Raising loyal, loving puppies starts with happy, healthy parent dogs, which is why we are focused on making sure our dogs are stress-free, active, and living their best lives.
All the dogs at Faith & Family Farm represent the best qualities of a Bernese Mountain Dog; they are gentle, calm, affectionate, faithful, and the ideal human companions.
To be part of our breeding program, our dogs must pass general and reproductive physicals and be genetically cleared for hereditary diseases.
Each puppy is born of parents with excellent bloodlines, emphasizing good health and longevity. On occasion, we utilize outside stud dogs employing the same rigorous testing criteria we have for our own dogs.
Our dogs are all dearly-loved members of our family and have been raised around children, other dogs, and a menagerie of farm animals. We see them as pets first, and we love spending time with them, whether we’re relaxing in the house or outside on our small family farm. They are usually running through puddles, digging for critters, romping in the snow, or laying around enjoying the sunshine. It’s a pretty good life for a dog!
Meet Our Dogs
Canela
CANELA
Canela (Grace X Otto) was one of our “Christmas Movie Stars” from Nov. ‘22 and became part of our breeding program in the Spring of 2025.
Canela is AKC registered and DNA health testing is complete. OFA: Hips – Good, Elbows and Heart - Normal. DM (SOD1B) clear, VWF clear.
Canela
joan jett
Joan (Willow X Otto) is a lively and outgoing girl in our line of Bernese mommas. Her first litter whelped in April 2025 holds the record for the largest pups at the 8-week go-home time with one of the boys topping the scales just shy of 18 lbs.!
Joan Jett is AKC registered and DNA health testing is complete. OFA: Hips – Good, Elbows and Heart - Normal. DM (SOD1) carrier, DM (SOD1B) clear, VWF clear.
Joan Jett
Ember
ember
Ember (Grace X Otto) is a beautiful addition to our line of Bernese mommas. She and Nickels “honeymooned” in early May of 2024 and her first litter was born on July 15, 2024. The Celebration litter was named after our favorite red and white wines and was a perfect mix of 5 males and 4 females. The pick of the litter female from these pups is part of our future breeding plans.
Ember is AKC registered and DNA health testing is complete. OFA: Hips – Good, Elbows and Heart - Normal. DM (SOD1) carrier, DM (SOD1B) clear, VWF clear, and clear on her expanded Embark genetic panel.
nickels
Nickels is a fabulous male addition to our breeding dogs. He is an AKC registered Bernese Mountain Dog and the first litter sired by this magnificent boy produced an amazing 14 puppies!
Full genetic DNA panel cleared and verified by parentage through Paw Print Genetics, CDDY clear. OFA (prelims): Hips – Good and Elbows – Negative for dysplasia.
Nickels
Otto
Otto
Otto is a gentle, laid-back, and loving Bernese Mountain Dog. He has a great temperament that causes everyone who meets him to fall in love with him and the entire Berner breed. Otto enjoys relaxing on his family’s farm in Oklahoma and spends his days wading in the pond up to his chest - even during the frigid months of winter!
Otto is AKC registered with European bloodlines and genetically clear of DM (SOD1 & SOD1B) and VWF. With a PennHIP score of 0.47, he scores below the breed average (these are good results). He has a strong, athletic build and weighs around 100 pounds.
apollo
Apollo is an energetic, sweet boy and who loves to give hugs and is a definite head-turner. He weights around 100 lbs. and has the perfect markings of a champion Berner. His OFA shows good hipjoint conformation and negative for dysplasia on elbows. He’s genetically clear of DM (SOD1 & SOD1B) and VWF. He’s a proven stud, having sired a litter of outstanding puppies for a breeding program in Texas. We’re excited to start using him for our future litters and can’t wait to see what remarkable pups he produces for Faith & Family Farm.
Apollo
Up & Coming
Chardonnay
Chardonnay - a future female for our program!
Chardonnay (Ember X Nickels) has passed our testing standards and will become part of Faith & Family Farm’s breeding program in the summer of 2026. Her stunning beauty and therapeutic nature make her an outstanding addition to our dams and we are eager to see the beautiful puppies she brings us.
Retired Dogs
Previous sires and dams that have been a blessing to Faith & Family Farm over the years and produced wonderful puppies.
Willow
Willow is our beautiful matriarch and simply the sweetest Bernese Mountain Dog you’ll ever meet. Weighing in at 70 pounds, she is incredibly dainty, quietly gentle, and effortlessly confident, with a calm demeanor that puts everyone at ease. She graciously welcomes all the visitors to our home with loads of affectionate snuggles and warmth. Willow is truly a wonderful blessing to our family, as she produces exceptionally loving, therapeutic puppies that bring joy to many. Now that she is in retirement, she is happily enjoying the carefree life on the farm, filled with sunshine and leisure.
grace
Grace is sweet, energetic, and silly, with a strong desire to please. She bears a strong resemblance to her mom, Willow, and is always fun to be around. We love her demeanor and her big lopsided grin, complete with her tongue hanging out the side! She welcomed her first purebred litter in the Spring of 2022.
Grace and Nickels were the incredibly proud parents of 14 beautiful and healthy puppies born on July 27, 2024. The Country Legends litter turned out to be a phenomenal bunch, displaying a mix of charm and energy that delighted everyone who met them, and they truly marked a wonderful milestone as a great way for Grace to gracefully retire from her breeding duties.
Grace is AKC registered and DNA health testing is complete. OFA: Hips – Good, Elbows and Heart - Normal. DM (SOD1) carrier, DM (SOD1B) clear, VWF clear, and clear on her expanded Embark genetic panel.
fernando
Fernando is such a sweet, loving boy with a gentle disposition. He sired two wonderful litters of F1 Bernedoodles here at Faith & Family Farm before gracefully retiring from his breeding duties. Now, he joyfully spends his days living the carefree life and being cherished by his loving family in Ottawa, Kansas. Fernando truly brings warmth and happiness to those around him.
BAXTER
Baxter was the sire of our very first litter in the winter of 2020. He was such an energetic and affection boy who loved to please. He was retired and enjoys life as a “city boy”, bringing his joyful smile along to greet everyone he meets.
In Loving Memory
Gideon
May 18, 2015 - October 2, 2025
bringing home baby
We met our very first Bernese Mountain Dog on the shore of Lake Tahoe in July of 2015. A sweet girl named Sutter made herself at home on Michelle’s lap there at the beach. She was such an ambassador of the breed that we decided then and there we had to get one of our own. We searched the country for an available puppy and ended up locating a breeder in the small Amish community of Arthur, IL.
Our research began on the Berner breed and we learned all we could about these gentle giants. They are great family dogs, loyal to their owners, and totally unaware of their actual size which leads them to believe their place is in your lap. They seemed to be the perfect dog, with one unfortunate exception: a typical lifespan of only 6 - 8 years.
Gideon would defy the odds and made his way into his senior years, blessing us with over 10 years of companionship and goofy charm.
EARLY YEARS
Gideon, named after the reluctant but mighty warrior in the Bible, grew quickly into an energetic yet quirky Berner. He was great with other dogs but had to warm up to people before letting his guard down. From him, we learned the critical role of early socialization and have always incorporated that in our breeding program.
farm life
We moved out to rural Gardner to the home we would soon know as “Faith & Family Farm.” Gideon discovered the joys of a live-in dog park as he happily explored our 5-acre property.
The later years
Gideon stayed in great health throughout his 10 years. He started slowing down as he got older but still had the spunk and energy we’d seen his whole life - it just took him a bit longer to get revved up!
“We are grateful for the outpouring of kind words and condolensces regarding the loss of our sweet boy. Your sympathy and encouragement means the world to us both.”