Mason the Bernese Mountain Dog has a little anxiety.
But he’s also super happy.
Josh and Katherine Haber, who have been married for two years, brought Mason home when he was eight weeks old. “My husband and I have always loved Bernese Mountain Dogs,” Katherine explained. “He was a big Newfoundland fan and I grew up with Golden Retrievers, so the Berner was a happy medium between those two.”
They did their research and found a reputable breeder who showed at Westminster. “We knew the breed was pretty prone to health problems and known for having a short life span,” Katherine said. “We got on her waiting list. We knew we wanted a boy.”
The couple was able to interact with all of the available puppies, and the breeder chose the best fit. “They were all so cute,” Katherine said. “It was a pretty intense interview about our lifestyle and different things. She matched us up with the puppy she thought was best suited for us.”
They found Philly Unleashed and called immediately, beginning training a mere three days after bringing Mason home. “My husband and I both grew up with dogs but neither one of us had experienced the full responsibility of a puppy from the very beginning,” Katherine shared. “We were like ‘What do we do with this dog?’ We called right away and Dana came over the third day that we had him. Dana and Nicole have known him forever.”
Mason turned four at the end of March, and more of his personality has emerged over the past few years. “He’s super fun, but also super anxious,” Katherine said. “He is the biggest chicken. He’s definitely fun and loves us. He’s super attached. But he does suffer from anxiety, which actually Nicole and Dana were the ones to help us with that and point us in the right direction.”
Mason has been through private lessons, Farmcamp, Puppy Kindergarten, Level 1, and Canine Good Citizen. While the intent was to train him as a therapy dog, Mason was the only dog to fail the course. “It was really embarrassing,” Katherine said. “He gets very anxious and scared of certain things.”
They had to change course, bringing Mason to a veterinary behavioralist who was able to help Mason with medication. “He goes to Farmcamp and he would get super nervous at camp,” Katherine said. “The medication is definitely helping him and his time at camp is helping him. As fun and great as he is, he’s definitely quirky and has anxiety.”
But continued training has helped. “He’s definitely stubborn, but he’s also a super well-trained dog,” Katherine said. “He’s really good off-leash and really good with all of his basics. I never have to worry about him. During the summer, we take him to the beach and he swims. Throughout the year, we take him on a lot of hikes. When people come into the house, he nicely greets them and then goes and lays down somewhere. For a big dog, the training has definitely given him some structure and made his life and our lives easier.”
Mason also gets to have fun, enjoying tricks like roll over and sit pretty. And he was featured in Josh and Katherine’s wedding, with trainer Kelsey on hand to assist. “He’s a big part of our lives,” Katherine said. “He’s literally our child. … Our wedding pictures would not be nearly as special as they are if she wasn’t there. He knew how to sit and pose. He was great.”
These days, Katherine and Josh are working on anxiety management for Mason. He’s got an image to keep up as an Instagram celebrity, having gained over 19,000 followers. As an influencer, brands send him products to review. “Because he is so anxious, if you place something near him and he doesn’t know what it is, he’ll get nervous and back away or look sad,” Katherine said. “Getting him to get that smile and pose with products is something we’re working on.”
But it’s a manageable problem that Katherine jokingly refers to as a first-world issue. Her advice for other dog owners with an anxious dog is to get help. “If your dog has a physical issue, you would take them to the vet and get the right medication to help them,” Katherine said. “Don’t be afraid to put them on something. We made the mistake initially of making his world smaller. We tried to take him everywhere we could. The more anxious he got, the less we would take him. He would come out to dinner as a puppy but as he got older and wouldn’t like it, we would leave him home. Now that he’s on medication, he can come with us everywhere and the meds help him breathe.”
The signs can be subtle, however, and Katherine recommends knowing the cues. “He’s an anxious dog, but he doesn’t act out in a bad way,” Katherine shared. “He will just sit there and pant and lick his lips, and you can almost overlook those signs because he’s not doing anything bad. Knowing how to read your dog is super important.”
Even with a bit of anxiety, Mason is happy, lovable, and attached to his people. “Even though he gets a little anxious, he’s super spoiled and happy,” Katherine said.
