Bernese Mountain Dogs who have earned the AKC obedience title of
| Date Finished | Full Name & Achieved Title | Call Name | Owner | M/F | No. |
| June 2, 2002 | OTCH Swiss Stars Welcome Waggin, UDX, TD, OA | Stormy | Trisha Koetter | Bitch | 1 |
| March 28, 2009 | CH OTCH Ledgewood's Largo Al Figaro UDX DD | Figaro | Alison Jaskiewicz | Dog | 2 |
CH OTCH Ledgewood's Largo Al Figaro UDX DD
 |
 |
 |
by Trisha Koetter
There are moments in a lifetime that as individuals we always vividly remember. June 2, 2002, will always be one of mine.
"518," the judge called. "Did you say 518?" I asked. "Yes," replied Judge Bill Oxandale with a curious look on his face. I'm sure he was wondering what my problem was, why I wasn't stepping right out to accept the first-place ribbon. "Are you sure, because if that's right then that's my OTCH."
The AKC Obedience Trial Champion title (OTCH) is the summit, the peak of the mountain for obedience competitors. AKC first offered this title in 1977, and it has remained elusive to our breed for nearly 25 years. To claim this title of highest honor, a dog must earn 100 points from placements in the Open B and Utility B classes, as well as a first in each class and an additional first in either class under three different judges. Dogs must have already earned their UD before they are eligible to compete for points. Consider, for example, that in 2001 a total of 7,891 obedience titles were awarded in all levels combined. Of those 7,891 titles, only 95 were OTCHs. It is indeed a very difficult title to achieve.
The dream of an OTCH began for me over 10 years ago. I first became involved with the sport of obedience in 1989 with a black Cocker Spaniel, Breaker by name. Breaker, a very talented dog, earned her UD by 3 years. However, I managed to crush her enthusiasm for the sport along the way by using old-fashioned, less than positive training methods. It was very disheartening. I knew there had to be a better way. At 4 years, I decided to retire Breaker and try again.
After spending a considerable amount of time researching Bernese Mountain Dogs, I became interested in a Swiss Star litter by Ch. Dallybecks Echo Jackson CD out of Ch Vombreiterwegs Swiss Lace. After great anticipation, the exciting shipping day finally arrived in August 1993. I had decided I would call this puppy Stormy. I've been told you should be careful what you name your dogs because they will live up to their names. I suppose in some ways that has been true for Stormy, since she came into my life at a time that was probably less than ideal.
The day that I picked her up at the airport I was feeling quite nauseous only to discover the next day that I was expecting our first child. Nonetheless, I was thrilled with the arrival of my new BMD puppy. Stormy went to work with me every day, and we began to develop the incredible bond that would carry us through our tremendous obedience journey. The training we did during that time was very informal and very positive. My goal was to set a foundation for a happy, animated attitude and a dog that loved to train. She loved to play training games. We sailed through Novice and Open, earning high scores and a lot of placements without much trouble. We were both having a great time. Stormy loved the sport and showing every bit as much as I did. The time we spent together training and playing this obedience game continued to strengthen our bond.
Knowing that I wanted to be positive, but now knowing exactly how to do the formal training for the specific obedience exercises, I turned to trainer Carol Deckard. She had achieved two OTCHs with Golden Retrievers and had a Norwich Terrier that could prance for all he was worth while heeling. Carol opened the door for me to obedience training using positive reinforcement, and showed me how to train to get that "can't wait to work" attitude that I knew I wanted and would need to go beyond a UD. All of Stormy's training was with nothing more than a buckle collar and lots of positive reinforcement.
It was during our Utility training that we hit our first big stumbling block. Carol decided to move on to other avenues in her life and was no longer in obedience instruction. Stormy and I found ourselves right in the middle of Utility with no instructor. Utility is often referred to as "futility" for a good reason. I felt completely lost. It was at this point that I knew we had to sink or swim. I remember Carol once saying, "At some point in time everyone needs to learn to become their own trainer." That was the push we needed to move to the next level.
I had a few lessons here and there with other instructors, and began to attend seminars and read books, searching for answers to get us through the unavoidable difficulties of Utility. I became fascinated with clicker training and operant conditioning theory,k which at the time was very new to the world of dog obedience. I tried the clicker with Stormy and she loved it! I had finally found a method that would work for us.
It took nearly three years, but we eventually got our UD. At this point, it was time to reevaluate our goals. Because of our struggles with Utility, I wasn't very confident that we could still reach the original goal of the OTCH, but deep down that was what I really wanted.
Stormy and I had been showing for four years and she was five years old. I now had three children under the age of four. The year was 1998, and my husband Jerry and I had just finished building our dream home. Stormy and I took a year off to perfect our performance. On Mothers Day in May 1999, much to my family's dismay, I requested that everyone attend the Lexington dog show instead of going to Sunday brunch. It turned out to be a Mothers Day I'll never forget! Stormy won the Open B class, earning our first two OTCH points, and went on to our first all-breed High in Trial. We were on the board with a whopping 2 points! Could an OTCH really be possible? I knew we had to try or I would always wonder.
Because of family demands, Jerry suggested that I map out a plan to make sure this goal was actually attainable, considering the rigorous requirements, Stormy's age, and the limited amount of time I would be able to devote to showing. Based on Stormy's average points, if we stayed on track I figured that it would take us until July 2002 to finish the title, which would put Stormy at a little more than 9 years old. I knew it was a long shot, but Stormy was a special dog, and we had already come so far, we had to try. With the full support of my family, we went into each weekend with the goal that if we came home having earned even one point we were making progress. Etched into my memory will always be those Sunday evening returns. The kids would run to the door, screaming, "Did you get any points Mom?" "How many?" " How many does that make?" We all counted the points together, every last one of them.
After a couple more years of showing, Stormy keeping close pace with the plan I had mapped out, we arrived at the weekend of June 2, 2002. At this point we had accumulated 85 points and all of our first place wins, and we were within two weeks of her ninth birthday. This trial was the last of the season, our last chance to earn points, and our last opportunity to stay on track with the original plan I had mapped out for finishing in July 2002. I was discouraged when I received our trial entry and saw that the size of the classes had more than doubled from previous years. I knew that such large classes would be very competitive, and the chance of Stormy winning would be slim.
"518," the judge called. "Did you say 518?" I asked. "Yes," replied judge Bill Oxandale with a curious look on his face. I'm sure he was wondering what my problem was, why I wasn't stepping right out to accept the first-place ribbon. "Are you sure, because if that's right then that's my OTCH." "Yes I'm sure!" he replied. A friend later told me my feet flew about 2 feet off the ground. As the crowd joined in with my ecstatic cheering, I couldn't believe it was happening. We had just won the Utility B class worth 24 points! Those points more than finished our OTCH! We had done it!
Stormy made history that day by becoming the first ever Bernese Mountain Dog to achieve this most difficult and honorable obedience title. This OTCH was a first for both of us, making it all the more meaningful.
Looking back on our OTCH journey, I am so grateful that we didn't give up when it would have been the easiest thing to do. The magnitude of what I learned from the experience is as huge as the title itself. And because we stuck with it, I now have memories to cherish for a lifetime of playing a great game with an incredible dog.
Heartfelt thanks to Stormy's fan club and everyone who supported us along the way!
Highlights of Stormy's Career:
