Fresh Picked: Man’s Best Friend or Farm’s Best Asset?
July 23, 2026
By Summer Ory
Man’s best friend — there’s a reason for the saying. Dogs are loyal, loving and adventure-seeking companions.
When I met my first Bernese Mountain Dog, it was shortly after our daughter’s brain tumor diagnosis at the tender, young age of four years old. We were deeply shaken and shipwrecked by a wave we never saw coming. During that time, we needed a new light, a distraction from the doctor visits and long, hard days the seasons around the farm brought us.
We didn’t know just how much we needed a dog. Until we got two. Life unfolded, childhood memories formed. The pure, innocent bond between dog and child brought needed smiles all around. There were happy treks through the woods after days filled with schoolwork and equipment headaches. There were quiet, sun-filled afternoons on the porch, the loyal dogs soaking in the rays by our feet.
I didn’t know that being a Bernese Mountain Dog owner would change my entire life. Now as a breeder, I pore over pedigrees and multiple generations of health testing to decide how to champion future offspring. Trying to stack the odds in my — and their — favor for the very best trio of temperament, physical soundness and breed type. Animal breeding is an art form, with a bit of science and help from God.
There are many quality breeders who desire the same, and their legacies created the foundation for me to be able to carry on during my tenure breeding the Bernese Mountain Dog. The Berner originated in the Swiss canton of Bern, where their primary duties included pulling dairy carts, driving cattle, guarding farm property and helping transport goods through mountain terrain. Their strength, intelligence and dependable temperament made them an essential part of daily farm life.
On our farm in Iowa, the Berners live a more modern lifestyle. They are still the guardians of the farm. They watch us garden, explore our pastures and timber with the kids, climb our dirt mountains, wade in our natural creeks and ponds and occasionally get scrubbed head to tail to visit dog shows.
The dog shows we attended introduced us to a new pack of people, and from there, I took a deep dive into better health testing and breeding for the future of the Berner breed. Every dog has a collection of health tests that help paint a picture of how that genetic line is thriving. We even send blood samples to France for a specific cancer-marker test that helps us reduce the risk of the No.1 cancer in the breed.
We might as well start passing around toy ducks like the Jeep owners do, because being owned by a Berner is a special club. I’ve cried with farm friends when they have said good-bye to their faithful dog of 15 years and savored the highs like our Grand Champion Johnny winning big at the beauty contest just days after being completely soaked in his favorite muddy creek with the kids.
Like my farmer grandpa Leroy says, “it’s all gone to the dogs.”
One day, when I look back, it won’t be the big wins or the work accomplished, it will just be the family, the dog, the memories — just like it’s always been.