ABOUT

It was a dark steamy night in 1968 when Art Bell found himself deep in the Vietnamese Jungle separated from his company. Art had only one option, wait and pray that the Vietnamese soldiers would not stumble upon him in his vulnerable state. Like back in the states Art was a truck driver in Vietnam. That night he was hauling ammunition and fuel which made him a prime target. His truck got stuck in the mud and his company drove off leaving him stranded in the jungle alone…as he put it he was like a sitting duck. Thankfully our good God heard Arts prayers and the next morning he rose with the sun. Before long his comrades were there pulling him out and he was again in the company of his fellow soldiers. He described that as one of many scary nights he endured. After 8 months and 21 days his tour ended. Art traveled back to the U.S.A. and bought a 63 Peterbuilt and started criss crossing the United States in his truck, hauling freight here and there. By 1972 he had saved enough money to buy a little farm in Shamrock Missouri and a brand new Marmon cabover. One night on the way to deliver a load he stopped in Wichita Kansas at a country western dance hall called Frankies. In walks a pretty little lady named Janice Buchholtz. As Janice scanned the bar her eyes landed sharply on the dashing truck driver in the Marmon hat. The DJ came over the speakers and announced a Sadie Hawkins dance and Janice marched across the dance floor and asked Art to dance. Then in 1967 Janice packed up a U-Haul moved to Mid-Missouri and married Art.

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Slowly Janice and Art built a trucking company, had three kids and Janice got her nursing degree. And life happened. It wasn’t until the kids were old enough to be taught about the responsibility and care of a dog that Janice decided to begin breeding Black and Tan and Party color Cocker-spaniels and Miniature beagles. Janice being well known in the community at this point never had any trouble finding homes for her pups. She says Art would always act like a tough guy until one day she walked into the garage and found him nuzzling a puppy with his nose. His cover had been properly blown.

 

Their middle child, Aaron, married Betsy English and built a family of his own. Now legend has it in Betsy's family when her ancestors came to America from Ireland in the 1700's they were so poor they had to travel in the bottom of the boat with the dogs. Her family claims that it explains why they are all so crazy about dogs.

 

Betsy and Aaron and their kids, Georgia, Nola and Henry decided it was appropriate to continue the family tradition Art and Janice started. We found our perfect companion in the Bernedoodle. A famously calm, extremely gentle and shockinly polite breed of dog who is known to many as the ultimate companion. 

 

Thus that is the story of how Mid-Missouri Bernedoodle was born, out of love and family tradition.