Philomena

Scott and Philomena have been together since the summer of 2023.  They began basic obedience training as soon as it was safe to do so at Life is Dog (LiD), first doing a few private sessions.  Once she got more of her puppy shots, she started to socialize with other dogs at puppy play classes and also group training.  She also started to go out into the world at local stores that allowed well-mannered dogs to experience even more sights, sounds, and smells.  None of the stores had carpeting however because Scott often had to do some cleanup 💩.  Thankfully, the employees didn't mind because Scott brought bags and paper towels and Philomena was a particularly adorable puppy.

As Philomena grew, more and more people told Scott to investigate becoming a therapy team.  Life is Dog offered their first therapy dog group classes in the fall of 2025 and they enrolled.  After completing their prep course there, Scott had a few more requirements including several hours of online training before they could continue on in becoming a volunteer for Pet Partners.  During this time, Philomena continued to go into accepting public areas to keep expanding her experiences and confidence.  In February 2026, they passed their team evaluation which was the last big hurdle and were a registered team by mid-February.

The team is affiliated with the Pet Partners Community Partner Tufts Paws for People.

• American Kennel Club Breed Information

• Berner-Garde

• Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America 

• Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Nashoba Valley (regional BMDCA)

• The Dog Aging Project