Beaudeberner.nl is initiated by freelance editor and writer Antoinette Andriese. The weblog will follow the life of Bernese Mountain Dog Beau for the coming three years and will possibly result in a book dedicated to the special bond between humans and dogs. The site provides the readers insight into the sharing of mind, time and space with a dog. This story of Beau is meant for all dog lovers and naturally particularly those who are into Bernese Mountain Dogs. The second function of this weblog is the compiling of a moving archive of our beloved Beau.

The project of Beau slowly evolved in my head. In daily taking care of a dog, an animal of flesh and blood, questions arise in my head. Skilled in culture and communication professionally I do not possess specific knowledge of animals and their behaviour. How do I take care of him as best as possible, how do I make him listen to me? After having cried out ´I can not do this´ (for example to house-train him) having spend a week with puppy Beau, I eventually learned to coach and nurture him and live my childhood dream of really having a dog.

Beau is my first dog. Observing his behaviour the following questions pursue me. How does Beau experience his world? How does he relate to us, me? What moves him, literally and actually? What does he (not) want? What does he need, when is he sick? Which dogs does he (dis)like? As my descriptions of Beau and his activities show, I already freely interpret his behaviour, hop-step-and-jumping across objective ethograms. It is obvious that I already endow Beau with emotions and a capacity for thinking. Even so it would be a precious thing to know more about how deep and far ´head´ and ´heart´ go, how do they function within the communication between people and animals? (How) does it continue after descriptions and interpretations are done and what is the other answer to the dominant position supposing dogs are a non-thinking species?

Dog training, books on behaviour of dogs, conversations with dog owners give some information. But the relation of Beau and me is a personal one. What the other dog seems to do or want, is not necessarily true for my dog. How unique are dogs? Do they have feelings and a specific personality. To what degree does his Bernese breed influence Beau´s behaviour and inner world? Hoe does Beau perceive the world and me?

In, especially American, literature, much information on dogs and their behaviour is collected. The authors range on a scale of sceptics to lyrists: the one group discarding emotions, consciousnes of pain or ´self´ in animals adversing the other group contributing even extrasensory perception and morphic connections to them.

Fascinating. But how about Beau, the Bernese Mountain Dog living on the first floor of an Amsterdam appartment. Mesmerized by our intensive and intens bond and my maturing experience with the behaviour of my now adult Bernese, the idea develops in my head that a lot of answers are secluded in him and our interaction. I decide to record his life while at the same time reading, observing and interacting in my own layman way. And so the project of Beau started.

N.B. This is a not-for-profit site, possible incomes out of publications will be donated to projects on animal welfare.