The best description of a Mountain Dog I heard was from Laura Waldbaum (author of Carting With Your Dog) when she witnessed her first weight pull and the pulling dog was a small female Bernese Mountain Dog. Her description of the dog was: “Small in stature, but with a heart and a will and a strength beyond size.”

In the traditional sense a mountain dog typically has its roots in the mountains of Europe and these dogs are not specialist but they are the decathletes of the dog world. These dogs enjoy working hard, yet they were still playful and loving. They protected the families, but they were still gentle and kind.

After getting my third Saint I really wanted to get back into weight pulling and carting. However, southern Idaho is not a hot spot for either of these activities. To participate requires driving six to eight hours to Portland, Seattle, or Montana. When I started to research the different dog breeds that may have clubs in this area I realized their is not enough interest from any single breed but when you combine all the dogs together we might have a chance to form something. That is when the Shafer Butte Mountain Dog Society was formed.

So why a Society and not a Club? Most clubs are similar people or dogs doing similar activities. Many clubs come to mind like the Saint Bernard Club, the Doberman Club or just about any breed club around. A society on the other hand is a more diverse group that comes together to share and promote common ideals. This Society is not for a particular breed, all dogs are welcome that enjoy working and socializing.

This society recognizes any dog “with a heart and a will and a strength beyond size.”