Bernese Mountain Dogs in
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Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the Rockies
Hank
goes Home Hank checks in at Frontier cargo Loveland Berner Shot, Euthanized
CSU Vet Hospital The CSU
veterinary teaching hospital is a great resource for Berner lovers in
Colorado. Here is short article from their web site on the
surgery and Intensive rehabilitation of Willow.
Sahsa, a Berner, fell down a cliff on Mount Ellinor in the Olympic Mountains of Washington and was feared dead.
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2013 Spring Draft Test Our Spring test had 23 entries this year including a Samoyed and two German Shepherds. Thanks to our judges, Fay Benson and Patti Davieau, as well as our trial secretary Vicki Chesser and Chairpersons Lori Kennedy and Val Horney. Thanks also to all the stewards and to Nancy Fuselier for the ring favors. [RESULTS]  Health Clinic 2013 Our 2013 eye and heart worm clinic saw over 25 dogs. The eye exam looks for inherited diseases and is one of the five necessary health checks for all breeding Berners. Thanks to Dr. Todd Hammond of The Eye Clinic in Wheat Ridge and Dr. Nancy Fusleier.
Dr. Hammond exams Dr. Fuselier's dog "Moose" Awards Banquet 2013 Once a year BMDCR members gather to recognize the accomplishments of the past 12 months. Achievements in drafting, obedience, conformation, agility, and every other Berner activity are celebrated with a banquet and the presentation of certificates. We also present the Kathy Roth award for outstanding service to the breed which this year went to Alice Clark. Berner New Years Walk The Colorado Berner Meetup Group turned a lot of heads when 30 or so members and their pups went for a nice winter stroll around Washington Park in Denver. The Meetup group hosts lots of fun activities for Berners and their people. 2012 Fall Draft Tests Dumb Friend's League Wag 'n Trail, 2012
Bernerfiesta this year was at Don and Lori's home and their hospitality was terrific. The Colorado Bernese Meetup Group joined the BMDCR for food and some doggie socialization. We also held CGC testing with four dogs earning their titles.
Kristen with "Clementine" keeping cool in her evaporative vest. |
Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the Rockies Meetings
Special Events
Dog Shows
Pack Hike, 2011 Although drafting is the Bernese Mountain Dog's traditional work our breed can also excel as a pack dog. Berners are already eligible to participate in the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog club's pack dog events and BMDCR member Ron Abbott has earned the WPD pack dog title with his dog, Steiger. Ron led five Berners and a Sammy on a pack hike this June 5th on the Colorado Trail. Orthopedics Presentation at the July Meeting
First Aid Class The proud alumni of our canine first aid class pose with their practice dogs after graduation. Thanks to Candy for arranging this educational program. Furry Scurry, 2012 Congratulations to Buffy Snider and Mike Caruso who led the Berner Furry Scurry team this year with record results; $4510 raised for the Dumb Friends League. The Colorado Bernese Mountain Dog Meetup Group and The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the Rockies are proud to support this cause. Thanks to all the scurriers! 2012 Regional Specialty The BMDCR celebrated its 25 year anniversary at the 2012 regional specialty. Show chair Dottie Schulte did a super job as always - just a little warm up for the 2013 national specialty . |
We are a group of people who love Bernese Mountain Dogs. Our club was founded in October, 1987. It is an official regional club recognized by the national breed club, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America (BMDCA). Our membership includes people who are involved in breeding, showing, and all areas of training, as well as those whose Berners are cherished family members.
The BMDCR's first--and most important--purpose, as stated in our Constitution, is "to provide a source of information and support to fanciers of Bernese Mountain Dogs." Thus, education is the focus of many of our activities. Recognizing that the informal network established between Berner people can be an equally valuable source of information and support, the club also sponsors purely social events which give us an opportunity to get to know each other and have fun with our dogs.
General club meetings are held every other month. Since the majority of our members live in the Colorado Front Range area between Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, we try to hold most meetings at a central location in the Denver area. All general meetings include both a business meeting and an educational program of general interest to our membership. Past programs have covered a wide range of topics related to health, behavior, training, showing, grooming, and breeding.
Most of our social activities are designed to include dogs. Our big event of the year is our summer Bernerfiesta, a potluck picnic that includes activities for the entire family. In December, we have our annual Christmas party. To maximize participation, we hold our activities in various locations around the state of Colorado.
Because of the Berner's large size, most owners find some obedience training to be a necessity. Starting training early, before a puppy has attained adult size and assertiveness, makes the process much easier. As part of the BMDCR's effort to promote responsible ownership among its members, the club strongly encourages all members to give their dogs at least basic obedience training. To help Berner owners appreciate their dogs' many abilities, we have offered clinics on basic obedience training and solving problem behaviors, as well as agility workshops, an ongoing series of draft (carting) classes, and several herding instinct certification tests.
In addition to earning formal obedience titles, a significant number of BMDCR dogs pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test each year. The BMDCR has put on its own CGC test in the past; the test is also available through many other area dog clubs.
At our annual Awards Banquet, we recognize BMDCR dogs who have earned titles in all areas during the previous year, as well as those who have performed public service--for example, as therapy dogs.
Since becoming an AKC recognized club in 2008 the BMDCR has held an independent specialty show each Fall. In conjunction with the show, we also offer a variety of activities (e.g., educational programs, a banquet, and a hospitality suite) for Berner fanciers.
In 1992 and again in 1997, the BMDCR hosted the BMDCA National Specialty. The National Specialty is an annual Berner-only AKC show, hosted each year by a different regional club, which draws an entry of several hundred Bernese Mountain Dogs and their owners from all over the United States and Canada. Our club's specialties include conformation, obedience, tracking, a draft test, and an agility trial, as well as educational programs and fun activities.
As a recognized regional club of the BMDCA, we are authorized to hold official BMDCA Draft Tests, at which Berners can earn draft titles. We held our first independent draft test in 1993 and we typically offer this event bi-annually in Colorado every year.
The BMDCR is committed to educating the general public about our breed in particular and about responsible dog ownership in general. Our Public Education Coordinator handles hundreds of requests a year from people seeking information about the breed. We also maintain a web site and Facebook page.
BMDCR members frequently participate in educational showcases for the general public and actively seek out opportunities to demonstrate the benefits of having a well-trained dog, through participation in such activities as obedience and carting demonstrations, parades, and pet therapy.
For those who are looking for a Berner puppy, our Public Education Coordinator maintains a list of Bernese Mountain Dog breeders in the Rocky Mountain region who have, or are planning, litters. and also meet certain requirements. Older dogs may occasionally also be available. Outside of the Rocky Mountain region contact the national club public relations chairperson.
If you are dealing with a problem situation with your dog--whether related to health, behavior, or training--the BMDCR has experienced people who can advise you. We can also refer you to training classes in your area.
The BMDCR is committed to helping breeders produce the best Bernese Mountain Dogs possible, whether show dogs, working dogs, or pets--dogs that not only conform to the breed standard but that are also both physically and temperamentally sound. We have many experienced breeders in our club who are glad to offer assistance to people just getting started. They can help the novice breeder decide whether a dog is of breeding quality, as well as provide advice about stud selection, breeding, whelping, puppy rearing, placement, and contracts.
Breeders who are members in good standing of the BMDCR and whose litters meet certain basic requirements can have their litters listed with our Breeder Referral Service.
The BMDCR actively supports research and data collection efforts toward the goal of eliminating several serious health problems that afflict Bernese Mountain Dogs. The International BMD Database was started in the 1980's by the San Francisco Bay Berners, another regional club, to collect data on health problems, longevity, and other concerns in the breed. The BMDCA took over administration of the database several years ago. In 1994 the BMDCA launched the Berner-Garde Foundation, a nonprofit, tax exempt foundation, to further develop the database through continuing data collection, verification, and dissemination to interested parties (breeders and researchers). The BMDCR encourages all club members, both breeders and owners, to submit data on their dogs.
The BMDCR strongly encourages its members to have all dogs, including non breeding animals, evaluated for genetic ailments. Hip and/or elbow dysplasia can be evaluated from radiographs by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Hereditary eye diseases can be screened for by local veterinary ophthalmologists and the results submitted to The Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF).
In 1990 our national breed club, the BMDCA, initiated and funded a nationwide four-year study of cancer and other tumors in Bernese Mountain Dogs, which established that two forms of cancer in the breed have a genetic basis. Many of our members participated in the original cancer study, and the BMDCR as a whole has financially supported both the cancer study and Berner-Garde.
The BMDCR believes that those of us who love Berners are responsible for any Berner in trouble, whether or not it was produced by a breeder in our club. For this purpose, the club has established a Rescue Committee, which has already helped find new homes for several Berners. Although so far most of our rescue dogs have been acquired from shelters, the club will also assist individual owners with placement when they are unable to keep a dog. Rescue expenses are financed from a separate rescue fund. Club members support our rescue program by providing foster homes for rescue dogs, assisting with special fundraising events, or directly donating to the rescue fund.
All members can check out materials from the club library. Materials presently available include books (on both the Bernese Mountain Dog in particular and general dog topics), videos (the official AKC breed standard video, as well as videos of previous national specialties and past BMDCR supported entries and draft tests), BMDCA yearbooks (useful for pedigree research), and back issues of the BMDCA magazine, The Alpenhorn. The club annually allocates funds for the purchase of new materials and also accepts donations of materials from members. To see the materials available link to the library page.
All members receive our newsletter, the BMDCR Mountain Dog Messenger, which is published bimonthly. It contains information on upcoming club events, reports of recent events, and a listing of shows, fun matches, clinics, and other dog-related activities in the Colorado area. The newsletter also features articles written by our members and reprinted from other regional club newsletters and all-breed dog publications. Past articles have covered such topics as breeding, grooming, conformation, showing, pet therapy, dog training centers in Colorado, and mail order sources for dog supplies. Contact the Membership Chairperson for subscription information. Current members may view the Messenger online with password access.
Any person with an interest in Bernese Mountain Dogs is welcome to join our club. You do not need to own a Berner. In fact, if you are considering getting a Berner, joining the club is a good way to learn more about the breed and to become acquainted with local breeders. We have no geographic residence requirements. Although many of our members live in the state of Colorado, we also have members in surrounding states and even in a few distant states.
BMDCR membership applications are available from the Membership Chairperson or [HERE]. There are three levels available; voting, sustaining, and junior. Voting members are eligible to vote at meetings and serve on committees and the Board of Directors. This level is for those who plan to take an active role in the club and requires attendance at least two meetings out of the last four before joining. Sustaining members may also serve on committees but are not eligible to vote at meetings or serve on the Board of Directors. This level is for those who may be new to Berners, less active in the breed, or who live outside of our core area. Junior Membership, for all persons under 18 years of age. Voting rights do not extend to Junior Members, nor are they eligible to hold office in the Club. All memberships require two voting member sponsors. If you do not know anyone who is a member of our club the Membership Chairperson will be glad to put you in touch with members in your area.
All members are expected to sign and subscribe to the Code of Ethics of our parent club, the BMDCA, which has also been adopted by our club. If two or more adults from the same household are applying for membership, all of them must sign the Code of Ethics. To apply obtain both the application and the code of ethics. Fill out the application, sign the code of ethics and return them to the Membership Chairperson. Contact your two sponsors and arrange for them to send their sponsorship forms to the Membership Chairperson also.
There are no minimum participation requirements to remain in good standing with the club. New members are encouraged to attend meetings and activities, to serve on committees, and to help with events, but are not required to. Your level of involvement is up to you.
We do have a Junior Membership category for children under 18. Junior Members pay reduced dues and do not have voting privileges. Becoming a Junior Member is a way for kids to show support for the club. However, all members' children are welcome to attend club events, whether or not they are officially Junior Members.
Many of our activities are designed specifically with families in mind. Kids who are especially interested in dogs, and who may already have some experience with conformation and/or obedience competition--e.g., through 4-H or junior showmanship classes--are welcome to participate in our fun matches and training clinics on an equal basis with adults. If your child is just getting started in dogs, we have experienced kids and adults who will be glad to give him or her instruction and guidance.
Newsletter subscriptions are available for non-members. For more information, contact the Membership Chairperson. Our meetings, fun matches, and most activities are open to all Berner fanciers, whether or not they are club members. Prospective Berner owners, and new owners, are welcome to attend. Very occasionally, for an activity which has a participation limit, we may give preference to club members. This will be clearly specified in the newsletter.
The Loveland Reporter
Herald has a sad story about Carter, a Berner, who was shot
with a .22 and later had to be euthanized. Authorities are
looking for the shooter. See the 
Sasha's Alpine
Save
The
BMDCR Fall draft tests were again held in Utah this year. The weather
was perfect and the passing rate was good. Many thanks to
chair Stephanie Biksacky, secretary Vick Hall, and our judges Eden
Jonas and Kathe Vasquez. A big thank you to all the volunteers
too. Congratulations to all the qualifying teams.
The
Colorado Bernese Mountain Dog Meetup Group joined together to support
the Dumb Friend's League at their Fall dog walk and fund
raiser. Good fun for a great cause. Thanks to Buffy
and Mike for organizing this meetup.
Bernerfiesta
2012
Dr, Fick,
orthopedic surgeon at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, reviewed the
common Berner joint problems and treatment options at our July
meeting. Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and torn CCLs are
well known to Berner owners.
