BERNICE

Meet Bernice, a 7-year-old German Shepherd who has officially reached the stage of life where she enjoys a good adventure... followed immediately by a good nap. Bernice is the kind of dog who likes to keep tabs on the neighborhood. She enjoys sniffing every bush, investigating every interesting smell, and conducting thorough `security inspections` during her walks. Once she's satisfied that everything is in order, she's happy to find a shady spot and supervise the world from a comfortable distance.

Despite her size, Bernice is easy to handle and walks nicely on leash, though she occasionally adds a little extra horsepower when something particularly fascinating catches her attention. (It's important work. The squirrels aren't going to monitor themselves.) Meet and greet with any resident dogs is always recommended. She was primarily an outdoor dog, never tried to escape, wasn't destructive, and loved going for car rides. In fact, if she hears car keys jingling, she may be read...