Photo Gallery
Wags & Brags
Carolyn's Speri triple Qualified - TWICE!
Carolyn's Speri Triple Qualified in Master, Excellent, and Advanced Rally. The big boy did it again the next day- another Triple Q - AND the courses were tight for big dogs! Now he's tired!
Bella and Terri at the 2022 National Specialty
Bella and Terri had a fabulous time at the Bernese Mountain Dog National Specialty in Hampton! It was a first for both of them. Terri was so proud of the way she handled all the new sights and sounds and they competed in two events. Bella got first place in her Obedience class and she received a qualifying score in Rally, earning her Novice B title.
POWDERKEG FARMS YOUTHFUL EXUBERANCE (SULLY) & TINA
Powderkeg Farms Youthful Exuberance (Sully) & Tina
Powderkeg Farms Youthful Exuberance (Sully) & Tina
Powderkeg Farms Youthful Exuberance (Sully) & Tina
Tina and Sully had a great time at the 2022 Specialty.
The Triathlete Award for Sully & Tina
Powderkeg Farms Youthful Exuberance (Sully) & Tina
Powderkeg Farms Youthful Exuberance (Sully) & Tina
They set their goals a year in advance and ended up earning passing scores and ribbons in drafting, obedience, & rally.
Renewed friendships
Powderkeg Farms Youthful Exuberance (Sully) & Tina
Renewed friendships
The 2022 Specialty was a great opportunity for Tina to renew great friendships from 25 years of owning, breeding, and training Berners.
Vasca, Dan & Rosemary
Dan & Rosemary's Vasca
Dan & Rosemary's Vasca
Dan & Rosemary's Vasca
Vasca had a great time at the 2022 Berner National in Hampton. At the age of 9, he was able to gain a new Title – Farm Dog Certificate – by successfully passing two legs of the Farm Dog Test.
A Very Formal Veteran
Dan & Rosemary's Vasca
Dan & Rosemary's Vasca
Vasca and Rosemary were in the Veterans Parade, all dressed up in his very formal bib!
Vasca's Bling
Dan & Rosemary's Vasca
Vasca's Bling
As a Title Holder, Veteran, and with his new Farm Dog title, he posed with all his Ribbon Bling!
Congratulations VAsca!
Wags & Brags
Tina's Sully at the Barrel House Club Event
Dan and Vasca at the Barrel House Club event
Dan and Vasca at the Barrel House Club event
At 13 months, Sully is just getting started with draft. A super nice baby boy!
Dan and Vasca at the Barrel House Club event
Dan and Vasca at the Barrel House Club event
Dan and Vasca at the Barrel House Club event
Vasca pulling her new cart!
Kudos for Dan and Rosemary's Therapy Dogs
Dan and Rosemary's therapy dog team was highlighted for their work at Sentara's RMH Cancer Center
Amanda and Marley
Amanda and Marley
Amanda and Marley
Marley sits on Amanda's lap at Charlottesville’s Johnson Elementary School. Students often read to the Bernese mountain dog, who visits the school regularly.
Superhero Bella!
Amanda and Marley
Amanda and Marley
September 2017 Tina and Bella possess superhero powers during their visits to HealthSouth in Charlottesville!
Tina & Pirate
Tina & Pirate
Tina & Pirate
April 2016 - Tina and Pirate at the Draft Test at Blue Ridge BMDC – another leg toward the ANDD (Advanced Novice Draft Dog) One more passing leg for the title. Judges are Barb Gibson and Steve Dudley
Title Weekend
Tina & Pirate
Tina & Pirate
March 2016 at the Star City Rally and Obedience trials in Roanoke VA, Rosemary Mitchell with Ella was able to get Ella’s final leg for her Rally Advance title. Dan Lynn and Vasca were able to get the last two legs of Vasca’s Rally Advance title – it wasn’t real pretty, but Vasca earned the green qualifying ribbon twice, earning the title.
March 2016 at the Star City Rally and Obedience trials in Roanoke VA, Rosemary Mitchell with Ella was able to get Ella’s final leg for her Rally Advance title. Dan Lynn and Vasca were able to get the last two legs of Vasca’s Rally Advance title – it wasn’t real pretty, but Vasca earned the green qualifying ribbon twice, earning the title. Ella now has the RA, CGC, and TDI RVA titles. Vasca now has the RA, CGC, and TDI titles, along with his Championship.
Rainbow Bridge
Dedicated to all Beloved Berners who have moved onto the Bridge.
Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on the snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush, I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, I did not die.
By Mary Elizabeth Frye
Keilissa’s Picking up the Pieces (AKA Vasca)CH; NDD, CGC, RN
January 29, 2013 - October 23, 2024
Vasca was a 11.7 year old AKC-registered purebred Bernese Mountain Dog. His formal name and call name come from his family tree – his father is Belgian, which provided his parents (Dan and Rosemary) with a European flavor. Vasca joined two other Berners in the household – Eldor, a neutered male (who we lost at 11.5 years), and Ella, Eldor’s true sister, also neutered female Berner who we lost also at 11.5 years old. Ella and Eldor were certified therapy dogs, and Vasca earned his certification with each of us in May 2015. Vasca was an energetic, outgoing, and playful pup; the staff at his vet called him ‘Mr. Sassy-pants’ because of his approach to life. He died on October 23 from a collapsed lung, the cause of which is unknown. Vasca often went to the Staunton Farmer’s Market, entertaining everyone so well that his picture was on the Market’s Facebook site. He enjoyed being with people and loved to romp and play in our back yard. Vasca earned his championship in the Breed Ring in November 2015 – he was a big boy at 27inches tall and weighing 105 pounds. He later won his Novice Draft Dog title (NDD) which along with titles in Rally & Obedience gave him the BMDCA Versality Dog Award.
Emmanuella del Bosque (call name Ella), CGC, RA, CD, TDIEVA
April 4 2010 – July 16 2021
It is with overwhelming sadness that we have to report that on Friday, July 16 2021 we helped our beloved Berner girl Ella (Emmanuella del Bosque - CGC, RA, CD, TDIEVA {350+ visits}) to the Rainbow Bridge. She had been dealing with a probable case of DM (degenerative myelopathy) for quite a while, and recently it had gotten much worse resulting in difficulty in simply moving around. Through the kindness of a stranger who was a friend of a member of the Blue Ridge Berner Club, she was given a wheelchair cart which she enjoyed before the incredible heat wave hit. Lately we had noticed other indicators that may not have been DM related that suggested other things were going on. A visit to our Vet who did some blood work and a sonogram showed us that there were multiple signs were not conducive to life.
We made the loving, hard decision to help her to the Bridge, holding her close all the while. At 11.5 years, she lasted much longer than the average life span of Berners.
We are most proud of her Therapy Dog work which brought much joy to so many people in the Shenandoah Valley. Ella was among the first Therapy Dogs with the Hospice of the Shenandoah, making her a Hospice Therapy Dog. She is also one of the first Therapy Dogs at Rockingham Memorial Hospital/Sentara in Harrisonburg. We will miss her very much.
Ella was very sensitive to tones of voice and non-verbal communications – she was often referred to as a “soft dog”, and she proved that time and time again at home and with some of her Therapy Dog/Hospice Volunteer visits. She had become a welcome fixture at Rockingham Memorial Hospital/Sentara, at local schools with school kids, at Blue Ridge Community College, at some of the local residential facilities, as well as the Shenandoah Hospice House in Fishersville.
Eldor Onyx (BG 80744)
It is with crushing sadness we must tell everyone that we assisted Eldor Onyx (BG 80744) to the Rainbow Bridge on Sunday, July 29, 2019. He had been having several medical issues, which at age 11 ½, we just could not overcome. Despite debilitating weakness, as far as we could tell he was not in pain. He seemed to believe that his job here was finished. He was our Heart Dog, our first Berner – he taught us so much about being Berner parents, about unconditional canine affection, about loyalty, about the simple joys of being in the yard together.
He was the first Therapy Dog with Hospice of the Shenandoah, and one of the first Therapy dogs, along with his true sister Ella, at Rockingham Memorial Hospital/Sentara in Harrisonburg, Va. Over the years with him and sister Ella, later with house-mate Vasca, we visited schools – elementary, middle & high school, colleges – along with nursing homes, hospice patients, and hospitals. Twice he made the cover of local magazines – once at Blue Ridge Community College marketing their new Therapy Dog Training program, and again at Rockingham Memorial Hospital/Sentara announcing the Hospital’s new Therapy Dog program. We tallied up his Therapy Dog visits and he had 501! (He needed 500 for TDI’s top award!) We know he touched so very many peoples’ lives across the Shenandoah Valley
He seemed to enjoy pulling his cart in parades, but clearly hated being in the performance ring; we never did get a draft title, but he did achieve CGC, RA, and CD. But he was an extraordinary therapy dog and his TDI titles are the ones we are most proud of.
Eldor was an extraordinary dog and will be missed by so many people. A patient in the Cancer Center at RMH/Sentara once wrote a letter to the Hospital after meeting Eldor in the Cancer Center waiting area…”a huge dog rounded the corner with a handler close behind. The faces of those despondent patients soon lit up with wide smiles and a chorus of ‘Ohs’ and ‘Ahs’! Not a soul could resist pausing to smother the dog with loving hugs and rubs….What is it, that the simple act of bringing a dog into a hospital brings so much joy to those who are in a desperate battle for life?”
“Grief never ends…but it changes. It’s a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith…. It is the price of love.”
Nashems Painted Lady v Black Bear "BELLA"
October 15, 2008 - April 17, 2018 Her titles include CD, RA, NDD, BNDD, CGC, HCT, JHT, TDI
Beautiful and sweet and calm and everything I could have wished for. My Bella was always ready to please. Bella's work was highlighted in a national health magazine for her amazing spirit as a Therapy Dog. She has been recognized in every corner of our community. My heart weeps for my loss of my most wonderful girl. We will be together again.
Arundel’s Queen Charlotte (“Carly”)
Sept 19, 2010 – Jan 30, 2018 Our titles included THDX, CD, NJP, NAP, RA, DD (plus tri-athlete award at 2016 BMDCA specialty and 2015 BMDCA Working Dog Award). More important than formal titles, she is my heart dog: we did so many things for my first time, we learned so much together. While my heart is shattered, I know her warmth, her sassiness, and her overall spirt will live with me forever. And Carly’s memories will help me build better relations with new puppies and friends.
Sheena
23 Feb 2004 – 21 Oct 2015
Owned & loved by Jim & Peggy Barrett
Sheena, you graced us for nearly twelve years, more than any other of our Berners save one (“Beta”). I saw you the day Annie whelped you (the last of seven!). As an eight-week old puppy, you squirmed your way into our hearts (even though I was determined to pick a boy puppy – okay, I was wrong, you were right.)
Heidi
Janet Hughes rescued Heidi from Lone Star. She was rehomed via the rescue group. She loved to swim and once crashed a seniors water aerobics class via a hole in the fence. She was thrilled with her first experience of snow in Virginia. Heidi died in May at the age of 9.
Barkley
Janet Hughes rescued Barkley from Lone Star. Barkley had 3 TPLO Surgeries and needed lots of rehab because he was an abuse rescue but with Heidi as his rock, he blossomed and galloped after squirrels. Barkley died in November at the age of 6.
Brighteye Sterlyn Silver ‘Sabre’
Brighteye Sterlyn Silver ‘Sabre’, CGC April 21, 2006 ~ March 6, 2014 Berner Garde # 30719 Owned and loved by Carolyn Smith. Sabre had no title other than Cherished Companion - a pleasure to live with - always a smile on his face, play in his heart and an unequaled zest for life! Living with serious orthopedic issues never dampened this boy’s spirit - he was always READY FOR ANYTHING!!. Sa-man I loved you so much for the joy and laughter you brought every day! You were my first berner and set the bar for the boys who have followed you! You were my teacher and my friend and the sweetest boy ever!! Miss you big fellow, until we meet again, Love, Mom
Trillium’s Sou Sa Rhythm N Soul-jer, CGC BN RA
Owned and missed by Carolyn Smith March 6, 2010 ~ March 24, 2014 Berner Garde # 72687
Souljer, you were my first performance dog. We still had lots to accomplish - you only needed one major to finish your Championship; one leg to complete your CD…but alas, it was not meant to be….the evil Histo claimed you way too young. Both you and I knew it was ‘all about the fun’, never taking any events too seriously – you were my ‘baby’. You were loved. You were a big ole clown. You were so photogenic and will continue to grace Bernese Mountain Dog calendars for years to come. Boy, you had Charisma! They say the good die young, and I have to believe it.
Love you Soulj man, rest in peace good dog, until we meet again, XOXO…..Mom
Sadie: Loved and Owned by Linda and Burk
Burk and Linda Hershey lost their rescued Berner, Sadie, in September, 2016. It was that awful illness, Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), that all too many times affects our beloved Berners, that took Sadie. She was about a year old when she was rescued by Burk & Linda several years ago. Sadie spent most of her life up to that point living in a kennel. When she finally got home with Linda & Burk, she joyfully ran all around the house, including the tops of the furniture! She was so excited to be free that she never really seemed to calm down for the rest of the time she was with Linda & Burk. Sadie was a sweet Berner girl who truly was a loving companion and joy to be around, and when the disease began to impact her so hard, it was such a hard decision to help her along to the Rainbow Bridge. Be free sweet Sadie girl!
Bailey: Loved and owned by Linda and Burk Hershey
Bailey was not a Berner, but she was the next best thing – a Berner Buddy. She was a rescued Golden Retriever and the best buddy to Linda & Burk’s rescued Berner, Andy, who they brought home after they lost Sadie. Bailey was an older Golden girl, but still was the best friend to Andy. Andy & Bailey enjoyed romping together. In January 2017, when Baily began to develop symptoms of cancer in her brain, Andy was heartbroken. Linda & Burke were also devastated when, in a matter of three months, they had to send yet another beloved family member to the Rainbow Bridge. Run free Baily!