Greetings everyone!

I am enjoying my life here in Philadelphia. I love playing with my dog buddies at Gorgas Park. You can find me there most evenings. I love wrestling, and chasing other dogs! A little bit about me and my family. For many years my parents wanted a dog, but years of graduate school and obligations were overwhelming, so they decided to wait until they had more time on their hands. In the fall of 2000 my parents decided that the time was right for a dog. The family already included 5 adult cats, so my Mom and Dad thought that a puppy would be a logical choice, as one can never be sure how an older dog with an unknown history is going to respond to cats. Mom and Dad spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of puppy would most likely get along with the cats. My parents are pet sitters so they have a lot of experience with all sorts of dogs and temperaments. They thought about getting a Lab, but my Dad was afraid that the Lab would eat our sofa. My Mom remembered reading that Saint Bernards had wonderful temperaments. So, my parents reasearched Saints and decided that a Saint would be ideal as the new member of the family. They contacted breeders all over the United States. They were looking for just the right circumstance; an environment where the dogs & puppies were raised with children and other animals. It was a very tough find, but my parents found Krista Jones at Diamond Saint Bernards in Wawaka, Indiana. My parents flooded Krista with questions and Krista was so helpful! Mom and Dad liked the fact that Krista and her husband Mike had 4 small children who helped to take care of the resident Saints, and the children were an active part of the births, and the rearing of the puppies. Mom and Dad decided that they would get a puppy from one of Krista's litters. So, when my birth mother, Diamond's Dinah-Mo was bred my parents wanted one of Dinah's pups. From the moment of my conception, Mom and Dad wrote Krista everyday. They couldn't wait for my birth! I was born on March 20, 2001 and my parents were such nervous wrecks! Krista sent pictures every week and e-mails telling my parents how I was doing!

On May 14th my parents drove to Indiana to pick me up. They did not want me to fly to Philadelphia on a plane. They were afraid that I would be misplaced, or that I would get sick. Afterall, I am a family member, and no one would want an infant human to be flown alone on a plane, so there was no question about my arrival on a plane. My parents had a lot of fun driving to Indiana. They spent the day with Krista & her family, including the other Saints! They had such a great time. They had dinner with Krista's family and they spent some time checking out the village. My parents have an understanding about experiences; and that is that people should always welcome new things, and seek out things that are not part of one's daily routine (that is why my nickname is EASY RIDER, as I am very much like Peter Fonda's character in the film).  Everyone was sad when it was time to leave. I would miss the children, the horses, goats, cats, and the other Saints, but I was ready to burst into Philadelphia! Since my arrival, I have been nothing but solid joy. I love the cats! It took them awhile to trust me, but now they all do figure 8s around my feet. Madeline even tries to steal my dinner! I am the apple of my parent's eyes. I go everywhere with my Mom and Dad. We are fortunate to live close to many parks, so we take lots of walks in Fairmount and Gorgas. Gorgas is my nightly hangout. It's very important for dogs to be socialized at an early age. As soon as my parents adopted me they made sure that I was at the park every night with the other dogs. I have found many great and wonderful friends.