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OUR STORY
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How We Became a Family
Norah🐻 was the first to come to our furever home at 8 weeks old after Momma🐻’s previous almost 16 year old dog, Genny (a 50lb beagle-heeler mix) went to the rainbow bridge. Norah🐻 weighed just 11 pounds back then, and she fulfilled Momma🐻’s dream of loving a big dog again!
Momma🐻 caught serious puppy fever from Norah🐻! It had been a beary long time since Momma🐻 had a puppy, and she worked hard on watching videos and learning how to train and raise a well balanced bear that would be safe to live with and love on people of all ages, shapes and sizes. Norah🐻 literally became the perfect puppy! There are zero bad or destructive puppy stories to tell of Norah🐻- except that she despised full soak down type baths (and still does)!
Lilah🐻 joined our home at 20 weeks old when our family was asked to provide her a forever home and they said "why not?!" But Lilah🐻 came with zero training or socialization so it was quite an adjustment; she had fears of almost everything that we had to work through; potty training was rough (she only gave a slight, silent warning that she needed to go out- talk about lake sized puddles in the house!), and she had a serious fascination with shoes (she still does, on occasion)! Lilah🐻 had never touched real grass (only artificial grass) until the day Momma🐻 and Grandma🐻 picked her up.
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The Heart Behind The Bernie Bears
Momma🐻 is a disabled full time Berner momma with Ankylosing Spondylitis and a list of other medical issues that drastically changed her life in 2018.
After several years of intense pain where even hugs were painful, her goal in life now is to give intentional hugs- hugs with meaning, hugs that envelop someone so they can feel how loved they are, that they matter, that they are just worthy of so much.
Hugs are so simple but can be so healing!
Momma🐻 spent her formative childhood on a farm outside of KCMO with a Saint Bernard named Zera and dreamed of the day she could love a big dog again. Then, she was lucky enough to get us in 2022 and instantly fell in love with our special breed!
After some encouragement from friends and family, Momma🐻 started sharing us publicly with the world via social media in 2023.
Berners are so affectionate and give hugs in their own special way- so, hugs naturally became part of our social media persona!
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Life in Bear Territory
We live on small acreage in southwest Missouri, USA with other family members (furry and non-furry kind). We have a 1+/- acre fenced area that we share with 3 other smaller doggies that you'll sometimes see in our photos and videos. You'll usually only see our small front yard in our photos and videos due to Momma🐻’s health challenges, but all the doggies have free access to everyone's homes. However we are the only doggies that belong to Momma🐻!
⛰️ We can't go on many adventures outside of our bear territory because of Momma🐻’s health challenges, but we are okay with that because it can be exciting living in Ozark mountain country where the wild things often come to visit us!
🎓 Graduates & Good (but not perfect) Bears
We graduated from a four month long advanced professional training course when we were 11 months old. Momma🐻 had to make extra sure we would be safe to live with and be around our humans of all sizes and abilities because we're so big, and we have lots of family and friends that come to visit us!
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Origins of The Bernie Bears Shop
We have had an Etsy small business shop as an extension of our social media presence for 1-2 years, but it was predominantly just a seasonal pop-up shop for dog related items until 2026 when Momma decided to make the leap into making a full time shop of all things Bernese Mountain Dog to provide extra income and share her love and the nuances of the Bernese Mountain Dog breed with others that can relate (especially if you have a snoring bear laying next to you right now!)
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Whether you're a lifelong Berner lover, parent of a new little bear cub, or just someone who stumbled upon two ridiculously adorable bears one day — we're so glad you're here!
Our overall goal is always to share hugs in every way possible in order to spread a little more love and joy in a world that so desperately needs it!
Remember to share your hugs! They have the power to save a life!
Bear hugs from us to you!🧸💖
Bernese Mountain Dogs are equal parts gentle giant and total goofball — a magical combination of fluffy, loyal, dramatic and completely irresistible. They don't just join your family, they become the whole entire heart of it.