Please see our expanded breed education website at http://www.bmdinfo.org for more information on Bernese Mountain Dog care and training.
PUPPIES AND CHILDREN
Bernese Mountain Dog puppies and children can be a wonderful combination but only if adult supervision is a part of the mix. Children should definitely included in your puppy’s training, since the pup will need to know that commands from every member of the household should be respected.
Young puppies have a tender structure and can easily be injured by children if the children are not taught how to handle, relate gently and effectively to the pup. Children should not ever pick up puppies. Puppies are very wiggly and can easily fall from a child’s grasp.
When teaching children how to work with puppies on leash, make sure you are in a safe, fenced area to avoid accidents. Young children should not be given the responsibility of holding onto or walking a puppy that has not been leash trained because puppies can slip out of a collar or pull away from an inexperienced child handler. Young children who have not been instructed in how to use a leash with a pup are apt to become momentarily distracted and let go, placing the pup in a potentially dangerous situation.
A common training concern with young puppies is mouthiness or biting. Mouthing and biting are some of the first ways puppies relate to their dam and litter mates. Nothing is cuter than two 3 week old Berner puppies mouthing each other in delightful recognition. But by 7 weeks puppies have very sharp teeth and can easily break skin of human caretakers. Children are particularly susceptible to mouthing puppies. Owners must find ways to train puppies to not relate to them or their children with their mouths.
‘Bite inhibition’ can be taught by both children and adults in a few simple steps. First, say "ouch" very loudly whenever your puppy attempts to bite at your hands or other body parts. Dogs tend to respond well to this, as they seem familiar with this type of vocal reaction since littermates let another puppy know that they are hurt by yelping. Second, give them an appropriate object to chew on instead, and do remember to reward the puppy when she responds correctly with a pat and praise.
For persistent biting or mouthy puppies, a product called "Bitter Apple" (available at most pet stores or by mail order through pet supply catalogs) can be applied to your hands and arms which provides a very obvious taste deterrent for this behavior. *Make sure that you do a test on a small patch of skin to be sure you or children do not have a sensitivity before applying bitter apple to skin.* Finally, if your puppy becomes too overly aroused, simply get up and walk away from the situation or just like with overly excited children, use a "Time out" to allow things to settle down. Return only when your dog calms down.