Please see our expanded breed education website at http://www.bmdinfo.org for more information on Bernese Mountain Dog care and training.
ENROLL IN A CLASS
Getting your puppy enrolled in a puppy socialization class should be looked into before you bring your puppy home. Often kennel clubs or private training clubs have set schedules and limited class sizes. Check out where and when local classes will be offered. Preplanning ahead of time to join a class will allow you to attend the class that best accommodates your schedule. Always ask about how the instructor of the class will be handling corrections. Positive training methods work best with BMDs.
Early puppy socialization classes will not only provide a necessary social outing for your BMD puppy, but the class instructor will offer you tips on how to begin training your puppy to master basic commands. Getting your puppy’s attention focused on you and what you want her to do is vital to you teaching her anything. Practicing the basic training exercises in very short 1-3 minute sessions, multiple times during every day, will go a long way to setting a pattern of good behavior and instilling a desire to please in your puppy. Using praise, pats or treats during training sessions when the puppy has done what you have asked are usually effective ways to reward. But, be careful to use only very small treats, as many rewards with large treats can account for more calories than the puppy needs to maintain a lean condition.
Bernese Mountain Dog puppies usually are highly motivated to please their caretakers. Simple commands such as sit, wait or stay, lie down and come should begin to be taught as early as possible. BMDs grow very quickly and become 80-100 pound dogs in the first year. Teaching your puppy basic manners and commands while the dog is smaller in size will ensure she does not become an unmanageable100 pound menace.
The most important aspect of dog and puppy training is that you reward and praise your dog or puppy each and every time she does the right thing. For example, praise her when she chews her own toys instead of the couch or eliminates outside instead of in the house.