24 Nov Finland 2025
In 2025 the SSFS, (Finnish club for Swiss Mountaiin breeds), is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Also in 2025 the FCI World Dog Show is being held in Helsinki. Too good a chance to miss the Finnish club are, for the second time, hosting the Bernese World’s International get together to co-incide with the World Show and all Bernese fanciers are invited.
For most people the first event would be the club show at the World Show venue, on Thursday 7th August followed by a Gala dinner. The next day there is a Health Symposium followed by an International Judges meeting and finally on Saturday there is the World Show itself .
Helsinki is a lovely city for a tourist visit so not join the International Bernese community and for a long week-end visit. If you’d like to show your dog it is ‘only’ a 32 hour (non stop) drive of about 1,660 miles from Eurotunnel Calais to the show venue!!
Places at the club events can be booked from the 1st of January and this extract from the invitation from club Chair Tina Aberg, gives the details.
On Wednesday 6.8.2025 there will be an International Working Group meeting for members of the working group at the hotel Scandic Helsinki Aviacongress in Vantaa.
On Thursday 7.8.2025 there will be a National specialty as part of the Circuit show for all Sennen breeds judged by a breed specialist Mrs. Maria Amelia Taborda from Portugal and Mrs. Sanna Vakkilainen from Finland. The show will be at the Helsinki exhibition center Messukeskus.
In the evening we are going to enjoy a great Gala Dinner at the hotel Scandic Helsinki Aviacongress. The colours of the evening are blue and white.
On Friday morning 8.8.2025 a Health Symposium for Bernese Mountain Dogs for breeders and lovers will be held. We will hear interesting lectures about cancer research by Dr. Katja Kivinen (Finland) from DeepScan Diagnostics and by Dr. Anna Hielm-Björkman (Finland) from Dog Risk research group from Helsinki University. The last lecture will be about the impact of dog structure on dog health by Dr Melinda Baschera (Switzerland).
Friday afternoon will be the 5th International Judges Meeting for Bernese Mountain Dog licensed judges. The chair of the meeting will be the breed specialist Mrs.Satu Ylä-Mononen (Finland). For the first time ever we´ll have real dogs at our meeting, so we´ll be able to share and discuss our opinions about our breed.
Our unforgettable experience culminates on Saturday at the World Dog Show 2025 in Helsinki Exhibition Center Messukeskus. The Sennen breeds will be judged by Mr. Laurent Pichard from Switzerland (Appenzeller and Entlebuch Sennenhund, Great Swiss Mountain Dog), Mr Massino Inzoli from Italia (Bernese males + BOB) and Mr Hans Erik Pedersen from Denmark (Bernese females).
We are delighted and honored to host this international and important event in Finland after several years (2015) in addition our association is also celebrating its 60th anniversary. You are welcome to enjoy the program and the company of friends around the world.
You can view or download the full invitation here and if you have any queries I can help with feel free to contact me Steve Green.