Edelweiss Bolognese is the happy endeavor of Richard and Mona Jenkins. My wife Mona and I have been raising, training, and showing Bolognese since 2002 when we acquired our first Bolognese, Bitze, from Dorothy Goodale who not only had introduced the breed to the United States but had also founded the Bolognese Club of America. Bitze is the foundation girl for our home "kennel" Edelweiss Bolognese, and we are delighted to help spread the good news about this wonderful, rare, toy breed.

The Bolognese are small, fluffy, white dogs that originated in Bologna, Italy, and were the prized and pampered pets of the Italian aristocracy during the Renaissance. We decided upon the name "Edelweiss" for our dogs, because the word relates so closely to the heritage, description, and character of this little breed. "Edel" is the German term for precious or noble, and "weiss" means white. Additionally, the Edelweiss flower, fluffy, white, star-like and charming in appearance, grows in Italy on hillsides in the shadow of the Alps. For us "Edelweiss" was a perfect fit. The little Bolognese do, in fact, have a noble bearing, a noble ancestry, and are truly precious. With a quick, willing, sweet, and loving disposition, the temperament of these loyal companions sparkles like Edelweiss and readily wins people over.

Mona and I have loved animals since childhood. I grew up on a registered Jersey dairy farm, and in high school and college I loved working with animals, large and small. I showed Jersey cattle at the Oregon State Fair and won Reserve Champion. My first dog, Pal, was an Australian Shepherd given to me as a puppy by a grade school friend. I took him home on the school bus. Pal became my close buddy and a valuable working cattle dog, much loved by all members of the family.

Pal was my constant companion while I was growing up. When I left for college and later served in the U.S. Air Force, Pal lived and worked on the farm. It wasn't until after retiring from the military that I was able to establish roots in a community and become involved with dogs again.

My wife, Mona, grew up as a teacher's daughter. She loved animals and at 4 years of age had a Pekingese puppy, Chino. Chino and she were inseparable companions. Chino was a very tolerant little dog, and Mona enjoyed dressing her up in doll clothes.

The first dogs for Mona and me together were mini dachshunds. Well, actually, the dachshunds were our kids' dogs. Our next two dogs were Shelties. Later Mona developed a severe allergy to animals, and her doctor's orders were "No animals in the house!"

After our last Sheltie passed away, Mona and I did an extensive search for a dog that would not cause her allergies to flare up. Our search led us to the Bolognese. Our interest was piqued by what we learned about the breed, especially when we learned that, in spite of its long, beautiful, white coat, it was a non-shedding breed and very well tolerated by persons with allergies such as Mona's.

After searches in Canada and England, we had the good fortune to find a reputable and successful Bolognese breeder in Italy. She sent us a terrific little guy, Gino, who joined our family at seven months of age. Along with Bitze, Gino is a joy to live with. We enjoy showing him in conformation and agility, and his record of successes has been remarkable. While we plan to have a litter of Bolognese puppies every year or two, a great deal of fun and excitement comes from training them, traveling with them, and performing at shows; and, most importantly of all, our greatest joy comes simply from having them live with us in our home.

Finally, we are happy to announce that Gino and Bitze recently gave us a litter of three beautiful, healthy puppies. True to their namesake, Edelweiss, they are absolutely precious.

Thank you for visiting our site!
Richard and Mona Jenkins
Edelweiss Bolognese


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