Frequently Asked Questions
- Are your puppies AKC registered?
Yes. Mika, our female Bernese Mountain Dog is AKC Registered. The carefully selected male sires will always have AKC registration as well as clean bill of health. In our effort to help this wonderful breed be healthier and live longer, puppies come with partial AKC registration and spay/neuter contract. They will be able to compete in all AKC events (obedience, agility, rally, tracking, etc) except for conformation (i.e. dog show). - How do I get my puppy?
Puppies may be picked up or shipped after they reach 8 weeks of age. We reserve the right to hold a puppy longer if we feel it is needed for his/her development. We usually prefer waiting until closer to 10 weeks to ship. He/she will come with puppy papers, puppy food that he/she is used to, a comfort blanket or a toy that will smell and remind him/her of littermates to make the transition to your home easier. - Will my puppy have all his/her shots?
Your puppy will arrive current on shots appropriate for his/her age. You must continue with your own vet to keep your puppy current on vaccines. Dewclaws will be removed. - I don't want a show dog. Why does it matter that my puppy is from show lines?
If you are going to spend your money on a purebred dog, you should expect to get a puppy that is a good quality example of their breed. Just because a dog is AKC registered does not mean it is quality. Mika, our female, boasts 25% of champions on her dam’s pedigree side and 39% on her sire’s side!.This isn’t in itself a guarantee that all dogs on her pedigree were perfectly healthy, but in general, breeders who take the time and spend the money to show their dog also go through much work to submit their dogs to all the health tests pertaining to the breed.
- How do I look up a dog on Bernergarde.org?
When you first get on the site, click on the bottom tab "database", then "click here to enter Berner-Garde database". You can then choose the tab "dogs" and look up dogs by using names, reg numbers, etc. When you have found the right dog, click "view" and you will have everything at your fingertips: certs/tests, pedigrees, relatives, etc.
- Will you guarantee my puppy’s health?
Yes. All puppies come with a one year health guarantee contract. We work hard to avoid hereditary defects on our puppies and hope we will never have problems in this regard. Nevertheless, we will replace a puppy where such would be the case. We also commit to take back any dog we place for the duration of its life if the dog is no longer wanted. We regret the sad statistics of unwanted/abandoned dogs and do not want this to happen to our little Berners. - Should I be worried about shedding?
It depends on your expectations, but to give you an idea, Berners generally have two sheddings a year and during these periods, you can plan on sweeping/vaccuming and brushing your Berner daily. During the rest of the year, shedding is quite minimal. - Do Berners drool?
You might think that Berners are a bit like StBernards, but in that regard, fortunately, they are not. Most Berner individuals do not have loose jowls and therefore do not drool. They are considered a "dry mouthed" dog. That being said, all dogs can drool when excited or stressed and Berners pant a lot of hot days, which can be a bit "drippy". - Is crate training cruel?
No, although a crate may look like a prison, a crate is really a dog’s very own private place of peace and security. Although we do not use the crate anymore now that Mika is an adult, it has been immensely helpful during the puppy stage, especially for housetraining and getting night routines engrained. - What if I have questions down the road?
We hope to keep in touch with all the people who adopt our Berner puppies. We welcome any and all questions. We are not a large and crowded kennel, just a Berner-loving family who wants to share this wonderful breed we have discovered. We will always take the time to answer any question you have for as long as you own your dog. Pictures of your growing puppy, of competition trophies, etc are very appreciated!