Believe it or not, there is a HUGE group of people who love Bernese Mountain Dogs and are connected with each other.

Sources to meet other Berner Enthusiasts:

	Your Dog's Breeder
	Internet Chat Groups
	National and Local Dog Clubs
	Dog Shows
	The Dog Park

Your Dog's Breeder

Hopefully, you've made the investment of your time and effort to find a quality breeder to buy from. If not, then you REALLY need to connect with other Berner people because there's every chance you're going to need their support to deal with your Berner's health and/or temperament issues down the road.

A good breeder has a wealth of experience to draw from in helping you and your Berner. However, a good breeder also knows their limitations and therefore introduces their puppy buyers to the larger Berner community. Some puppy buyers don't feel a need to connect with the larger Berner community, but many Berner lovers are eager to meet others and share their enthusiasm and love for our breed.

If you made the mistake of buying from a breeder who stops returning your phone calls - or who doesn't have effective solutions to your Berner questions/problems - research and find a good breeder who will 'adopt' you. For instance, I've adopted MANY people who purchased poorly bred - and well bred - Berners from other breeders. I help them agonize over problems and solutions. But I'm just one of MANY good breeders who help in this manner. So we're out there - you just have to find us!

Good places to start looking are: www.bmdca.org, www.bmdcc.ca, www.berner.org .

Internet Chat Groups

Yes, the internet is chock-full of Chat Groups. Several years ago, Berner people jumped on this bandwagon and began our own Chat Groups.

Perhaps the best place to find good Berner Chat Groups is at www.yahoo.com. Go there and click on 'Groups' and do a search on Bernese. You'll find plenty to choose from.

Be aware that some Berner Chat Groups are open to the public and some are by private invitation only. However, most chat groups are moderated to avoid SPAMmers joining the group. Moderated = someone oversees who joins and also makes certain that everyone plays nicely.

Perhaps the most common Berner Chat Group is the Berner-L. I happen to be one of the Moderators for this group - and its so big that it takes several people to moderate (manage) it properly. Here's the link to join this Berner Chat Group:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Berner-l/

National and Local Dog Clubs

For a dog breed to be part of the AKC, it must have a 'parent club' that is comprised of a minimum number of people/dogs. In Berners in the USA, the parent club is the www.bmdca.org. In Berners in Canada, the parent club is www.bmdcc.ca.

In the USA, our BMDCA is so huge that it needs local clubs to effectively serve the local communities. These are called 'Regional Clubs'.  Generally speaking, there's only one regional club that serves a given local community/area. Sometimes, these clubs may overlap a bit. For instance, if you live in the Pacific Northwest in the USA, some of the regional Berner clubs that may serve you are:

The Inland Northwest BMD Club: www.inwbmdc.com

The BMD Club of Greater Seattle: www.bmdcgs.org

The BMD Club of Oregon: www.bmdco.org

For an exhaustive list of regional Berner clubs, visit our parent club website: www.bmdca.org

Our Regional Clubs have local activities and local members. This is a great resource to you as a puppy buyer for help, advice and Berner support.

Dog Shows

I've heard Pet People say time and again: "I don't want a Show Dog, so why should I visit a dog show?"

Okay, so that makes my eyes bleed. I wish more pet people understood that the BEST PETS COME FROM SHOW BREEDERS.

The average Show Breeder produces a litter of 6 puppies and only 1, MAYBE 2, pups will be used for show. The rest of the litter are to be neutered/spayed and sold as good pets. This means SHOW BREEDERS PRODUCE MORE PETS THAN SHOW DOGS.

The advantage? A well-bred pet for you! Unlike a non-show breeder, Show Breeders pay close attention to everything it takes to breed a show dog! So your show breeder's pedigree is going to be full of wonderful things like desirable health clearances, temperaments fit for the show ring and traveling to shows AND show titles that means your Berner will LOOK like a Berner should look!

Dog Shows happen in a sort-of scheduled routine by year. There are circuits (which only means one show right after the other in nearby towns). Dog Shows are put on by Dog Clubs (All-Breed or a particular Breed).

The best place on the internet to find dog shows schedules is: www.infodog.com (look for Show Information, then Search By State).

For more information about this, CLICK HERE.

The Dog Park

One of the things your dog looks forward to each day is a fun Walk In The Park or just around the neighborhood. This is also a great place to meet other dog lovers.

I mention this because its also one of the best places to meet Berner Theives.

Yeah, you read that right: Berner Theives.

Today, Berners bring a high sale price. There are mean people who steal BErners and then re-sell them (or breed them) to make a profit. They use Dog Parks as a great place to meet innocent people and find out where they live (so they can go steal their dog later).

Sadly, I'm not kidding. This happens and stolen dogs are happening more often.

Be careful when meeting new people who are enthusiastic about your Berner.

And if anything does happen to your Berner...whether its stolen or sick or anything else...you'll be glad you joined the larger community of Berner lovers by following my instructions here.

CLICK HERE to return to learn more About Bernese