By Lauren Cavagnolo
On a day in May with multiple severe weather alerts and warnings, more than a dozen people and their dogs, some from as far away as Houston and Wichita, got together for a ‘pawty’—all based on their mutual love of Bernese Mountain dogs.
Hosted by Tulsan Angel Askins along with several others, the party at Noah’s Bed and Biscuit is just one of many ‘pawties’ put on worldwide by Berner Nation, a fan group of the breed.
What started as a Facebook group dedicated to the love of Bernese Mountain dogs has grown rapidly since its formation four years ago. The group, which boasts more than 8,000 members from all over the world, even has its own logo and song.
Creator Matt Rawson of Iowa said he had grown frustrated after participating in other groups devoted to the breed.
“We carry one motto, and that’s just ‘let’s be kind to one another,’” Rawson said. “No competition, no slamming anybody. There is strength in numbers, and as we have started to grow, instead of keeping the admin team
all to Matt’s liking or Matt’s best friends or people that are close to me and agree with all of my ideas and concepts, why not make it global?”
With more than a dozen admins in almost every part of the world, the Facebook group has someone monitoring member activity 24 hours a day, helping to maintain the familylike atmosphere.
“I am one of the ambassadors on the page, which I felt like was a real honor to be over 8,000 people,” Askins said. “It’s just one of those things, where some of these people you have never even met, and you feel like they are family.”
Askins said she attended her first ‘pawty’ last year in Michigan and felt even closer to her Berner Nation family after meeting many of them in person.
As for the ‘pawty’ she hosted in May, Askins went all out.
“Between me and three other ladies here in town, we had 24 raffle baskets, and they were all filled with Bernese Mountain dogrelated stuff like rugs and wine bottle stoppers,” she said. “Anything that you could think of that had Bernese Mountain dogs on it, and then we had a couple that had dog treats and brushes, microfiber mats to dry them.”
Askins even had a special painting commissioned for the ‘pawty’ by Maggie Brudos, whose caricature art can be found on eBay and Etsy. The painting features Bernese Mountain dogs riding in the Sooner Schooner.
In addition to the raffle baskets, T-shirts were made for the event, brisket and pulled pork served for lunch, trivia was played and a kissing booth was available for dogs and owners to have their pictures taken.
Because of the number of dogs at the meet-ups, everyone keeps them on leashes, Askins said.
“They were all really, really good,” Askins said about her ‘pawty’ guests. “They are just happy, goofy dogs. You don’t even have to say a word to them; you can just look at them, and they start wagging their tail.”
Askins said the size of the breed should not discourage potential owners.
“Even though they are big dogs, they are the laziest dog,” Askins said. “People live in an apartment and think they could never have a big dog, but they don’t require a lot of exercise. There are a lot of times people will share a video of being on a walk, and the dog will just sit down, like ‘No I’m done.’”
The worst thing about the breed, in Askins’ opinion, is they don’t live long enough.
“That’s with any large breed dog,” Askins said. “Seven to 10 years is their life expectancy. We have a few in Berner Nation that are 12 to 13 years old, so it’s not unheard of for them to live a little bit longer.”
Like many dogs, Bernese Mountain dogs can be prone to specific medical issues.
“They have their share of health problems, like joint problems, and they are prone to a certain kind of cancer found only in Bernese Mountain dogs and one other breed of dog,” Askins said. “Knowing all of this, I got pet insurance on [my dogs]. It pays for wellness coverage in addition to a major medical problem. I have never had to use the major medical, but I feel like it’s worth it.”
Askins herself has two Bernese Mountain dogs: Yadi, who will be 5 in December, is named after the catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and weighs 113 pounds; his little brother Crosby will be 3 years old on Christmas Day, weighs 100 pounds and is named for Bing Crosby.
“Yadi is so spoiled and is such a mama’s baby; all he cares about is being next to me,” Askins said. “Crosby likes to aggravate; they both love playing tug of war, and they play tug of war with each other. Any toy they can play tug of war with, they like.”
Askins owns and operates Angel’s Pet Funeral Home and Crematory and often brings her two dogs to work with her. She says many clients find it therapeutic, and some have even gone on to get Bernese Mountain dogs of their own.
“A month ago, I had a client come pick up her dog’s ashes. I was on the phone, and I finally get off the phone and walk out, and I hear her out there just talking to them. She has one dog on each side of her; they are both lying on their sides, head to head, and she has the biggest smile on her face,” Askins recalled. “It’s not unusual for people to spend 30 minutes petting them, sitting on the floor with them.
“Every person that comes in, they just absolutely love it. I had a lady [who said], ‘Whenever you walk in the door and see them, it totally takes your mind off why you are here.’”
For those interested in getting a Bernese Mountain dog, Askins recommends researching breeders before purchasing.
“I want to get to know the breeder and know what kind of person they are before I get a dog from them. If they are breeding more than two or three litters a year, I probably don’t want a dog from them,” Askins explained. “If they breed one litter a year, and the dogs are born in the house and stay in the house, that’s the kind of dog that I am looking for. You could tell when I got mine that they had a lot of love in their first eight weeks of life.”
Rawson and Askins both agree joining Berner Nation is a great place to start to get to know more about the breed.
“It’s a good resource for learning about the breed,” Askins said. “We have a theme every day for people to post pictures.”
Advertising, fundraising and puppy sales are not allowed within the group. Instead, a variety of topics ranging from health to dog products are discussed, and many photos and videos are shared.
For upcoming Berner Nation ‘pawties,’ information on the breed and more, visit Berner Nation on Facebook.■
