AKC Gazette Columns

AKC Gazette Columnist - Julia Crawford

Honoring Julia Crawford

Julia Crawford

How many of us have met someone who is dedicated, knowledgeable, and hard working in all areas of our Berner community, and continues to be one the most pleasant persons one might ever meet whether they might be an experienced breeder of 30 years or a new person looking for more information about this Bernese Mountain Dog breed? If you have met Julia Crawford, you have met that person.


Julia exemplifies those qualities in all that she does. She has had Berners since the BMDCA was founded and joined the BMDCA within the first year of its inception. To further educate people on our breed in those early days, she wrote a column for Popular Dogs, placed articles on Bernese in other canine publications, was the BMDCA's Newsletter editor (with sister Elizabeth), and was also the Publications Chair for several years. She has also served terms on the BMDCA as Director and Vice-President. When Mary Jo Thomson was President in 1979, she asked Julia to write the AKC Gazette column for Bernese Mountain Dogs. Julia has been doing that job now for 27 years. (She told Mary Jo that she would never miss a Gazette column and in 27 years she has missed only one due to an emergency that could not be avoided.) Julia has also been a tremendous asset to her position of the By-Laws Chair (now By-Laws and New Club Formation Chair) for over 20 years. Anyone trying to form a new club knows from experience that Julia does all she can to make that job as easy as possible by providing guidelines.

In her breeding program, Julia has always tried to work to improve her lines and has brought dogs in from many kennels to try to achieve that objective. I believe one of her favorites was her first berner, Marta (Ch Wyemede's Marta v Sablemate), whom she purchased in 1968 from Sylvia Howison. Another one of her favorites that added a lot to her breeding program was Ch Rogel's Esprit de Wyemede, whom she purchased from Elizabeth and Roger Pearson in 1994. Health has always been important to Julia in her dogs. If for any reason her dogs do not develop the way she had hoped, she does not use them in her breeding program.

One of the strongest points in Julia's contribution to this Bernese Mountain Dog breed is her love for the breed and how she shares it with all. I cannot begin to tell you how many people I have spoken with on the telephone or in person who have spoken with Julia (she is on the Breed Steward e-list) and have nothing but the kindest and highest praise for her. They cannot get over the fact that she has spent so much time with them, even though they were strangers. Many of these people will never meet Julia in person, but I am sure they will never forget her. She is truly one of the Bernese Mountain Dog's best Good Will Ambassadors we shall ever have.

~ Sandy Novocin (date:2005)

(Photo courtesy of Tom DiGiacomo of Mt.Airy, MD)

The original AKC Gazette breed columns authored by Julia were made available on our website during 2005.

Julia has continued to write the AKC Gazette breed column for Bernese Mountain Dogs since that time.

See Arliss Paddock's "From Our Breed Columnists", from the AKC Gazette, July 2011 - featuring stories of esteemed AKC Gazette contributors. We are certain you will enjoy Julia's contribution
"My Life as a GAZETTE Columnist".

Julia and her Berner friend