Delagrea Bernese Mountain Dogs is comprised of myself, Maureen Greaves, my husband Wayne and our Berners, Cutter, Onslow, Daisy and Jesse. We live on 20 acres on the eastern city limits of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

All we wanted when we brought Cutter home was a great family companion. We got that and so much more.

The journey to learn about the breed and the people involved with the breed has been very interesting. My primary objective with being involved with the BMDCC and other smaller groups is EDUCATION! I feel that it is just as important to talk about the breed as a good choice for someone as it is to convince someone that the Bernese Mountain Dog is not the breed for them.

One of the best ways to educate the public about Bernese Mountain Dogs is to actually be out in the public with my dogs. Whether it is at an all breed conformation show, an obedience trial, a drafting event or a parade, they are all opportunities to mingle and talk.

I'm a member of the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Canada (BMDCC), the Bernese Mountain Club of America (BMDCA), the Calgary Berner Walk Group and the Newfoundland Dog Fanciers of Alberta (NDFA). I hold the position of Director for the Prairies as well as Rescue Chair with the BMDCC. I wish that I could say that there isn't a need for Berner Rescue, but unfortunately, we have been very busy this past year and we are expecting it only to get busier as Bernese gain popularity.

I'm absolutely passionate about educating the public and potential new Bernese owners about the breed and how to find a good breeder. Finding a breeder that you trust and feel comfortable with is paramount. That breeder should be truly invested in the breed, their health and their future.

I'm new to the breed and have a lot to learn. I strongly believe that all breeding stock should be shown to their championship, should have all the health testing available completed (hips, elbows, eyes, heart, thyroid, vonWillebrands), and all data should be entered on the Berner-Garde Foundation website. I believe a breeder should be a member of the National or Regional Breed Club and actively participate where ever possible in club events. I get a little cranky with "breeders" that produce puppies, but rarely, if ever, contribute to the community where it counts!

A couple of little tips to keep in mind when speaking to a breeder are: 1. Why is this breeder breeding Bernese Mountain Dogs. Is it because they truly love the breed and have only the best interest of the breed in mind when they plan a breeding OR is it money motivated? 2. Are they keeping track of the health of their breeding dogs as well as the puppies they have produced, both show/breeding and companion puppies? 3. Are they advertising their puppies for sale in the newspaper, bargain finders or websites like Canada.com or Kijiji? If they are, do a reverse lookup of their telephone number and get their name (if listed) Look up their name in berner-garde. Also run a google search on their phone number. Put the entire phone number, including area code (eg: 1-403-555-5555) into the search area. This will bring up other ads that have this phone number attached to it. In some cases you will find that this "Bernese" breeder also has other breed puppies or mixed breed puppies for sale. BIG WARNING SIGN!! Do not buy your puppy from this type of breeder. I can guarantee that they do not have the breed's best interest in mind, they are strictly breeding for money. You want to be working with a breeder that you can count on in the future for support. It's a given than a breeder motivated by money only, will not care about your puppy's growing pains! 4. As much as you want a puppy NOW, be patient. Be cautious of a breeder that always has puppies available OR does not seem to be interested in your family or activities (does not ask a lot of questions) OR will ship a puppy to you without making arrangements to do a home check or send someone to do a home check OR is selling unregistered puppies or will charge you more for a registered puppy OR is unable or unwilling to produce health clearances or direct you to an open data base where you can search yourself OR has a large number of dogs in a kennel situation that do not seem to be very well socialized. Don't fall for the "my dogs are healthy" or "my dogs are imported and they don't have health issues over there". If there dogs are "healthy" then they should be proud of that fact and have the certifications to prove it! There are so many warning signs. If you are not comfortable or your "gut" is telling you something is not right - Walk away.

Stepping off my soap box...I hope you enjoy browsing through our site and I welcome hearing from you if you have any questions or comments.