Bernese Mountain Dog: Love & Heartache

Witness true love & heartache with a Bernese Mountain Dog. With their tri-colored good looks & strong human bond, falling in love with the ‘Berner’ breed is easy.

The Bernese Mountain Dog

I fell in love with the Bernese Mountain Dog breed when I was having brunch with my now husband at the once Adams Mill restaurant in Manchester, CT, almost 27 years ago. Just outside the window was a school of the Bernese Mountain Dogs working group learning how to pull their characteristic farm dogs’ Swiss cart to and from the market with groceries. It was love at first site.

Nicknamed “The Berner” in dog breeds and known for their handsome tri-coloring, friendly expression, extra large hearts, and who promise to stick to you like glue forever. The Bernese Mountain Dog will steal your heart and leave you weak in their absence.

The Berner does not like to be left alone. They will sit in your lap, sleep in your bed, ride shotgun in the car, walk easily with you on a leash, anything as long as they are with you!

We’ve been fortunate enough to have had three Bernese Mountain Dogs to love and invite into our homes. Each one is so special and dear to us. I hope you enjoy their stories.

Charlene Chester Tri-Star “Charlie”

Charlie was our first Berner. We found Charlie at the “Tri-Star Breeders” in Westport, CT, about 26 years ago when the waiting list to get a Bernese Mountain Dog could be as long as a three-year wait. There’s a little story behind how we were able to get our Charlie so quickly, though.

How Charlie Came To Us

When I called the breeder to inquire about a puppy, I caught her at a very bad time, and she had some words for me and hung up on me. Later that evening, the breeder called me back, apologized, and offered us the pick of the litter. A few weeks later, we picked up “Charlie”. The name Charlie came about from the perfume “Charlie.” Chester was the town we lived in, and Tri-Star was the breeder.

Living to a Ripe Old Age

Charlie was so sweet, kind, and mellow. She would rather sit in the backyard than go for a walk. We brought Charlie with us everywhere we went. She lived to be 11.5 years old, which is very old for a Bernese Mountain Dog, who usually only live around 7-9 years. Charlie’s sister lived to the ripe old age of 13.5.

We were so lucky to get Charlie from such a healthy litter of puppies. If you are interested in getting a Bernese Mountain Dog, I can’t recommend enough how important the right breeder is. It’s EVERYTHING!

We were devastated by the loss of Charlie to the dreaded cancer. And without hesitation started searching for our second Bernese Mountain dog puppy.

Gretchen Pearl Glenmegan

Glenmegan Breeder

The owner of Charlie’s sister recommended us to Glenmegan Breeders out of Colebrook, Connecticut, as Tri-Star Breeders was no longer breeding Berners. She had actually moved to the Netherlands and was now breeding flowers, interestingly enough.

We visited Glenmegan and met all of her Berners. Poppy was pregnant with 6 puppies, and we’d have to wait and see if we would get a girl or a boy. A little tidbit: Megan the breeder was also once the head writer for the soap opera “One Life to Live.”

And a girl it was, Gretchen Pearl GlenMegan.

A Little Bit About Sweet Gretchen

Gretchen was on the small size with a thin white facial blaze. Gretchen was sweet, a little skittish, and head over heels in love with my husband… We swear she thought she was his girlfriend.

Gretchen was also scruffy for a Berner. Her fur would grow out so long that she looked like she had dreadlocks on her ears, and her paws were like those from the Christmas Grinch.

Gretchen was also very agile for a Berner. We often considered agility training, but it is just not a good idea for Bernese Mountain Dogs. I hiked with Gretchen daily. She walked perfectly off-leash, never leaving my side for a minute. Gretchen was always so well-behaved.

She carried a stuffed animal with her everywhere she went too.

Gretchen loved the mountains and the beach equally. She was a joy to have along with us.

You may also enjoy the A Bernese Mountain Dog & The Gift of a Whale post.

Lymphoma

Then, one day, on a hike in Vermont, I noticed she was slow and clinging to me more than usual. She didn’t eat her dinner that evening, and I knew something was up. Her lymph nodes around her neck were also enlarged. At 6 years of age, Gretchen was diagnosed with Lymphoma. We were crushed!

We were told she would have about a year to live if we treated her with chemotherapy. Unlike humans, dogs get a very little amount of chemo, so it doesn’t affect their everyday living. We agreed and enjoyed every minute of the next year we had with our dear Gretchen.

Dog Mountain Chapel

Have you ever been to Dog Mountain? One of the most treasured days I spent with Gretchen after her diagnosis was here at Dog Mountain. “Dog Mountain is set on 150 acres on a private mountaintop spot in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The grounds are always open to people and their dogs. Stephen Huneck and his wife, Gwen, bought the property in 1995. They turned the barn into a studio space. After Stephen’s unique visionary experience, the Dog Chapel soon followed. The Dog Chapel opened its doors on Memorial Day weekend of 2000. The unspoiled haven is covered with hiking trails and dog ponds. Wildflowers abound in the summer, and snowshoeing is a favorite activity in the winter. Year after year, the Dog Chapel and the Stephen Huneck Gallery get more and more visitors from all over the world.” Dog Mountain.

Inside the chapel, on the walls, you will find layers of pictures, letters, note cards, and more, all commemorating our dear friends. And it was here that I pinned a picture of Gretchen and me on one of our daily Vermont hikes on the doorway leaving the chapel.

We spent the day on the trails, romping with other visitors and roaming the gorgeous grounds. We read many of the letters that covered the chapel walls. It was touching and memorable. Just what we needed.

We lost Gretchen almost a year later to her diagnosis at 7 years old…

Then Came Sassy Ella

After the loss of Gretchen, we decided to wait a year before getting another dog. We wanted to do some traveling before settling in once again with a Bernese Mountain Dog.

Vert-Monts Breeder

It was then that I met Doris from Vert-Monts Breeders up on the Canadian border of Enosburg, VT. Her Berners were regal, stocky, and all European. Her dogs are part of her family and come from a long line of healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs. And when she sent me this photo, I knew exactly which one I wanted…

Leaning sassy Ella right out in front of them all!

Born Sassy

Ella is the sassiest and biggest handful we have ever had…

But don’t you just love her?

As Ella began to grow, her head grew first, much bigger than the rest of her body.

Ella was a natural-born sass who got into everything. She’s bossy and wants to be the center of attention all the time. Her first trick was stealing books from the bookshelves in our sunroom. One time, I caught the book thief in action! She never destroyed the books; she just did it for attention.

Smile for the Camera

Ella instantly took to the camera, too. She began posing all around the house, jumping on all the furniture to strike a pose. Just because she wasn’t getting enough attention…

I swear Ella even holds her breath to get her picture taken. It’s the funniest thing to see.

Chow Hound

Unlike any of our other Berners, Ella is very food-motivated. She’s a chow hound, to put it mildly. I took Ella to the vet one day for an x-ray of her knee, and they sedated her. When I brought her home, she was still sudated but remembered that there was a loaf of bread on our breakfast nook table and went directly to the table to make sure it was still there…

See more of the table and bread in the A Timeless Classic | Franciscan Desert Rose Table Setting post.

People Pleaser

Ella loves people just as much as she loves food. She gets so excited when we have company she can actually make herself sick. When guests leave after longer stays, she stops eating as her stomach is so upset. Being a people pleaser isn’t easy.

She steals the hearts of everyone, too. Even the mailman leaves her a treat when he leaves packages at our door. And she knows exactly when and where they are.

Cuddle Bug

Ella is a total cuddle bug, giving her the nickname “Bug.” She most certainly thinks she’s a lap dog and sleeps with us with her head on the pillows. She’s just all that! Ella loves all things with pillows, and her favorite spot is the sectional at our home in Maine, which is loaded with pillows.

You may also enjoy the Cozy Couch Moments post.

Health

ACL Surgery

Ella is now 5 1/2 years old. Her health is very good, but she has had a few struggles. This past summer, she had ACL surgery on her back knee. After the surgery, she chipped a knee bone, causing a second surgery with a cast for 8 weeks and rest for 12 weeks. This was all destabilizing, and I believe she will have a bit of a limp for her lifetime now. But she gets around just fine. She takes a joint supplement once a day, Deramaxx™ chewable tablet, to ward off the common to this dog breed, hip dysplasia.

As you can see it didn’t slow her down too too much…

Mange

The summer before, Ella caught mange from a wandering fox at our home in Vermont. We quickly learned that it’s easy for dogs to get mange just from sniffing in the area where a fox had been lying. She was so itchy, and her skin was flaking so badly. She had weekly shots for 7 weeks to get rid of the mange.

Allergies

Ella is also allergic to grass. She is on immunotherapy, which she gets an injection of once a week, along with one Apoquel® tablet daily to relieve any itching.

You may also enjoy our new blog series, Antiquing Road Trips & RV Decor Series. Stop by and see how Ella likes our new Panoramic RV and all her outdoor activities.

More About The Bernese Mountain Dog

Bernese Mountain Dogs, a purebred dog, are a large and sturdy breed of dog that originated in Switzerland. Here are some key characteristics and facts about Bernese Mountain Dogs:

Remember, owning any breed of dog requires commitment, time, and effort. If you’re considering adding a Bernese Mountain Dog to your family, please make sure you can provide them with the love, care, and attention they need as family pets.

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