BonMead Bernese
If you are looking for a Bernese puppy, are a new owner or breeder...
we encourage
you to visit bmdinfo.org for breed
education materials.
Or see the Berner Handbook for some basic Berner info.
Our focus...
Our involvement in Bernese Mountain Dogs began in 1983
when my husband Mark and I bought our first Bernese, Bernbrae's Hannah
Bear. From the first day she became part of our lives our journey to
understanding Bernese traits began. We had so many questions and sought
out long established mentors to guide us in learning how to manage Hannah
as a foundation for a breeding program. We joined several AKC affiliated
dog clubs including The Packerland KC, The
Bernese Mountain Dog club of SE Wisconsin and The Bernese Mountain
Dog Club of America.
Our mentors helped us to understand the importance of preserving and protecting the Bernese breed and its future.
We have always read books, studied pedigrees, sought out knowledgeable canine management experts, shared our observations of dogs' traits with other dog breeders and owners. We have lived with and studied the Bernese with a mindset focused on recognizing and appreciating each dog's gifts and best qualities. The dogs themselves were our kind and gentle teachers!
Although we are no longer breeding Bernese, Mark and I are very much still involved in Berners.
We work as volunteers serving our local Berner club, The
Bernese Mountain Dog club of SE Wisconsin, and we each hold positions in The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America.. Mark works as a Specialty Show Secretary; and I work with several dog club's and privately owned Berner websites.
We are also AKC licensed judges for Bernese.
For more info on our judging see AKC's judge search page at: http://www.akc.org/judges_directory/index.cfm
Mark's Judge's Number is: 82070 Judge Type: Conformation
Ann's Judge's Number is: 58841 Judge Type: Conformation
If you have questions about the Bernese breed we're always happy to talk. Please contact us for information by e-mail at bonmead@netnet.net or by phone #920-822-8174 if you would like more information about our dogs (many of whom are in the pedigrees of dogs showing and being bred today).
More about us & BonMead...
Over the years, 18 Berners have lived here on our Wisconsin farmette, both males and females; only some of those 18 were used for breeding. Our dogs lived as cherished companions and housedogs. The dogs joined us for daily walks in the fields and forest surrounding our home. In summer the dogs swam in a lake on our property.
Our first litter was born in 1985; in 19 years our breeding program produced 23 litters/96 puppies. The last litter of BonMead Bernese was born in 2004. The Bernese Mountain Dog is the only breed of dog we have bred; although our appreciation of traits in other breeds was enhanced as we learned more about dogs' qualities from each litter we produced and from each dog we kept or have met.
We showed dogs at AKC conformation events and at a few BMDCA National Specialties. Our efforts to produce and train good Bernese resulted in roughly 3 dozen conformation champions, a handful of group placing dogs and several working dog titles were earned by BonMead dogs. It was rewarding to watch generation after generation of BonMead Berners retain some of the very best characteristics possessed by Hannah Bear.
We were always interested in learning how breeding decisions we made
affected dogs' lives and whether the people we placed dogs with were
satisfied with their dog. We participated in Berner-Garde
(a health database for Bernese). Records for our Berners are available
by searching either for us using BG's "People Search" MARK MILLIGAN
[household (BG#986)]; ANN MILLIGAN (BG#13862) or by using BG's "Dogs"
search (enter kennel name - Bonmead). Records for seventy-seven BonMead dogs are available.
We feel very fortunate to have kept and been breeders of Bernese Mountain Dogs from March, 1983 through mid October, 2011.
See our Berner Gallery for photos of dogs we've known and loved!
With gratitude & kindest regards,
Ann
