wish to thank NEMDA & Entlebook for allowing us to honor her wonderful, precious memory.

Fran and Bob Stelz