Welcome to Toronto Dog Spot!  We hope you find our website useful as well as entertaining.  If you’ve glossed over the “About Us” page you know it all started because of our furry friend Titan, a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog,…..well, that’s a half truth.  It of course started with the prequel – our beloved, vivacious and charismatic River; an amazing golden lab who passed away last Summer from Degenerative Myelopathy (DM).   I’ll talk more about River and DM in a later post. 

A New Chapter in Our Lives

We miss River terribly but our love for pups spurred us on to find another pup to bring joy into our lives.   My husband wanted another Labrador Retriever – no question about that.  I, on the other hand, wanted a breed that was a little more in tune with my nature.  We researched high and low; everything from character to lifespan, to breed prone diseases to physicality was taken into consideration.  Since this was our second dog as a couple (another half truth… When I met my husband, River was seven years old!) I was going to have the final say on which pup we chose.  I wanted a loyal, friendly, docile bear that I could pet within an inch of his life and still be a good companion to our little girl.  Now I know what you’re all thinking – many breeds fit that description.  But, I had it on good authority that the Bernese fit that description to a T!  YouTube, breeders, other pet owners all said the same….if you get a Bernese you will have a friend for life! And you can’t have just one ☺.

The Search for a Bernese Mountain Dog Began

My husband and I went to local breeders to get a taste for these beautiful creatures and I fell in love right away!  I had never encountered a breed so open and willing to love and be loved on the spot!  And so it was – the quest to find a Bernese Mountain Dog was on!   

We had applied everywhere (even Kijiji) and let me say, you know what quality of pup you are getting by how meticulous the adoption process is ☺  Anyone can buy off of Kijiji, but having gone through all that pain and suffering with River, we wanted to make sure we were getting the healthiest pup possible!  The more serious breeders will ask you to fill out application forms detailing your preferences, lifestyle, preparedness to take care of a dog, and, of course, the question of neutering.  If you’ve dealt with any established, serious breeders, most likely a trip for a snip is an expectation.   

Finding the Right Breeder

We found our little treasure in Quebec.  Titan is a proud offspring of Belnois Bernese Mountain Dogs.  We were so impressed with, not only the service the breeder provided,  but the extensive care and careful maintenance of their breeding.  Belnois breeds Champions and it is easy to see why they are so successful.  Each pup is screened for DM, hip dysplasia and common Bernese diseases.  They are part of various Bernese Mountain Dog club and ensure the health of their pups even after they have been sold.  They require follow up hip x-rays and notification of the pup having been spayed or neutered.   Our friend, and breeder extraordinaire, Veronique walked us through the entire adoption process and provided us with support with respect to food, vaccination schedules, micro chip upon pick up, a CD of pics of Titan, his mom and dad, and copies of his lineage.  The best part is she wants to be updated on how your pup is doing so she is always available for questions and concerns and she is always ready to give advice, tips and tricks!

When we got the green light that our little Titan was ready to come home we decided to pick him up personally.   Veronique had studied the characters of the pups in the litter and was able to give us a choice on which three pups would be better suited to our family….talk about a dog whisperer!  We trekked to her lovely home in Quebec amidst a horrible winter storm.  (Aside from dogs, we also enjoy a good road trip!!)  She had us spend time with all the pups and their mom, Pretzel.   Soon after completing the payment and the paperwork, we were on our way back home with a little fur ball in tow.

Toronto Dog Spot

We hope you enjoyed in sharing our beginnings not only of how Titan came into our lives but also our website.   I’ll be sharing dirty little secrets like how I was actually afraid of dogs, to information about hip dysplasia and degenerative myelopathy and my experiences with training Titan!  I’m a novice in puppy land so remember to leave your comments attached to this article, tips and advice on our website so that we can all share and learn in this wonderful experience that is to have a furry friend!

If you are on social you can find us on @torontodogspot and find Titan on Instagram @titantoronto

Have you welcomed a new pup to your family? Share your story below, we’d love to hear from you.