Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the Rockies |
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BMDCR Yahoo Group Formed - Click Icon to Join
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HB07-1235 becomes part of the Colorado
Revised Statutes on July 1, 2007. HB07-1235 at a glance:
BMD Registration Statistics The Berner continues to grow in popularity. More... vWD DNA tests available for only $105 - Contact Sara Karl 719-534-9056 or karl3106@comcast.net |
Meetings
Special Events Upcoming Dog Shows
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Phil Shaffer 303-832-3417 pshaffer@bmd.org
Ann Rutherford 303-697-0258 bobandann25@msn.com
Stacy Temples 970-493-3714
Dottie Schulte 970-392-1806 DottieS911@aol.com
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.
Because the BMDCR at the present time is not a licensed AKC club, we are not able to hold our own dog shows. We do periodically hold fun matches--which include conformation, obedience, and junior showmanship events--that are open to all Berner owners, including non-club members.
Each year the BMDCR supports the Berner entry at an all-breed AKC show in Colorado. We sponsor a special sweepstakes class for puppies, in addition to numerous trophies for Berners in the regular conformation and obedience classes. In conjunction with the show, we also offer a variety of activities (e.g., educational programs, a banquet, and a hospitality suite at a local hotel) 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 have offered this event annually in Colorado each year since.
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 several hundred written and telephone requests a year from people seeking information about the breed. Written materials mailed out in response to inquiries include information on the breed's history, general physical and temperamental characteristics, and commonly occurring health problems. The BMDCR also maintains this web site.
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. There are three levels available; sustaining, regular, and junior. Regular memberships need two sponsors who are members of the BMDCR and carry voting privileges. If you do not know anyone who is a member of our club (your dog's breeder, a Berner-owning friend, etc.), the Membership Chairperson will be glad to put you in touch with members in your area. Sustaining membership does not require sponsorship but allows virtually full club participation otherwise. Junior membership is described below.
All members are expected to subscribe to the Code of Ethics of our parent club, the BMDCA, which has also been adopted by our club. Two copies of the Code of Ethics accompany our membership application. One copy should be signed and returned with your application. If two or more adults from the same household are applying for membership, all of them must sign the Code of Ethics. The second copy is for you to keep.
Membership application materials for the sustaining level are also available from this web site. Down load both the application and the code of ethics. Fill out the application, sign the code of ethics and return them to the Membership Chairperson
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.
