Rewind - Back to the Beginning

Once upon a time in the foothills of Mt. Hood, Oregon, horse and rider ventured up into the hills. Roaring to the left and over the bluff far below was the beautiful Zig Zag River. As horse and rider looked deep into the forested areas, patches of snow remained. The climb continued with the eventual destination being Ramona Falls. Around the bend up ahead came a couple hiking with two dogs. As the couple neared the horse and rider, the rider was in awe of the beauty of the dogs. The rider ventured a greeting and asked if the couple minded if she asked questions about the dogs.

The rider asked many many questions about this majestic breed, the likes of which she had never seen. The horse and rider continued on, but unbeknownst to them, their lives were forever changed.

Thus began my incredible passion for the Bernese Mountain Dog. I began to research the breed and a few weeks later Bruno became a member of our family. Through Bruno, came Windee and through Windee came Katee. My passions range from showing in the breed ring, obedience competitions and my favorite drafting and carting competitions, and just having doggone fun. The Bernese Mountain Dog has become the “WERLWIND” of my life.

After having Berners for a few years we decided to take to take the next step. Fall of 2000 marked our first litter of 11 beautiful puppies. With this litter became an even stronger commitment to the breed to educate the public, to strive for answers to health issues and to work to the best of my ability to continually build better puppies in my breeding program.

The greatest gift of all --- is the gift of friendships. Without my Bernese, my life would be empty, for through their love, their unconditional acceptance and our involvement in the breed, the very best of friendships enhance my life, both canine and human.

Growing up on a farm allowed me to live surrounded by animals and horses.  I began riding at a very young age and the photos on this page are of my last horse, Shitan.  Sadly he is gone, but I will always have that great respect and love for all horses. 

Shitan was with me when we began this adventure into the world of Bernese Mountain Dogs.  Shitan and I rode many miles and shared many moments together.  This page is dedicated to all the farm animals and especially all the horses that made a difference in my life.