My girl Jasmine. My first berner, my introduction to all things bernerly! How very special you were to me. You came in August of 1997 and immediately jumped into our kiddie pool.  Just to let everybody know you were here and a force to be reconed with, you stole Bruce's beer can and your sharp little teeth punctured it! Too bad it was his last beer!! He moved much too slow for you! You moved right in and felt immediately at home. Life was good! We started to go to classes for puppies, and then to conformation training, and as well, we started to do obedience. You excelled at all things and in only a few months, we were showing in Conformation and getting our first points. The conformation ring was fine for you but you really excelled in the obedience ring! You went in and first time out took second place to a dobi, missing by 1/2  a point! Second time out you came in third place because I had thought we were finished and you were laying on the floor in the show building being cuddled by a group of children, when they called us back in for a run-off. We had tied for second place with a beagle!! It took only a minute to know that we missed it because you were just too relaxed so we ended up taking third place. Next time out we got our Obedience title! What a thrill it was. We also trialled in Draft and even though you were the best dog out there and it was evident to everyone around, you missed the title due to inconsistancy in the judging. What a shame! You were a super draft dog and you should have been rewarded for all your hard work. But life goes on and you were soon busy in another field. That of Mom!
Here you shone. You loved your babies---even though there were only two of them and took such wonderful care of them. You nursed them right up until they left at 10 weeks and with a guiding hand, taught them to be wonderful bernese. Gracie went to live with a wonderful couple in Calgary and we got to see her every once in a while! Gustov, stayed with us here and we enjoyed his funny antics that made us all laugh!
Time moved on for us and when I knew I could not get you bred again, we went in to the vet's to be spayed. I had them do a chest x-ray as that was the only part of you that had not been investigated in the search for why you never concieved again after this one litter. When the x-ray revealed tumors, the vets told me you had only three weeks to live as you were a berner after all. I came home and cried for you and the thought that I would miss you so much in a very short time. But then I got thinking---we can beat this. So I went about finding out all I could about this cancer and how to treat it holistically. With the help of many different vets, naturopaths, herbalists, we were able to spend 13 months together. It was a happy time as you had no symptoms of the lung cancer, and so it was as if it didn't exist! When the time came for you to leave, you had not been eating for five days, no matter what I prepared for you! So with a very heavy heart, I called the vet out to come to our house to help you into your final sleep. She did and you slept on my kitchen floor surrounded by Gustov and Destiny, the puppy. Your passing was sad but not a day goes by that I don't think of you and all that we managed to accomplish together. Sleep well my sweet Jasmine. You were my first and will forever hold that place in my heart.

Jasmine

I was not digging in the dirt!

Klondike Days Parade, Edmonton, Alta.

Jasmine taking BOB, BOW, and New Champion!

Jasmine taking 2nd and 3rd place in her first Obedience trials!

Jasmine winning Best Veteran Bitch  at Canadian Specialty, 2004.

Jasmine resting under the roses. For always.

 My name is Gustov, aka Gus. I came into the world by emergency C-Section and immediately screamed for my dinner! I had a healthy voice and I chose to use it whenever I could get away with it! I would grow up telling everyone I met, stories about my life and sometimes, it was really hard to get me to stop talking! But my Mom loved me and put up with my one fault. Together we tried many wonderful things. We took classes in Conformation, Obedience, and Ralley-O. We trialled in Conformation, Obedience, Drafting and I even got a Title in Tracking! Not many berners have this ability, so it set me apart as a true working dog. I was Championed as a youngster---not even two, then I went on to get two High in Class awards in Obedience, getting my title easily with a second place win. For my drafting title, I got it on my very first try, wowing the judges with our teamwork and skill. It was easy and fun! It was also very hot-+32C that day! We were so happy to finally have fulfilled my dream of getting this title---for my Mom's memory. Here's to you, Jasmine.  
Then we tried the tracking thing. First test was to see if I could retrieve a ball thrown three times in a big field. Would I go and get it and bring it back? Yup---all three times! We got in the door----now the rest was up to us to do. And work we did. The course was for eight weeks and the homework was for everyday! We worked in all kinds of weather and in all kinds of places. It was really challenging and I sometimes made it look so easy and then sometimes, I would lose the glove and we would have to start all over again. There were moments of great joy and also moments of great frustration. But one step forward, two steps back but we still went on. For the trial, I entered both days. The first day, it was raining and cold, and these police dogs were barking everywhere and peeing everywhere, so when we came to the first hay bale on our track, I did what came naturally to me and peed! I did not know that would put a stop to everything right there. I am outside---why can't I pee? So I failed that day and the Judge really wondered if there was any sense to having a berner even try this but he let us come back for then next days test. It was again very cold out and snowing and raining, so we lost a few tracks because of the time and weather conditions. They wanted to know if it was okay for us to go last and they would lay a special track for us way back in the hills and of course I agreed. I knew my Gus could out-track any dog out here. So we hiked into this field and started the track. It was a long track with two hours wait time and it had four corners and five legs. More like a DDX track. But we did not know this at the time. We started out and on one downhill, Gus lost the track so I backed up the hill till he found it and took off at full speed! We raced up the other hill and he lay down to indicate the article . The  judge was across the hill from us whooping and hollering---I thought we had blown it again! But he was so excited for us! He said we had the best track of the two days and when was I entering Gus in the DDX trial? I was so happy and very cold but ooh so proud of my Gustov! We went home to celebrate!
After this adventure, came the adventure of breeding. He attempted to breed with a girl from out of town and it did not work, then he tried again with a new girl I brought over from Belgium, Pepper. At first she wanted nothing to do with him, then decided he was okay after all and was bred. Sadly, Gustov never got to meet his babies here on Earth, because he died one afternoon from gastric torsion or bloat. Even though we got him to the vets as quickly as possible, he was in distress and could not be stabilized. After two hours, when we finally were able to operate on him, there was nothing left to save. He was put down on the table and I drove home feeling empty inside. I had asked the vet to do a complete post mortem on his body to look for any cancers and he was clean. He was so fit and full of life. He died way too soon. We had so many plans for the next two years---to get all of his Excellence in Obedience, Draft, Tracking, Ralley-O, and to be bred again. To see his babies go on and keep his lines alive. It was not meant to be. Hopefully he is running and organizing everyone in Heaven and watching for me to come and join him. I wonder what game he will think up next?? Miss ya big guy. Thank God I had this chance to get to know you and love you.

Gustov

Gustov at seven weeks old.

Is this how we cart?

Whatzat you said?

The man in Black!

My first Obedience Trial. We got a High In Class!

My second Obedience Trial. We got another High In Class!

Success! We get our Tracking Title!

Kent and Gustov.

My beautiful boy---Gustov.

  Hi! My name is Fortune vom Gipfelfeuer, or Cash, or Cashman. I came to live here in 2006 with a cute little girl named Pepper. We came from Belgium. I came from the kennel Gipfelfeuer, where Jeroen was my  breeder. He lives in Eeklo, Belgium.  My new Mom, Denise, and her friend Gail, came all the way over to Belgium to meet me and take me  on a great adventure! We travelled all over Belgium together. We spent a wonderful time visiting the city of Ghent, then on to Brugge, where we had great weather and saw many wonderful sites. We even took a carraige ride! We went to many restuarants and they let me sleep under the table! Everyone was so good to me and wanted me to come back any time. I was a very good boy and never had any accidents in the restaurants! Auntie Gail kept a close eye on me and took me for walks when Mom needed to eat her supper(she is very slow!). From Brugge, we travelled to Beerse, outside of Antwerp, to visit another kennel. Here we met Betty and Pepper and she was to come home with us. We stayed here for a couple of days with Betty, and I fit right in with the other puppies! It was fun! Pepper, Gail, Denise, and I then had to get home so we left for the airport. We got to travel in cabin on the flight to Frankfurt, Germany and we stayed over night in the Sheraton Hotel. We got to eat in their very fancy restaurant as well! We are very good puppies! The next day, we flew home to Canada on Lufthansa airlines. We got to sleep under the seat so Mom could keep an eye on us. We slept the whole way home. We landed in Toronto and cleared customs and then got another flight to Edmonton. Again we got to sleep under the seats so we were close to Mom and Auntie Gail. We were so very quiet no one knew we were on board until we were getting off the plane. People were so happy to see us and wished us well with huge smiles! It was a geat adventure.
We settled into our life at home with the other dogs and soon began classes to learn to become great show dogs. I liked going to classes and spending time with the other puppies as well as Pepper. We did very well. Sometimes though I would have to stay home because I was not feeling well. I would have diarhea and then it would get better and then it would be back. I only got to go to one show and we did really well---I took the boy points! But then my tummy got upset again and we had to leave to go home. I was in and out of the vet's office trying to find out why I was having this problem but because I was still little, they thought I would just outgrow it. I didn't. I got worse. Then I ended up in hosptial and they kept looking but did not find any answers. They wanted to just open me up and see what was inside but Mom said no. Not unless they had an idea of what was going on first. So I went to other doctors and there were still no answers. Finally I stopped eating and could not keep food down and so we went to an old fashioed country doctor who thought I had a tumor and so it was decided that because I was so weak and nothing had worked and an operation would probably kill me on the table, I was helped to sleep. Mom asked for an autopsy to be done to see what went wrong with my system and it was found that I had a double intussusception of the bowel. I could not have lived with this and it was there from birth.  It was devastating for Mom to live with but she had other dogs to take care of and she had to go on. My ashes are still in her library, and when she is ready, they will be planted under a rose bush to help it grow. That way she can come and sit with me whenver she wants to.
I was only ten months old when I died.  I believe my life had a purpose---to learn from each dog as they come to you, for however long they are with you. They have lssons for you. Be open to them and learn from them.

Cashman

Cash at eight weeks at Eeklo.

A carraige ride in Brugge, Belgium.

At the hotel room in Ghent, Belgium.

Cashman at four months old. What a cutie!

Cash after a bath! In show pose of course.

His last picture. Sleep gently big guy. We miss you so.

  Hi! My name is Amordoro's Fire N Ice or Pepper! My Mom named me this because of my freckles and because I was full of spice!! She wanted to call me Hot Chili Peppa---like the rock group but it was already taken, so she settled on Pepper. I come from Beerse, Belgium and I travelled with my friend Cash---all the way from Belgium on a plane with my Mom, Denise and her good friend Gail. We had a great time travelling and we were very good puppies! Not a peep out of us the whole trip!  We learned to walk on a leash really quickly and then we spent a lot of time in a crate while travelling. It was better for us. We slept by their feet on the plane and so we could see and smell that they were close. I like to travel! But it was good to get home and run around in this white stuff! We had never seen snow before so it was great fun but cold! We got sooo wet!! Hah, we also got to have a warm supper and go to bed for the night---like we were tired!!
We fit right in with the big dogs---I am sure they were wondering why there were two of us! But Cash and I were very polite and waited our turns for dinner and toys and we got along fine. Gustov did not want too much to do with either of us as he was the King, but Destiny would play with us for hours. She even let us sleep with her!
Soon we were off to school to become great dogs and we did so well! We knew we were going to be successful as we kept growing and looking better and better. We went to one show in the fall and we both took our classes. But then Cash got sick again and we had to go home. He was sick a lot so we didn't show any more.  He left one day and did not come back. There were a lot of tears but in time it was better at home. 
We started the next show season really well and got our Championship easily.  I started to fill out and look really nice by eighteen months. At that time, I took Best of Breed every time I went in. Until I met up with Onslow. He was a very handsome boy from Calgary that took Breed one day and I took Best of Opposite to him. Maureen his owner should be so proud of him! Hubba Hubba!
When I got all my clearances for health, it was deicded that I would breed Gustov, the King! I didn't want to at first but after a while, he looked okay to me and so we were mated. I was to become a Mommy! Our Mom was so excited for us to be having babies again in this house. It had been a long time since there were puppies to cuddle. But it was not to be.
Gustov died of bloat in March of 2008 and I became sick one month later. Mom took me to the vet for a check-up and they thought it was tonsilitis, so I went on antibiotics. I got worse very quickly and ended up in hospital on Sunday morning. I had a fever of 106F that lasted for the whole day. I could not breathe and because of it I had a cardiac arrest. The puppies in my tummy were beyond saving as they were only five weeks into gestation---too little to be born. So even with five doctors working to save my life, it was decided that the kindest thing would be to help me to sleep as well. It was exactly one month after Denise lost Gustov. To the day. What a sad day---for everyone. Auntie Gail was there as well to drive Mom home. Where do you go from here?
The autopsy revealed that the four babies were all perfect for their age and not the cause of the death of their mother. The official report stated acute pharyngitis---her throat closed. Nothing added as to why. My suspicions though was that it was caused from an infection from a porcupine quill that was lodged in her cheek and did not come out when it was lanced, but went deeper, only to reappear and cause infection when Pepper was pregnant and  her immune system was down to keep the puppies.  She had a bad experience with the porcupine the summer before and took a lot of quills in her mouth. They did not all come out in the six months since the attack. Other breeders have had this happen as well but were able to save their girls but not the puppies, whereas I lost my Pepper girl and her babies---Gus's babies. I was devastated. And yet I still had two dogs at home waiting for me. Trying to get me to carry on. So you have to reach way down in your reserves of strength and carry on. Take one day at a time....

Pepper

Sleep of Angels---Frankfurt, Germany.

Look out World---here I come!

Winners Bitch, Best of Breed at Evelyn Kenny Show in Calgary.

Winners Bitch, Best of Opposite,  and New Champion! Evelyn Kenny Show, Calgary.

Lovely movement!

Best of Breed as a Special, E.K.C. Show, Edmonton.

Best of Breed again at E.K.C., Edmonton.

Best of Breed at Battle River show in Camrose.

I love the flowers! Beautiful profile.