I want to live forever....

Well I do.... I want to be fit, loved and live till I am a hundred, and I think every Bernese has the right to expect that. I know that her indoors was really really careful when she chose me, and she checked my ancestors as far as she could for longevity, a healthy body and the right kind of temperament.... It's amazing what you can do with a computer if you really try, and I also know that one of her main BUG BEARS is high inbreeding coi's. I think the thing that really started her off was when they lost Teague to cancer at nine. Watching him struggle and fade away was more than they could bear, and knowing that there was nothing they could do really broke their hearts. Now atlas a lady called Leanne Marsden has had the bottle to draw people's attention to what's going on. The fact that the HEALTH SEMINARS in September of last year were not attended by many of the KNOWN SHOW BREEDERS when they are the main stay of the breed is unforgivable. If my mum had thought she stood a chance of one of the limited spaces she would have jumped at it. When Kennel Mate became available, her indoors started checking the health information and the breed coi's for different dogs. She started watching show results for veteran classes and trying to find out how long various lines lived to, and if they had passed then what from. It's not ok anymore to line breed for a good looking dog that can take cc's like they are going out of fashion and then dies at five of cancer or another hereditary disease. Every dog bred has the right to a forever home and a full and happy life with a reasonable life expectancy. In the past certain well known breeders have had lines that regularly last till twelve plus, they don't line breed... They do study all the characteristics of the stud dogs they are thinking of using and take time making decisions. My big sister Freya looks like she may be in the puppy way, and her dog was one of three that mum looked at. Freyas coi is lower than the breed 5.1 by a reasonable amount. Her hips and elbows are 5/7 0/0 and because she does not show she was deemed to by by one Doyenne of the breed to be from the wrong side of the tracks. She should coco!!!! That opinion was passed on to then owner of the main stud dog that her indoors was interested in, and she refused the mating. When mum asked why, she told her so rather than be rude on the phone her indoors said ok, and then sat down and wrote a ten page letter explaining her choices and her research. That breeder then chose to ring back and say that having read the information and checked it, she had changed her mind and the dog was available. That in itself says a lot for that particular lady.... But why should a dog that doesn't show be penalised when it comes to breeding? I am half Belgian, Merlin is half Australian and that enlarges the gene pool in a major way. Having said that, her indoors has rung twice a year with updates on one of us lot to the breeder and after fourteen phone calls not one was ever returned. Not even when her indoors wanted to confirm the spelling of the dam to enter One of the dogs in a class at a show. So much for breeders that care!!!! Then you get a breeder like Luddenden or Dolyhir who don't show and they keep in touch .... Are they also from the wrong side of the tracks? If there is a litter in May, I know that to the best of our mums ability they should be fit and healthy, with a laid back temperament, and a coi of less than 2.... Then comes the 'FUN' of finding the right kind of homes for them. All that with no help from those who should be the people that a novice breeder can turn to for help. Ms Marsden has taken the bull by the horns so all I can say is GO FOR IT GIRL , you love the breed and you want the best for it so stick to your guns. There are good breeders out there too and novices that want to be GOOD breeders and need help to get ther. Think about it people, we need you to be there for us, and our love is unconditional. Cool runnings Gryff