On March 28th 2003 Beau, eight weeks old, comes to Amsterdam. Together with a 1,25 meter bench, adjustable diner plates and a 45 kilo bag of kibbles. Until the installation of a dog elevator, he is carried over the stairs in and out of the house. After three months of house-training Beau is a very neat city dog: no poop or pee in the house, on the pavement, against house fronts or even in the own street. Commands he learns at a puppy workshop and during elementary obedience classes. As one of the few dogs, and also the only Bernese Mountain Dog, in the club for Bouviers des Flandres dogs, he received his VZH diplom (traffic controlled dog) in the spring of 2006. Hereafter Beau joins the trailing lessons. Beau goes out for about three hours a day. In between he mainly rests and sleeps.

Beau lives in a loft appartment. To protect his joints Beau uses an electric elevator in the form of a steel bench that is fitted alongside our one staircase. He prefers to sleep on the floors, occasionally exchanging the stone one in the living for the wooden one in the bedroom. Because of his severe skin allergy we cook fresh meals for him on a daily base containing fresh meat, veggies and grains. He regularly visits his vet and is prescribed supplements like Omega 3 fish oil and other partly homeopathic treatments. With this he is strong enough to withstand the mites attack by himself most of the time. During the week Beau frequently visits the Vondelpark, the Amsterdam woods and his allotment garden, where he can do the thing his breed is good at: taking care of his own yard ...