Time for placement
Most Bernese breeders place their puppies between 8-10 weeks of age. By that age puppies have been weaned by their dam and have been eating solid food for some time. Puppies that come from conscientious breeders are clean and have been exposed to a wide variety of sites, sounds and experiences both as a part of their litter and as individuals. Most breeders will have given at least one or two series of core vaccines designed to safeguard pups from distemper and parvo virus which are life threatening diseases. Most breeders will have checked to be sure intestinal parasites are not present. Pups should have been seen by the breeder's vet prior to placement to ensure heart function ,general health and physical condition are good.
Fear period concerns
Puppy buyers should know all puppies experience a "fear period' during their early development which generally occurs sometime between 6-10 weeks. The age at which a breeder chooses to place a pup can depend on working around the few days when the pup is experiencing a fear period. It is not advisable to cause unnecessary upheaval or upset to a pup during the 'fear period'.
Pups are individuals
Conscientious breeders are observing pups from the day they are born. So a breeder who is paying close attention to their puppies will have a very clear picture of how each pup is developing through the first weeks of life. Early observations offer breeders clues as to a pup's overall vigor. Observing a pup's reactions to people and to different situations and experiences allows breeders to assess puppies' personality traits and their physical attributes. A breeder's observations will allow them to make the best possible match between puppies and owners. Berner pups are slow to mature . Often even the most experienced breeders are not able to evaluate structure and temperament in Bernese puppies prior to 7-10 weeks of age.
How pups are raised can affect your experience with your dog
Early interactions between littermates and between pups and their dam will serve as a foundation for how dogs will relate to other dogs throughout life . By the time pups have reached 7-10 weeks they will have had an adequate amount of time to learn many dog relationship skills. Puppies placed very young, under 7 weeks of age , may have difficulty relating well with other dogs. Puppies should have clean quarters while they are babies. Please be aware that if you accept a puppy from a breeder who raises litters in dirty conditions that you will probably have a more difficult time with housebreaking. Unsocialized, unhandled pups will not be well accustomed to relating to life's changes or interacting with people which can make a dog more difficult to train, especially for novice dog owners. Also management challenges, such as fearfulness or lack of confidence can be seen in pups that have not been offered lots of human contact and many varied experiences early in their lives.
So what is it that we look for in Bernese Mountain Dog puppies?
We start with these criteria: an outgoing or accepting attitude , a calm easy going demeanor, a full body with a broad flat back and level topline, nice proportions and adequate heaviness of bone in the legs , a pleasant head with broad back skull, good scissors bite and good detail in ear placement (not low like a hound dog) tight medium brown eyes and not too droopy or loose skin around the mouth with tight fitting lips. A good balance in gait that shows the puppy is capable of sustaining a slow trot is an excellent indicator that a puppy's structure will be adequate . Pups usually possess some ideal characteristics , but not every pup will possess every ideal characteristic. No puppy is perfect! We try to recognize all the positives and negatives each individual puppy has when we are evaluating a litter.