Education
Puppies
Bernese puppies are cute but there is more to finding a Bernese puppy than their “cuteness factor”. You need to do your research! Not only do you need to learn about the breed itself, but you also need to find a reputable breeder to purchase your puppy from. Learning about the breed is relatively easy with all the books and information available to you on the internet. Finding a reputable breeder is a whole lot harder! Take your time and do not make an impulse decision.
Finding Puppies
It is not difficult to find puppies available online. There are always ads with Bernese puppies for sale on Kijiji, Craig’s List, other puppy find websites and of course Facebook but this is not necessarily the best place to find your future companion and many of these sites are scams or at the very least unethical breeders.
Breeders
I recommend that before you contact a breeder you do your research by going to the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Canada, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, or the Bernese Mountain Dog Information websites. The information found on these websites will give you the basic information you need to know before you embark on your journey to find a breeder.
OK so you have done your preliminary research and you are ready to find a puppy by contacting a breeder. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions and in turn you should be asked a lot of questions by the breeder or maybe even complete a puppy questionnaire. Are they interested in your family, your knowledge of the breed, your activities, and expectations? OR are they more interested in knowing how you plan to pay for the puppy? When you ask them about their dogs are they happy to share information about their dogs including their pedigree, their health clearances and overall health? OR do they respond with answers like “my dogs are healthy” “my dogs live a long time” “there is no cancer in my lines” “my dogs are pets and only show dogs get cancer or have hip dysplasia”. Does the breeder participate in health studies and submit their dog’s information to Berner Garde? Do they know what Berner Garde is? Is the breeder a member of the Regional or National breed club? If not, why not? Does the breeder have a puppy buying contract that includes a clause that states that they will take a puppy back during its lifetime, regardless of the reason? Is the breeder going to offer lifetime support and want to maintain contact with you for the life of the puppy? Does the breeder require you to come to their home and meet them prior to you buying a puppy? When you visit, are the dogs healthy and happy? Do you feel comfortable with the breeder, their dogs, and the environment that those puppies are going to be raised in? OR is the breeder unwilling to allow a visit without a valid reason (like puppies are too young for outside visitors)? If you feel uncomfortable with the answers you are receiving or what you see when you are visiting, then move on. Listen to your instincts as they will rarely be wrong.
Registration
Are the parents CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) registered? Will the pups be CKC registered? If the answer is no, then why not? It is a violation of the Animal Pedigree Act in Canada to advertise for sale any animal of a recognized breed without supplying registration papers. So, if the breeder is advertising Bernese Mountain Dog puppies for sale but they are from unregistered parents or if the pups themselves will not be registered, they are breaking the law. Plain and simple. CKC registration is not expensive so do not fall for that excuse.