When Bergdorf, possibly of the Bergdorf Goodmans hung out with Rez Dogs!

When Bergdorf quite possibly of the Bergdorf Goodmans hung out with The Rez Dogs!

My name is Bergdorf aka “Bergie”, an American Golden Retriever.

My great-great grandmother was of British descent, a high society fashionista in Manhattan, New York.

I have adventures with “Rez Dogs” who live on American Indian reservations.

I live in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in a big house under the stairwell. I have my own tv, radio, clothes, treats. My dog mom is a fancy lady with lots of clothes and class. She’s a Designer and takes great care of me and we do many road trips, the spit on the window of the Mercedes proves this. She keeps me safe.

She even got me the “Halo Collar” that can track my whereabouts, I feel so loved and protected. I just want to be good and make her happy.

Recently, we visited Grandpa’s house on an American Indian Reservation. It is very beautiful with over 300 lakes and streams but there are no Starbucks, restaurants or dog parks. At “Grampa Cookies” house there are black bears, coyotes and rez dogs.

Rez dogs never ride in cars, get treats or sleep on a furry soft bed. I am pretty sure none have been to a groomer.

I learned that while we are from two different worlds, we both have different experiences and beliefs about boundaries.

Dogs, like people do not know their boundaries.

Rez dogs are cared for by people who were told that they must stay within a boundary: the reservation system, they could not leave. That is why Native American people typically do not like to chain or leash dogs.

Still, there is so much danger, they live among dangerous, bears, coyotes, inclement weather, too cold or too hot. Rez dogs also have no routine veterinarian care either. Perhaps, then this lack of care can make a rez dog very mean and dangerous too.

The rez dogs were mean to me:

“Who do you think you are Golden?”, “The American Dog?” and “you’re not from around here, you can’t hang with us, we are tough rez dogs, you’re just a fancy city pooch”.

On that one day though, they let me run the reservation with them.

An old lady gave us dough bread, another guy left a bowl of water out, kids just grabbed us and invited us into their backyard.

Nobody cared what we did or where we went, provided we didn’t bother people. It was as though we were just existed, a part of every-day life. It was hot and dry so we went to the stream and jumped into a lake.

Guys: A pack of coyotes surrounded us...

I knew the Rez dogs would know what to do and they did hold them off, it was their homeland and territory but so it was for the coyotes who were surrounding us and not backing down.

Beeping and screaming, Dog Mom tracked me with the Halo. We were all rescued.

I didn’t know my boundaries then and I don’t know them any better now. In fact, since I hung out with the reservation dogs, I am more confused.

If I didn't have my Halo Collar on that day, I wouldn’t be able to share this story of adventure on boundaries and what it is to be leashed but unleashed…