These are the berners and the berner owners who have achieved the status as being first to accomplish these honors and titles. Please review this list and email us with any additions and corrections, at: 1ownbmdz@earthlink.net (Please remove the 1 before the ownbmdz before mailing - this prevents those unwanted spammers from picking up on this). We are looking for full registered names of the dog and current titles (or all titles at time of passing), the dog's call name, the owner(s), the breeder(s), the date of the accomplishment, and the sire and dam of the dog. If pictures are available scanned, send them via email, otherwise contact us to see where to send them by snail mail.
Courteousy of Alpstadt Berners.

First AKC registered BMDs: 1937
Dog: Quell v. Tiergarten
Bitch: Fridy v. Haslenbach
owner: Glen Shadow

First "BMDCA": 1968
Members: Carol and Fred Pyle, Howard Brown, Gordon Loveless, Roberta Subin, Ruth Hug, and Mr. And Mrs. Francis Lockhart.

First club newsletter editor:
Carol Pyle

First pro-tempore officers:
President: Howard Brown
Vice Pres.: Ruth Hug
Secretary/treasurer: Carol Pyle

First elected officers: 1969
President: Dr. Mary Dawson
Vice Pres.: Harold Howison
Treasurer: Francis Lockhart
Secretary: Carol Pyle

Board members: Penny Buchanan, Barbara Gold, William Hall, Bea Knight, and Barbara Packard.

First BMDCA Sanctioned B Match spring of 1972

First BMDCA National Specialty in Harrisburg, PA 1976

First National Specialty winners: 1976
BOB Ch. Zyta v. Nesselacker (import)
owner: Mary Dawson
breeder: Amadeus Krauchi

BOS Ch. Goliath v. Zinggen
owner: James Curtiss
Breeder: C. Fankhauser

First BMD to place 1st in working group: date ???
Ch. Santuary Woods Gordo
owner: Joseph & Susanne Gagnon
Breeder: Beatrice Knight

First BMD to place in working group: 1966 AND First breed Champion: 1968
Ch. Santuary Woods Black Knight
owner: Roberta Subin
Breeder: Beatrice Knight

First AKC Best-in-show: 1977
Ch. Alphorn's Copyright of Echo
owner: Dr. D.G. and Gretchen Johnson

First Westminster KC Working Group winner: 1985
AKC, CKC Ch. Shersan Change O'Pace v. Halidom
Owner: Robert & Carolyn Kinley
Breeder: Millicent Buchanan Parliman

First OFAed BMD-1:
Ch. Wendy v.d. Grasburg
owner: Harold and Sylvia Howison

First OFA Cardiac Registry 11/20/96
U-CDX Alpenrose Charles Dickens ASCA CD, AKC CDX CGC, BMDCA NDD
"Dickens"
dob 12/19/91
Owners: David & Lisa Baldwin & Suzanne Hostetter
Breeder: Suzanne Hostetter
sire: Ch. Alpenrose Farms Free Spirit
dam: Alpenrose Illusive Dream

First BMD to earn a CGC certificate at the second CGC test ever held. Nov. 5th 1989
Ch Senner's Pache of Arak, CD, TT, CGC "Pache"
bred by Karen Felder
owned by Ruth Reynolds

First CD (1962):
Aya of Veralp CD
owned by Mary Alice and William Horstick
bred by Nelly Frey

First CDX (1971):
Ch. Wilhelmina V Neugebauer CDX
owned by Hugh O'Hagan
breeder: ??

First UD (10/5/79):
Ch Dina De L'Armary UD
owned by Mary Alice Eschweiler
bred by Jean Badertscher

First UDX:
female (the 1st bmd) 7/12/98
U-CDX Swiss Star's Evening Escapade, UDX "Eskie",
Owner: Dr. Kathie Gallotti
Breeder: William and Barbara Hefner

male (the 1st male bmd, the second bmd) July 30th, 1998
U-CDX Mocha Java Slurp, UDX, TT, CGC, TDI "Java"
Owned, loved and trained by Vilma Kistner

*We highlighted both because they were only two weeks apart.

First triple UD: AKC, UKC and CKC
U-UD Can OTCH Sandusky's Brighteye Abigail UDT Can UD TT
Owner: Deborah Hotze
Breeder: Sandy Ongamach
Dam: AKC/CKC Ch. Sandusky's My Name Is Helga CDX, Can CDX
Sire: Ch. Bauernhof's Bear Paws
Abbey is also the first to have two HITs (in Canada) in back to back trials on May 21st and 22nd, 1989.

The second to acheive the triple UD (July 2003) is:

Can. OTCH, U-UD Ledgewood's Ptolemy UDX, CGC, DD, Can. DD
Breeder: Kim Behrens & Abby Patrizio
Owner: John & Elizabeth Malcolmson
DOB: February 10, 1999
Sire: Ch. Ledgewood's First 'N' Foremost
Dam: Ledgewood's Toot Toot Tootsie
*when you get the Canadian UD, they give you the OTCH title so you don't use the UD according to Elizabeth, so the two dogs are listed the way they were presented to this site.

First top conformation dog (Pedigree 1996) to earn a versitility award
Ch KD's Mister Dillon CD, NDD, CGC, TDI "Dillon"
9/14/91-12/24/97
Sire: Ch DE-LI's Foreign Option CD (Herb)
Dam: Ditta V D Fritzenmatte (Ditta)
Owner: JoAnn & John Biercuk
Breeder: K A Desiderio

*Also owned by JoAnn & John Biercuk
First working dog excellent 9/4/99
Ch KD's Can't Miss Meika CDX, OA, NAJ, DD, CGC, TDI "Meika"
4/21/94
Sire: DE-LI's Count Down (Chester) - WG285036
Dam: Ch KD's Daria V Fritzenmatte (Daria) - WP37062701
Breeder: K A Desiderio

First Champion Utility Dog Excellent Draft Dog 10/2/99
CH. Rogel's Faustus v Weyrbern UDX, DD "Kelson"
Sire: Ch. De-Li's Shaping the Future
Dam: Rogel's Dona des Delices
Owners: Chris and Kathy Milar
Breeder: Elizabeth and Roger Pearson

First Tracking Dog (1976):
Ch Tanja V Nesselacker CD, TD
owned by Max Gruber
breeder: ??

First Tracking Dog Excellent (1985):
Viva's Graemlicher Bischof TDX
Owned by Carolyn Gramlich
bred by Carol Arntz

First Novice Agility (4/2/95):
Ch Mtn Annie O'Creekwood NA
owned by Michael & Cherie Bond
bred by Mary & Gary Garbe and Darcy Cummings

First Open Agility (3/5/96):
Honeybear's Lenny's Roscoe AX
owned by Dana & Leonard Pike and Elaine & Lee Squires
bred by Elaine & Leland Squires

First Agility Excellent (5/5/96):
Honeybear's Lenny's Roscoe AX
owned by Dana & Leonard Pike and Elaine & Lee Squires
bred by Elaine & Leland Squires

First Novice Jumper with Weaves, earned 8-2-98
"Haley" U-CDX Brighteye Chalet's Haley UD NA OAJ, Can CD
Dam: U-UD Sandusky's Brighteye Abigail UDT Can UD
Sire: CH Basel's O-Greatwood V Alpine CD
Breeder: Debbie Hotze
Owner: Kris Osojnicki

First MX and MXJ, and MACh points (master agility championship points). And first Open Jumpers W/Weaves, earned August 1998, plus the first AKC AXJ title (agility excellent jumpers with weaves) earned: March 21st, 1999 at an all-breed agility trial in Tucson (during the specialty).
"Lexi" Brighteye Spinning Galexi CD, MX, MXJ
Owned by Kris Osojnicki
Bred by Deborah Hotze

Lexi was also the first BMD to go to the AKC Agility Nationals in 1999.

First perfect 200 score in novice obedience: done in Canada May 3, 1992 at Kennebecasis Obedience Club Trial in Rothesay, New Brunswick
Liskarn America Bound Jerry UD DD Can CDX " Jay Jay"
Sire:Liskarn Donald Duck
Dam:Liskarn Isabella
Owner: Alison Jaskiewicz (trainer), Deborah Mulvey and Sara Dombroski
Breeder: Gordon Bridges

Jay Jay is also the first Berner to have earned all-breed OTCH points (which he did at three different all-breed obedience trials).

Jay Jay was the first Berner to do Freestyle, first performing at the August 1994 Gaines Eastern Regional Obedience Competition in Springfield, MA.

Jay Jay was also the first Berner to be invited and compete at the AKC National Obedience Invitational (June 1997) He was also invited the following year but had died the previous August. He was one of the six teams demonstrating Freestyle at the first Invitational in June 1995.

Finally he was also part of the groups to get the first NDD and DD, see below.

WOW what a dog!!!

First group of 7 Novice Draft Dogs
Seven dogs earned their NDDs at the first BMDCA Draft Test (9/22/91) hosted by the BMDC of Nashoba Valley in Westford, MA with judges Mary Alice Eschweiler and Beverly Barney.

1) Bluesky Matt Dillon V Summit CDX NDD (Dillon)
Owner: Kathy Heun & Kathy Roth
Breeder: Kethy Roth

2) Liskarn America Bound Jerry UD, DD, CKC-CDX (Jay Jay)
owner/breeder as seen in the 1st perfect 200 novice obedience

3) Lupine's Little Tugboat CDx, NDD (Tugger)
owner: Christopher & Marjorie Cottle
breeder: Susan Muick & Joseph Giangarra

4) Ch Nordstaatens Emma CDX, NDD (Emma)
owner: Ruth Ballmer
breeder: Beverly Barney

5) Olympians Helen of Troy CD, DD (Jorda)
owner: Lisa Allen
breeder: Eileen Brouck

6) Ch Sandusky's Promises Promises CD, NDD (Tati)
owner: Elizabeth Zipsie & Sandra Ongemach
breeder: Sandra Ongemach

7) Sudan Neuchatel V Halidom CD, NDD, CGC (Chatel)
Owner: Susan & Dana Sanvido
Breeder: Millicent & George Parliman

First two dogs to earn their DDs at the BMDC of Nashoba Valley Draft Test (9/20/92) in Westford, MA with judges David Denis and Paul Emerson.

Liskarn America Bound Jerry UD, DD, CKC-CDX (Jay Jay)
See owner/breeders above

Olympians Helen of Troy CD, DD (Jorda)
See owners/breeders above

First Brace Novice Draft Dogs (2/13/98):
Ch Konig Bucher V Panache CD DD BNDD
owned by Valerie Horney
bred by Bobbi Taylor & Christina Ohlsen

Ch Hopes Big Bopper Bailey CD DD BNDD
owned by Valerie Horney
bred by Julie Steinheimer

First Brace Draft Dogs (3/17/99):
Ch Tanzenbar Dante Rush CD DD BDD
owned by Doug and Patti Morgan
bred by Valerie Shingledecker

Ch Pinnacle Denver Mile High CD DD BDD
owned by Doug and Patti Morgan
bred by Eden Jonas

First two BMDs to pull their own weight at the first draft test held after getting rid of the springscale for determining how much weight the dogs should pull.
Elsa Undertow of Mt. Lore AKC/CKC CD, DD "Elsa"
Owner: Marjorie Cottle

Sennenhof Ilaria CDX, DD "Ria"
Owner: Bev Barney

First Canadian Draft Dog Excellent (American BMD)
Earned Oct. 98
Mt. Tops Swiss Boy Tobias CD, (Am.)NDD, (Can.)DDX, CGC

"Toby"
Owner: Hilde Engen

First Rescue BMDs to get an NDD
Mr. Bosley NDD "Bosley"
Owner: Marjorie Cottle
And
Snowledge Peacefield Madaket NDD "Maddie"
Owner: Lisa Seretto

First Brace Novice Draft Dogs NOT owned by the same person.
Sandusky Brig Remey V Dabrak A/C CD, NDD, BNDD
Owner: Marjorie Cottle
Ledgwood's Mystery CDX NDD, BNDD
Owner: Shelley Tyre

First 26 Versatilty Awards (retroactive to 1991 when the first Draft Test was held) presented at the 1996 National Specialty in San Francicso.

*name of dog **owner/breeder

*Ch Alpine Joy Deerpk Sgt Harpo CD DD
**Mann/Van Aken

*Ch Bernerliebe's Hide N Zeke CDX DD
**Eckhardt/Ohlsen & Dean

*Ch Dallybeck Elsinor V Raven Mtn CDX NDD
**Bartlett/Reho

*Ch Dallybeck's Jewel Of Cresta CDX DD
**Kreutzfeld/Reho

*Ch Dallybeck's Kodiak Bear CDX NDD
**Rogers & Jacobson/Reho

*Ch Deerpark Didis Oso Baron CD NDD
**Dudley/Ohlsen & Dean

*Ch Edelweiss Fleur De Lis CD NDD
**Fuselier/Chismar

*Ch Heidi-Ho Springs Kattie CD DD
**Fuselier/Chismar

*Ch Heidi-Ho Theodore Sage Bar CD NDD
**Temples & Ramsdell/Chismar

*Ch Hope's Big Bopper Bailey CD DD
**Horney/Steinheimer & Kelley

*Ch Konig Bucher Von Panche CD DD
**Horney/Taylor & Ohlsen

*Ch La Plata Mountain's Big Deal CDX NDD
**Baru/Barr

*Ch Ledgewood's Spare Change CD NDD
**Riley/Behrens

*Ch Ltng Ridge Ilsa Of Lks Edge CD DD
**Wright/Miniter

*Ch Mulhaven Stompround Santera CDX NDD
**Muller/Muller & Novocin

*Ch Nordstaaten's Emma CDX NDD
**Ballmer/Barney

*Ch Olympians Oracle of Delphi CD TD NDD
**Jaskiewicz & Brouck/Brouck

*Ch Pinnacles Andes V Juster CD NDD
**Jonas/Jonas

*Ch Random's Kalista CDX NDD
**Losco/Losco

*Ch Rosewood Benjamin Von Kayper UD NDD
**Morrow/Morrow

*Ch Ruskin Wizard V Mystic Mtn CDX NDD
**McDaniel/Webber

*Ch Sandusky's Promises Promises CD NDD
**Bradley/Ongemach

*Ch Scandia's Breezy Day V Bev's CD NA NDD
**Hubbard/Burney

*Ch Shersan's Must Be Magic CD NDD TDI CGC
**Sanvido & Kinley/Kinley & Dreisbach

*Ch Soujourner Shambala CDX DD&
**Jonas & Armatys/Campbell

*Ch Travois Apollo V Mystic Mtn CDX DD
**Vondracek & Baru/Webber

First to earn a Flyball dog title
?????

First BMD Flyball Dog Excellent (date ?), first BMD to earn a qualifying score in USDAA agility (30 inch jumps)(date?), and High Scoring Dog at the First AKC Agility Trial held at the National Specialty (1995):
"Star" U-AGII CB Star Elect Vombreiterweg CDX FDX N-JC
Owned by Christy Brannon Varhaug
Bred by

First Berner Owner to win High Scoring Agility Dog (different dogs) at back to back National Specialties:
"Star" CB Star Elect Vombreiterweg CDX FDX N-JC (7 yrs old, 1995)
"Deuce" Dabrak's Donar Double-Take (22 mo old, his first agility trial, 1996)
Owner: Christy Brannon Varhaug

First to earn the Junior Herding Dog title (AHBA)
Swiss Stars Dances With Wolves CDX, DD, JHD, CGC
"Dunbar" DOB 12/1/94
Owned by Marjie Cherry
Sire: Ch. Barkley Vombreiterweg
Dam: Ch. Swiss Stars They call the Wind

Dunbar will also be part of the first Working Dog title group.

First BMD to be used as a "Seeing Eye" in the US.
Black Mtn. Heidi
Sire: Ch Sanctuary Woods Malibu
Dame: Gunda v. Zinggen
Breeder/owner: Carolann Schmid

First BMD bitch/breeder/owners of two best in futurity winners
*CH Degrasso's Harleigh V Legacy is the dam on both these futurity winners

CH L-Sin's Best Bet at Skylyn "Betta"
1997 Best in Futurity at the BMDCA National that year. Judge was Sharon Smith.
Sire: CH Dogwood's Southern Greystone
Dam: *CH Degrasso's Harleigh V Legacy
Co-Owners Sindi Leo and Christine McLean
Breeder: Sindi Leo

L-Sin-Skylyn's Harleigh's Rumor "Rumor"
1999 Best in Futurity at the BMDCA national that year. Judge was Libby Kesner.
Sire: Sascha's George V Bev's
Dam: *CH Degrasso's Harleigh V Legacy
Co-Owners and breeders: Sindi Leo and Christine McLean

First Champion/UD/TDX:
CH SwissStar Nitro Whata Gas UD TDX
Owned by April Rifenburg
bred by Bobbi Hefner

First freestyle performance performed at a specialty (done at the Atlanta specialty) was done by:
Alison Jaskiewicz and Jay Jay
Liskarn America Bound Jerry UD DD Can CDX
Owner: Alison Jaskiewicz (trainer), Deborah Mulvey and Sara Dombroski
Breeder: Gordon Bridges

Clark and Kris Osojnicki with Tiki and Haley: A duet
Tiki: U-CD Nighttime Chalet Blu Mystik CDX Can CD
Dam: CH Snowmont Nighttime Ivy CD
Sire: CH Santera Rio Grando V Crest
Breeder: Sharon Kranz and Anne Nichols

Haley: U-CDX Brighteye Chalet's Haley UD NA OAJ Can CD
Dam: Sandusky's Brighteye Abigail UDT
Sire: CH Basel's O-Greatwood V Alpine CD
Breeder: Debbie and Glenn Hotze

First AKC all breed HIT winner: April 11, 1992
Elsa Undertow of Mt. Lore AKC/CKC CD, DD "Elsa"
Owner: Marjorie Cottle
Breeder: ??
This HIT was their first show in Novice A at South County Kennel Club, RI.

The first team to win both an AKC all breed HIT (1-6-96) and a BMDCA national specialty HIT (1996).
Brighteye Mira Belle CDX AX NAJ, Can CD
Dam: Brighteye Nelle Belle UDT
Sire: CH Diomedes V Adlerhorst
Bred by Debbie and Glenn Hotze
Owned by Clark Osojnicki

They are the only team that has won both to date. When Clark and Mara got their AKC all breed HIT, it was their first ever obedience show.

First Berner Bitch to win an all breed Best In Show.
CH Ledgewood's Puffin V Ledgewood "Puffin"
Owner: Kim Behrens
Breeder: MacWilliams
Sire: CH Olly V Tonisbach
Dam: Dallybeck's Abbey V Ashley

First owner of two all breed Best In Show bitches: Kim Behrens
"Puffin" above and her other bitch is:
CH Cita V Sagispicher "Cita"
Owner: Kim Behrens
Breeder: Iff
Sire: Wacho V Tonisbach
Dam: Deisi V Sagispicher

First Dual Versatility BMDs
US dog:
AKC/CKC/Int CH Swis Stars Raid'r of the Last Bark AKC/CKC CD and DD, CGC "Harrison"
Sire: Weron vd Schwarzwasserfluh
Dam: Dallybeck's Instant Appeal
Owned and bred by Bobbie Hefner
Trained and loved by Sean and Lisa Ebnet
He finished all the titles for the versatility for BMDCC on Oct 21, 1998 and for the BMDCA on Oct 31, 1998.

Canadian dog:
AKC/CKC/Int CH Ursa Major's Stellar Bandit AKC/CKC CD and DD, CGC, NA. "Bandit"
Sire: Diesel's Turbo Bowser
Dam: Littlebear's Alpine Liesel
Owned by Lea Doane and Phil Chagnon.
Bred by Brenda Grant.
Finished his versatility May 1998 for the BMDCA and Oct. 1997 for the BMDCC.

First Berner to win an American National Puppy Sweeps and Canadian National Puppy Sweeps
B.P.I.S / B.P.I.S.S. / Can. Ch. Swisskiss You Were Ment For Me (Jewel)
Owner/Breeder: Madeline Knowles
Sire: Ch Maximum Avalanche V Mt Tops ( American Bred)
Dam: Ch Swisskiss Diamond In The Ruf ( American Bred )
October 1998 Best Puppy in Sweeps BMDCC National Specialty (Abbottsford, B.C.)
March 1999 Best Overall in Sweeps BMDCA National Specialty (Tucson, AZ)

First sire of 6 Specialty winners,2 of which were 2 X sweepstakes winners and 3 a double specialty winners
AKC/CKC BISS Ch. Charly v. Wygartenrain (Swiss Import) "Lucas"
Sire: Int Ch Wacho v Tonisback
Dam: Lea v Gitizrain
Owner: Carolann Schmid
Breeder: Thomet Family
At Nashoba Valley Regional, June 1,1996, his
son: Ch Dornbuch Grand Illusion,NDD "Simon" was WD/BOW, and he also took the sweeps win that day.
His daughter: Ch Black Mt Unaimous Decision "Annie" was WB.
Also at the California Specialty in 96 both Lucas and daughter "Sarah" Ch. Dornbush Optical Illusion were awarded certificates of merit.

There is a FOUR TIME back to back HIT in Canada starting on May 1, 1999. Again Alison Jaskiewicz has acheived another first with her new girl "Gita" on her obedience debut.
Grunberg Gita Gotta Dance CD, NDD Can CD
Co-owned with breeder Debbie Mulvey
Sire: Romeo V Nesselacker
Dam: Ch. Grunberg Zyta

First triple title holder: 1979
Am/Can/ Bda Ch Alphorns' Happy Talk
Sire: Ch Kusters of Jocko of J Bar
Dam: Ch Alphorns' Caladonia
Owner: Beverly Burney
Am/Can/Bda Ch Alphorn's Happy Talk was also the first Bernese to place in the group in Bermuda, also in 1979.

First BMD to run a WEBSITE
Nor-Ham's Quellen Panda Conn, CGC
The Internet Bernese Mountain Dog Consortium's PandaSite
Owner: Adam Conn

Largest BMD Litter
Santera's Evening Masquarede owned by Sherry Von Engel and bred by Sandy Novocin free whelped 18 puppies June 5th 2003. 10 males and 8 females. The Sire is CH. Sunshine-Von Engel's Lethal Weapon.."Riggs" was bred by Dan & Celia Cuellar of Sunshine Kennel's.
Visit the pups at Von Engel's Bernese Mountain Dogs

First BMD to appear in a TV commercial or program. (not on news, interviews or dog programs)???

First BMD to appear on the big screen????

First BMD to be owned by a celebrity???

Please continue to send in those firsts.
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