We don't breed puppies to fill a waitlist.
We are preservation breeders focused on sound minds, sound bodies, correct structure, and the working ability the Bernese Mountain Dog was developed to have.
The people behind Stargazer
We're Duke and Lisa Monk
AKC Breeder of Merit
Stargazer Bernese is our home-based Bernese Mountain Dog breeding program in Woodland Park, Colorado. Our dogs are part of our family, our daily lives, and the work we do together.
We built Stargazer around a simple responsibility: every decision - from choosing a breeding through a puppy's first eight weeks - should help give that puppy the strongest foundation we can provide.
We are preservation breeders who strive to produce dogs sound in mind, body, and work ethic. Conformation, obedience, temperament, and natural working ability help guide our breeding decisions, but the goal reaches far beyond titles. We want to produce healthy, outgoing Berners prepared to become capable, deeply connected family companions.
Our conviction
We breed when everything aligns.
Breeding Bernese Mountain Dogs isn't something we do often-and that's intentional. Some years, we don't breed at all. There is no calendar or quota driving our program. We don't breed because there is demand. We breed when everything aligns: the dogs, the timing, the health, and the purpose.
When a litter does come, it carries the same commitments that shape everything we do: soundness of mind and body, outgoing temperament, working ability, and the conformation and obedience potential to succeed in the ring, in daily work, and as a devoted family companion.
The first eight weeks
Socialization begins long before a puppy goes home.
Our puppies are raised in our home, surrounded by the rhythms of daily life - not in a kennel, but as part of the family. We follow a structured, week-by-week development and socialization plan that expands with the puppies as their bodies, senses, confidence, and independence develop.
Temperament
Behavior matters. Recovery matters more.
Across every phase, we watch not only how a puppy responds, but how quickly and completely the puppy recovers. A brief startle followed by curiosity tells us something very different from prolonged worry. Those observations help us make better placement decisions and think more carefully about the kind of home where each puppy is most likely to thrive.
"We're not just raising dogs that are pretty. We're raising dogs that are capable."
Resilience is what we hope to support - puppies with room to pause, assess, and try again. That developing resilience becomes information: about the puppy, and about the kind of home where that puppy is most likely to thrive.
Preservation
What preservation means to us
Sound mind and body
Health, structure, stability, and outgoing temperament guide every breeding decision. We do not promise guaranteed health outcomes - we work to give each puppy the strongest possible foundation.
Working ability
Preserving the intelligence, willingness, confidence, and trainability the breed was built on - with the conformation and obedience potential to succeed in the ring and in daily work.
Our process
Why the questionnaire comes first
Finding the right home for each puppy begins with getting to know you. The questionnaire helps us understand your household, experience, expectations, plans, and the life you hope to share with a Bernese Mountain Dog. It also helps us identify where education or preparation may be useful before a puppy comes home.
Lifelong relationship
Our connection doesn't end at go-home day.
We stay connected with our families long after a puppy leaves our home-through updates, photos, shared milestones, questions, and support. Whether it is a training question, a happy birthday message, or a tearful goodbye years later, we walk with you.
"When you bring home a Stargazer puppy, you're not just getting a dog. You're joining a community-a family built on trust, respect, and a shared love for this incredible breed."
- Honest conversations about the joys and realities of the breed.
- Clear expectations for training, care, and communication.
- A current, individualized care and feeding plan for each puppy.
- Ongoing support through questions, updates, and milestones.
Still think a Bernese may be right for you?
Start with the Fit Check. If the breed - and our approach - align with the life you are prepared to provide, the Stargazer Puppy Questionnaire is the next step.