ABOUT US

How we got started

Hello.  My name is Mette Hammer, and I started Bluff Country Bernedoodles with my husband Sam and daughter Anna.  Anna is now off on her own, but she comes home regularly to help with our dogs and puppies.

I had one wish as a child: to get a puppy.  It was at the top of my wish list year after year.  Unfortunately, my family could not get a dog due to allergies in the family.  I understood, but still longed for a dog.  The first thing I did when I got a home of my own was to adopt a lovely golden retriever.

Sam and I raised our two daughters, Ashlee and Anna, in the country, and we always had one or two dogs.  Anna loved our dogs and knew from a young age that she wanted to work with animals.  As a teen, she got a job with a local dog breeder and picked up many skills related to whelping, medical care, grooming, and more.  For her 18th birthday, we gave her a gift certificate for a puppy so that she could start her own program.

That became a gift for all of us since it turned out to be the start of a great adventure.  We fell in love with breeding puppies.  Soon all of us were equally invested in making puppies a major part of our lives.  Sam and I have taken early retirement from teaching at our local community college so that we can spend more time with our dogs and puppies.  Anna continues to provide invaluable assistance due to her skills in breeding, artificial insemination, births, vaccinations, and more.

How our program has evolved over the years

Our first litter consisted of six beautiful purebred miniature poodles.  We fell in love with poodles due to their intelligence, trainability, agility, and loyalty.  It is a plus that they are completely non-allergenic.  Poodles are great companions, whether they are next to us on the couch, looking at us with knowing eyes, or accompanying us on a walk.

We soon added a cocker spaniel, with plans to raise cockapoos.  Like most people, we love the sweet temperament of the cockers.  They have the silkiest coat, and who can resist those long ears?  Cockapoos are the perfect combination of the cocker spaniel and the poodle.  They tend to inherit the sweetness of the cocker spaniel and the intelligence of the poodle.  They are very low-shedding so great for people with mild allergies.  Their coat is soft and plush, and they have the cutest expressions on their faces.  The famous cockapoo head tilt can melt anyone’s heart.

As a young girl, one of my dreams was to someday have a Bernese mountain dog.  It was a great day when we welcomed Chava.  She quickly grew from an adorable puppy to a 100+-pound beauty.  True to her breed, she is a gentle giant.

We started breeding bernedoodles when Chava was almost two years old.  Bernedoodles are a wonderful combination of a Bernese mountain dog and a poodle.  They have gorgeous coats in black, white, and copper.  Their coats shed minimally.  All around, bernedoodles are completely adorable; they seem to always have a smile on their face.

It is very important to us to have close relationships with our dogs.  Our dogs live in our home with us; they are not in a separate kennel.  They can often be seen next to us on the couch or by our feet.  They provide great companionship, comfort, entertainment, and stress relief.   We love them.

Sincerely,

Mette Hammer