My husband Rene and I started breeding Bernese Mountain Dogs back in our native Switzerland in 1986 with our girl “Astrid zum Schmiedwald” called “Maitschi”, which is berndeutsch and means “special girl”. It all happened by chance, because she was purchased as our pet. But when we started to visit the exercise place of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Switzerland, everybody was pleased with her exterior, her mentality and behavior and encouraged us to do the test for breeding which is called “Ankoerung”. When we passed these tests with flying colours, we went to 3 different shows, which she all finished with “excellent”. After her x-rays for hips and elbows turned out to be in best health, we decided to go find the perfect stud and …with the help of my great mentor, Rene’s sister Irene, we had our first litter ….. so what started out by chance became our destiny. As a member of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club in Switzerland, I also became a member of the Swiss Kynological Society, was awarded the golden medallion for our breeding facilities and worked with a group to establish the quarterly newspaper for the regional group eastern Switzerland.

In 1994 we moved to our new home in Beautiful British Columbia (see our website at www.mulvehillcreek.com) bringing with us our than 2 year old son Tobias, our two Bernese girls Maitschi and her daughter from our last Swiss litter “Darling vom Zehntenhaus”, called Dara. Building up our business, working on the place and raising Tobi took years and since raising puppies takes a lot of commitment and time too, we did not breed Bernese for a while. Maitschi went to dog heaven, her daughter Dara followed her and since we could not imagine a life without a Berner, we purchased our first boy “Caesar vom Baercreek” in 1998. Out of Swiss lines but Canadian born and raised, he turned out to be a wonderful Bernese, but…what is just one Berner on a large place….

So two years later we imported from Switzerland “Bessy vom Brueschholz” with 12 weeks and Caesar came with us to the airport in Calgary to pick up his new little girlfriend. We traveled on to Darwell, where we picked up “Sprucehill’s Blossom” with 8 weeks . Caesar sure was happy to have new company and we of course too. All 3 became wonderful Berners and their exams for hips, elbows, eyes and heart showed perfect health. We had already become members of the Canadian Kennel Club and the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Canada in our first years here. Now it was time to make an application for a kennel name, and we where happy that we where granted “Mulvehill”, since it is not only the name of our Inn, but this place is named after the creek that flows through it.

In a winter blizzard new years night, on December 31. 2002, our first Canadian litter was born, some puppies at home and the rest of the litter with an emergency c-section in the vet clinic in Salmon Arm, 120 km away from Revelstoke, just in time to greet the new year, Like it is tradition in Switzerland, puppy names are given in order of the alphabet, so Bessy and Caesars puppies where Mulvehill’s A-litter: Alexa, Alice in Wonderland, Asterix, Adonis and Amigo, all beautiful marked and sweet as puppies can be.
On May 23, 2003, Caesar had fathered Blossom’s first litter: Bijou, Busy Bee, Balou and Big Boy. From this B-litter we kept Bijou, hoping that within two years she would become a mom too.

“ Rushhill’s The Butler Did It….” and sired Bessy’s second litter. On November 13, 2004, six beautiful Bernese puppies where born: Country Girl, Charismatic Columbine, Champagne Cheers, Christmas Comet, Captain Columbus and Call me Cupid. From this litter we kept Champ, hoping that one day he will be Mulvehill’s new Stud. Balou (from our 2nd litter) got a new friend to play with: Cupid.

Sadly, Caesar had left us to join Maitschi and Dara in paradise. Bessy was spayed after the puppies of this litter had joined their new families with 10 weeks of age.

Since Butler had produced a beautiful litter with Bessy, he also sired Blossom’s D-litter, born on June 20, 2005: Dr. Doolittle, Delightful Diamond, Dreaming Darling and Dancing Dandylion. Blossoms daughter Bijou had developed into such a joyful and pretty Berner girl, that we kept another daughter from her, Delightful Diamond, which has already shown that this name totally fits her personality. On October 8, 2005, after all Bijou’s x-rays for hips and elbows turned out perfect, her heart and eyes got cerfed as well, we found a beautiful stud for her in High River, who happens to be Country Girls boyfriend. Our girl Bijou had with c-section in Salmon Arm her first litter, fathered by Schauinsland’s Akim: 10 beautiful puppies, 3 girls and 7 boys, Mulvehill’s E-litter:

Extravagant Elle, Esmeralda of Europe, Emily of New Moon, Emotions for You, Extra Large, Exciting Times, European Earl, Entertaining Elvis, Extra Edition, Eddy the Eagle. Two puppies of this litter where picked up here by their new owner from Austria. They made the big trip overseas with 15 weeks of age and are already very well known on European shows and in the rescue dog program. In the meantime in Canada: Country Girl made her Championship in Conformation, Alice in Wonderland became a Therapy Dog, Asterix worked out an Obedience Title and Exiting Times went to the same Couple that had Big Boy from our second litter.

On September 22, 2006 Blossom had Mulvehill’s F-litter, fathered by Schauinsland’s Akim, who in the meantime had also worked hard on his titles and now is CH, CD, DD, which earned him the Versatility Title. Together they have produced 3 females and 2 males: Fancy Fraeulein, Forest Fairy, Forget Me Not, Faithful Felix and Friend Forever.

Blossom too has now retired from her motherly duties and enjoys life together with us and the Berner Gang of 5. Felix became the new play mate to Asterix (1st litter) and Friend joined Eddy the Eagle…. As I mentioned before, two Berners are more fun than one…

Champ and Deligh in the meantime have their hips, elbows, eyes and heart cerfed too and Champ is a real Champion since Dec. 3, 2006. Deligh is just 2 points short of her title, which we hope to achieve this year. Champ did it in 3 Shows, Deligh only attended 2, well done so far.

It’s 2007 now, and we hope our Berner Story will continue over the years to come and the Mulvehill’s family will grow. Our puppy owners will help with the stories, I only have to sort them out and put them on the website, in the meantime photos, our own and those of the new Berner Families will have to talk….. enjoy!

Happy trails with big paw prints from the Hueppis: Conny, Rene & Tobias and the Mulvehill's Bernese Gang: Bessy, Blossom, Bijou, Deligh and Champ, wuuufff…