At 10-16 weeks
General observations
Puppies continue to grow. Usually Bernese pups at this age bracket weight somewhere in the range of 24- 45 pounds. Often puppies that were shorter on leg at an earlier age begin to put on length of leg. Pups can begin to be housetrained, but will not be reliable about asking to go outside to eliminate. Early socialization is a must for Bernese. The first puppy socialization class can be started during this time frame.
Start out right
If you have had your pup for a week or two she will have some sense of you, your household and the general schedule. She will have started to trust you and will look to you for guidance. Pay attention! Do not allow bad habits such as chewing or soiling in the house to develop because you aren't able to watch your puppy. If you can not watch your pup because you are occupied with chores or other activities, try placing the pup in a crate with a bone or a Kong stuffed with a small amount of cheese or other toy in a cool quiet part of your home. A quiet gated room that has been "puppy proofed" will also work. But remember that pups should not be left alone or confined for long hours as they need to relieve themselves frequently and they need your attention to remain happy and well adjusted. Exercise out of doors is a puppy's best outlet for energy. Not only do short exercise periods help with managing puppy energy, they help to provide needed physical conditioning. Playing, walking and running in a secure area in the grass or on a soft surface, like sand is best. Some owners live in urban areas can use city parks that permit dogs or dog parks to allow their pup to get the exercise she needs.
Training musts
Young puppies are like sponges and absorb new experiences eagerly. They are open to learning much like human children. Positive experiences and gentle guidance during the first few months are keystones to having a dog that is confident and well mannered. Pups of this age are ready for you to start to train the basics (sit, stay, come and down.) The key to successful training is getting your pup's attention focused on you. Once you have your dog's attention it is your job to get your dog to understand what you are asking him to do. Make time for several 3 minute ,short, happy training sessions, and always end each mini training session on a positive note with your dog succeeding. Build confidence by rewarding all positive and acceptable behavior with praise. Give your dog ample opportunities to please you by offering her praise or a small food treat reward when she follows your commands to sit or when she comes to you when called or for fetching a toy or for just being still and attentive when you hold her. Do not expect that a puppy will always reliably follow commands. But even if your pup doesn't quite get it right the first time, plan on gently guiding your pup to do as you ask. Consistently follow up on enforcing the commands you are teaching. Long training sessions tend to be boring and can be ineffective since puppies have fairly limited attention spans. Qualified trainers can help an owner to understand how to be more effective in teaching a dog, not to mention that training classes are great places to socialize your puppy.
Traveling with your pup
With going to class - comes car rides. A tip for safely riding with your pup in your car is - place her in a crate while traveling. Never put a dog in the back of an uncovered pickup truck or expect a dog to remain safely in the car when windows are rolled down. Always have a collar and leash on your dog before you open the car door so that you can maintain physical control of your dog while she is exiting your vehicle. Teach the command sit and stay when car doors are opened so that you don't have a dog barreling out of your car uncontrolled. Do not allow your young pup to jump down from high cars seats without assistance as injury to her front end may occur. Cars heat up very quickly in temperatures over 60 degrees so never leave your dog unattended in a car.
Training classes vary
Going to class can present concerns. There are good trainers and not so good trainers. Watch how the instructor in your class works with people and other dogs. If you feel that your dog is very sensitive or shy you may not want to turn over your dog to the instructor for a demonstration, especially if the trainer seems loud or hard handed with the other dogs. If you don't like the class you are in try another training facility or trainer. Usually trainers that use positive training methods will be very sensitive when handling other people's dogs and will only use encouragement and body language to teach dogs.
Teach your puppy that human touches are good
Just handling a pup, examining or brushing teeth, feeling legs and feet, touching rear quarters and testicles are invaluable to teaching a dog to be comfortable with human touches. Trimming nails, bathing and brushing are part of training that should be practiced. Do not over bath and dry out skin and coat - a tepid bath with a mild dog shampoo every 3-4 weeks, or as needed to keep the coat clean is correct care. Pups usually have to relieve themselves right after the excitement of a bath or brushing so plan on making a trip outside. If you have given a bath in a cold weather climate, please remember that pups can chill easily so make sure the pup is fully dried before allowing her to spend any extended time outside .
Bernese and doorways
There is nothing like a 100+ pound Berner in a hurry to get through a door! All things in their path are subject to bulldozing, including people or your children. Not to mention the fact that doorways to the outside may lead to a dog bolting from its owner and finding its way to busy streets. So start your pup on the right track navigating through doorways before the dog reaches 100 pounds or more. Two especially important commands to teach are sit and stay. Use and enforce the command sit and stay when doors are opened to enter or leave the house. This will prevent a puppy from developing the bad habit of crashing through open doorways. Remember to teach children about puppies and doors, so a child will not accidentally release a puppy to the outside.