TILTON — The St. Bernard’s tail swished across the sheltie’s face, but the little one didn’t flinch.

“He’ll knock you out with that tail,” owner Darla Berry of Westville warned Sadie the sheltie.

Sadie didn’t seem to mind. Like other mismatched couples, Mickey the St. Bernard and Sadie the sheltie have adjusted to each other’s quirks and habits.

Both dogs are about 2½ years old and both share a loving household with Berry and her son, Zach, 10.

The difference, of course, is their size: Mickey weighs more than 150 pounds, while Sadie is just 14 pounds.

Still, the two like to play and rassle — but only under the watchful eye of Berry, who’s afraid one might accidentally hurt the other.

When the weather is nice, Zach will roughhouse with the two dogs in the backyard. Mickey likes to grab Zach’s shirt or arm, but Berry halts the play when the bigger dog starts to get too rough.

Mickey, who has a bit of a lazy streak, also likes to lie down, and wait for Sadie to run past. Then, St. Bernard grabs her tail as she races past.

He also likes to grab onto her collar and tags — but Sadie chews on Mickey’s tags, too. So, the tags have to be taken off when they play.

The Berrys enjoy watching the dogs romp around the yard or the house.

They didn’t really plan to have dogs of such differing sizes.

The quest for a dog started about three years ago when Zach wanted a pet. Berry was watching an Animal Planet program about the different breeds, and liked what she heard about Shetland sheepdogs, that they’re good with children.

She contacted a breeder in Westville, and, later, Zach picked out a sable puppy from the litter. Berry jokes that he must have got the runt, as Sadie seems to be smaller than most shelties.

It was a good match, with Zach and Sadie forming a bond. She sleeps with him, and follows him around the house. She’ll be 3 in March.

Then, Berry was talking to a woman who needed to find a home for her St. Bernard puppy, as she was working long hours and he needed more attention.

The Berrys took in Mickey — so named because the brown pattern on his back looks like Mickey Mouse ears. As it turns out, Berry is a Mickey Mouse fanatic who collects items relating to the cartoon character.

After a short period of adjustment, Sadie and Mickey became friends. He’ll be 3 in April.

The family had a scare last spring when Mickey got the back gate open and both dogs took off. Usually, Sadie stays indoors while the family is gone, but not that day.

The Berrys found Mickey right away, but Sadie had disappeared. They posted flyers, enlisted the help of kids at Judith Giacoma School (where Zach is a student) and searched for days.

The dog was gone for two and a half weeks. Zach was inconsolable and even Mickey was whining.

Finally, they got a call from a woman in Olivet, who happened to see a flyer at a Danville store. She had picked up Sadie near Carter Lumber in Westville.

The dog’s Jeff Gordon collar was gone (Zach is a big Gordon fan), but otherwise, she was in good shape.

The family also had a Chihuahua for a short time, but he didn’t get along with the other two dogs. Buster went to live with Berry’s sister.

Berry would recommend the St. Bernard breed to others — but only if you have the room for him to run and a cool place in the summer. Mickey has access to an air-conditioned basement in the summer, and a big doggy door lets him come and go.

From the sleek sheltie to the brawny Bernard, Zach sums up his feelings: “I love ‘em.”

A boy with two dogs means a busy — sometimes tumultuous household — but the family wouldn’t have it any other way.

GOOD NEWS

Sloppy Joe, a border collie-mix who had been at the Vermilion County Animal Shelter for months, has been adopted on the East Coast.

Last month, he became the first local dog to participate in the Pilots N Paws program. A pilot from Champaign picked him up in Danville and took him to Chicago; from there, he was flown on Pet Airways to the Eleventh Hour Rescue in New Jersey.

This week, local animal lovers were ecstatic to learn that someone had adopted Sloppy Joe, who’s been renamed Joe.

ADOPT A PET

Beginning this Saturday, the Vermilion County Animal Shelter Foundation will have cats and dogs up for adoption at the Village Mall. The animals will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every other Saturday.

If you would like to have your pet featured, contact Mary Wicoff at 477-5161, send an e-mail to mwicoff@dancomnews.com or write to Commercial-News, 17 W. North, Danville, IL 61832.