Roma

Her registered name was Timoria's Roman Holiday, better known as 'Roma', and I got her when she was 16-weeks-old. She was the "pick of the litter" and so full of herself. She loved to play, especially in area rugs. I hadn't had her long when it became painfully obvious just how attached to me she was - a characteristic of Bernese Mountain Dogs. She destroyed two large cages and pulled a third up the stairs one night. Her message was loud and clear, she just wanted to sleep in my room and she got her wish.

As the years passed, her intelligence shined. All you had to do was show her once and she would do it every time you asked. Her favorite trick was opening up doors to let herself into a room. But she could sit, sit-up, shake, lie down, roll-over, carry items, and speak (the command was "get"). She loved cheese, would come running when she heard the rattle of the plastic. Became excitable when you picked up her leash, and would carry it (or drag you) to the vehicle. She always rode shot-gun in the car, no matter who else was going or already sitting there.

Her biggest dislike: storms. There was no calming her, just let her get under the bed and ride it out.

I was with her when she died, exactly two months before her twelfth birthday. The average age for a Berner is 6-8 years, and here I had nearly double that. She lived a good life. But it doesn't make the pain any easier.

I will always love her. I will never forget her. And I look forward to seeing her again when the time comes.

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