HOW WE GOT STARTED
Welcome reader, my name is Lydia, and I am a wife, mom, nurse, and animal lover. I have always loved the beauty and personality of the Bernese Mountain Dog! My first Berner was Delilah, a laid-back and sweet-tempered pup who loved to sleep on my feet.
Soon after adding Delilah to our family we discovered the Bernedoodle breed. After lots of research we decided to try breeding these unique hybrids. Our first litter was born and we were in love! Bernedoodle puppies are beautiful, funny, intuitive and smart.
I am passionate about breeding healthy, well socialized dogs who will be faithful and gentle companions for any family. As a nurse I find the science of genetics fascinating and the art of birthing and raising bernedoodles a challenge and a joy!
ABOUT OUR PUPPY PROGRAM
HOME-BASED BREEDING
All Smoky Ridge puppies are born and raised in our home. Because we are family-run we typically only have 4 litters a year. All our parent dogs are family pets, meaning they live in our home. Our dogs receive regular veterinary care, and are DNA cleared for degenerative diseases. We have a partnership with FROMM Family dog foods, and feed parents and puppies a high-quality diet. Whenever we have puppies, you will find our children sitting in the "den" gently cuddling newborn puppies, or giggling over three-week-old pups just learning to walk, or playing tag with energetic seven-week-old pups around the kitchen island!
SOCIALIZATION & DEVELOPMENT
We follow the Monks of New Skete theory of puppy socialization and development. This method is based on respect and affection, with the goal of building a strong bond between dog and owner. Of course, we only get the pups for the first 8 weeks of their life, so we recommend our puppy families buy and read the book "The Art of Raising a Puppy" to help continue the work we began at home.
CRATE TRAINING
We believe in crate training our dogs. The crate provides a safe place for our dogs to relax when we need to go out for a few hours. Because puppies love to chew on things, the crate protects them from eating something like a sock or a toy that could cause serious injury. As our dogs mature we work towards them being left out at night, and you will usually find Rue sleeping beside our bed and Delilah on the cold floor of our closet! We start puppies off in a large crate together, and encourage families to continue with crate training at home.
POTTY TRAINING
When it comes to potty training it is important to understand that an eight-week-old puppy is not developed enough to hold their bladder for any great length of time. To prepare our pups for success we have set up our dens with a litter area that mimics the outdoors. Puppies naturally search for an area away from their den to relieve themselves, so we provide a low basin filled with newspaper pellets or turf where the pups can go. Once they reach 4 weeks of age we take them outside to their yard to use the bathroom. We recommend puppy families develop an outdoor toileting routine from day one, and teach puppy how to communicate their need to go outside. Be prepared for accidents, and understand that most pups may not be fully house trained until at least 6 months old.
The Smoky Ridge
Shortly after moving to our farm, a fire broke out near the barns. It quickly spread through the barnyard and across an acre of field, climbing the ridge behind the farm and burning into the forest. Thanks to the immediate response of local volunteer firefighters, and a sudden rainstorm, the fire was brought under control without major damage. Whenever we hike through those charred pines we think of the smoke that lifted over the ridge, and are reminded of how blessed we are!