BIS 3 breeder in Riga, Baltic Winner 2007 show, photo Janica Rikkonen ( Patriot, Papaya, Qualitystreet)

Goldbear´s breeding group BIS 4 in Seinäjoki international show 2007. ( Valmont, Vermont, Updated Oliver, Quebecca)

photo Tuuli Yrjönen

This hobby of mine started with a bernese mountain dog in 1992. My first bernese was a lovely companion called Elmeri ( Jollybell`s Elmer). He didn´t turn out to be a show dog but had a heart full of gold and totally charmed our whole family from the minute he walked into our home with his big paws and thick legs. We were totally sold!

As I moved out from my parent´s place into my own, Elmeri stayed with my parents- I got myself a new baby, a bernese male. I called him Kalle ( Serbalcierro Conqvistador ). Again Kalle wasn`t a show dog but a big friend with great wisdom. His health wasn`t the best and actually as a pure accident I ended up with a compensation puppy from his breeder which was not a bernese this time, but a newfoundland, Otto ( Serbalcierro Pawnee). I can still remember him as a 7-week old black gorilla. A lovely gorilla!

For some reason berneses and also newfies tend to duplicate, triplicate and soon you will find yourself with several of them at the same time! That happend to me  too: a bernese male called Juuso (Musikaalin Rokkaripoika) moved to my place in 1994.

I truely like brown newfoundlands and at the end of the year 1995 a brown newfy male called Topi (FIN S EST CH Serbalcierro Vendetta) joined our crew. I was so happy with him as he was actually the first one I could show. It gave this hobby a totally new perspective.
Unfortunately by today I  have lost all these males.

In 1997 my first female, Elli ( INT FIN S N EST CH Destellon Cherokea) was born. She has the most beautiful temper. Elli has given us 3 litters with MULTI CH MULTI WINNER Cayuga Ike Marshall of Bonaventura. There were 8 puppies at her first litter ( P-litter) and when Ike was visiting us during the Christmas 2001/ New Year he left us with one lovely female puppy- Goldbear´s Quebecca that is co-owned. In January 2004 U-litter was born with 4 pups. Ike is one of the most incredible males that I have ever known. He was a real teddybear! Thank you Manlio for trusting him to me  for a while! It was a great pleasure.

Elli was the best producing female of year 2001 when her father INT FIN DK S N EST CH W-99 Jydekompagniet`s Apple-Jack was the best producing male. Also years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Elli has renewed her place on the top. Out of her first litter ( P-litter) there were 5 littermates that finished their championships right after their 2-year´s birthday! Way to go kids! Today Cherokea-Ike kids alone have gained 26  championship titles plus 7 winner titles not to mention Quebecca beeing the Junior World Winner 2003!

During the year 1998 a lot happened: I got myself a new house on the countryside and at that time also got 2 puppies: a newfoundland Roosa ( INT FIN N S CH Destellon Escada) that is half-sister to Elli and a bernese female Lyyti ( FIN CH Riccarron Zsa Zsa). Roosa got everything quick and easy- except the puppies.

Lyyti has 2 littermates that has been our speciality winners ( Riccarron Zepezuzi and Zimazuu) and now also the world winner 2002 ( Riccarron Zuperhezzu). She was co-owned with her breeder until she got her first and only litter with a gorgeous Swedish male INT S N FIN CH Stenhöjdens Åskar Von Wix. From that litter ( Riccarron G-litter) together with my parents I have a female Olga ( INT DK FIN S N Ch NordUHV-02, W-02 Riccarron Gold Fever ) that has done pretty well at the show rings. I was so fortunate to have Lyyti and she was my special one. Sadly I had to say goodbye to her way too soon: she was only 4 years old but fortunately I have her daughter growing and reminding us about that increadible girl which I will never forget.

I was looking for a brown female for several years and finally I got Heta ( Karouska`s Hedda Goldbear) from Norway. She has a exceptionally healthy pedigree and a lovely dark color. She had a litter with INT DK FIN N CH KBHV-98 Sennetta´s Quarter-Back and I co-own her only daughter G. Rosy Regina with my parents. Perhaps from the next generation there will be brown goldbears. who knows! Anyway, she is a bit of a spice in our crew.

In 2001 I was fortunate to buy a black bitch puppy from Italy. Veera ( FIN S Ch JWW-02, WJA-02 Cayuga Be All Of Goldbear) is out of the american parents. You could actually say that she started her show career in Amsterdam World Winner show.. Beeing the best junior bitch and receiving her Junior World Winner-title. Not bad at all! Veera has one litter.( W-litter).

A Belgian, Osku-boy ( Twillin Gate By The Gold) joined us in 2003- that combination ( Pouch Cove´s Goliath- Twillin Gate You Two) was so mega- interesting that I absolutely had to get a male out of it. Thank you Patrick and Maria for trusting him to me!

Also huge thanks to Cindy and Yann for letting another Belgian newfy, Zippy ( FIN S ch NordV-03 Zipitydoda vom Haus Heswell) to be co-owned with you. This beautiful, absolutely sweetest girl in the world has just given us a litter of 6 pups with Pouch Cove´s Walk Tall Cayuga ( Goldbear´s V- litter) and 4 pups with Pouch Cove Navy Cut of Cayuga. Zippy has lived in Finland, since May 2003- she is living with Olga, Lola, Navy and my parents.

At summer 2003 a long- missed bernese at my house finally arrived: INT FIN S EST Ch Riccarron Just Gold aka Anna! She was out of Riccarron Zimazuu- Lentreroche Beau D`Oberland. She was a cousin of Olga ( Riccarron Gold Fever) which was the main reason I wanted to have a puppy out of that combination.

I  share my home with few dogs. I tend to keep the number of dogs at home as minimum as possible( which is difficult...) and have more co-owned to be able to show more and also to plan some interesting combinations in the future, without beeing forced to use all bitches in breeding. Co-ownership makes that possible.
As you can see, half of my heart belongs to the bernese mountain dogs when the other one belongs to the newfoundlands.

" Please, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!"
4.6.2007