HARRODSBURG, Ky. (LEX 18) — There are plenty of animals at Shaker Village in Harrodsburg, but the newest additions to the farm might be some of the cutest.
There's nothing cuter than a Bernese Mountain puppy... unless there are two of them!
Murphy and Milo are Shaker Village's newest employees.
"They already have very distinct personalities," said equine and stable coordinator Sarah Mansfield. "They're very silly, very goofy. But they're very smart and very much willing to be trained."
The four-month-old puppies are adorable, but they also have an important purpose.
They're working dogs, so they'll live with and help guard hundreds of sheep on the property once they're older.
"Tradition has always been herding, guarding, or draft type of work," said farm manager Mike Moore. "So they're powerful, but they have a wide range of abilities as a breed."
Moore told LEX 18 that Murphy and Milo would learn on the job from older pack members after obedience training.
"The puppies will learn quick, from the behaviors of the old dogs," Moore said. "The old dogs will correct anything they see unfit, which is unique to see."
It could be at least a year until Murphy and Milo are alone in the field. For now, these good boys are spending time on the farm and capturing the hearts of everyone they meet.
"They'll have a pretty smooth working life here," Moore said. "We have lots of guests, and we want them to interact with them. But there's definitely a healthy balance between a pet and a working dog. We just don't want to spoil them too much, which is hard to do when they're this cute."
