1 year and 2 months old (:

A year and a half ago I got a call while I was in Guatemala from my neighbor that a 6 month old Bernese mountain dog was being abused, neglected, and needed a new home. Without a second thought I left my best friends and months of travel opportunities throughout Central & South America to fly home and get him. He’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. We have a bond that will last much longer than either of us are alive. He is the perfect companion. He is the perfect dog. He makes me a better person. I love every moment spent with him, it is truly a joy that words cannot describe. He has done more good for my life than I think I could have ever done for him rescuing him from that terrible environment. His name is Chief, and he is my best friend.

She’ll literally try and eat any plants she can get near (including things like pine cone debris on the floor etc). We’re obviously watching her very closely and immediately getting things out of her mouth, but any suggestions how to help her stop? And is this something relatively normal in Berner pups that they grow out of? Thanks!!

And it disappeared.

We recently got an offer through my work to have pet insurance from "pet partners", underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company.

We ended up not taking it because when I ran the numbers it just didn't make much sense:

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For example, if there would be a major issue, $8,000 for a yearly max is not a lot. Plus you're paying about $200/mo for the plan – that's $2,400 per year no matter what. Minus $500 deductible – and the coinsurance is only 70%,

For all of you that have insurance on your Berners, is this a standard type plan? I don't understand how this is much better than just tucking away money on the side. I'd be curious if anyone could share what they use for something with a higher annual maximum.

Thanks and much appreciated

Just took Bernie on a 10-minute walk in the pouring rain. Instead of him saying thank you, momma, he's mad at me! I have no idea why, but it's rude, don't ya think?!

I took my 16 month old dog to the vet & she got all her vaccines Tuesday. 24 hours later she was having diarrhea. & it got worse last night. I remember when she was a little puppy her getting random bouts of diarrhea, but I can’t remember if it was directly after getting her shots. She also struggled with Giardia from 6-12 months of age, so I wasn’t sure at the time if it was related to that, but now I’m wondering if it was because of the shots. Has anyone experienced this or know if it’s a common thing? Just hoping the Giardia isn’t back. We’re pretty certain she didn’t eat anything outside either

my 1 year old just got diagnosed with pancreatitis :( we’ve been giving him the purines pro plan large breed puppy food and now we need to switch. i’m more than happy to spend more on food to keep him healthy, but the recommended food is insanely expensive and unfortunately i just don’t have it in the budget to spend $130 on a 13lb bag of food for such a big boy. anyone else dealt with pancreatitis with their berner and what are you feeding him?

Hey guys! My poor guy recently developed a slight limp and he’s currently taking an anti-inflammatory, and resting for a couple weeks (as per the vet) and will go back in for a check up if the problem persists and get an x-ray. Just wondering, do you guys feed your pups with any joints/probiotics that help prevent this problem? Any suggestions would work!

Bernadetta wishes you all a happy Thursday!!

Okay so my berner is about 9 months and he is very sweet. He wouldn’t ever bite anyone or anything. But whenever I have friends or family come to my house who he hasn’t met before he will non stop bark at them. I know it’s because he is protective but is there any tips on how to stop this behavior? I have tried giving visitors treats to give him which only works while they have the treat and then he will bark again. I have also tried standing or sitting by them to show him they are not a threat. Anyone he doesn’t know that comes in he views as a threat.

He is fine with everyone he has met when he was younger bc he remembers them.

Any other ppls bernes do this or have any tips?

I keep seeing all the mentions of it but I cant figure out how to use it? We have a 7 month old Berner whom I love so much and all these posts with health issues have me so worried for him.

Anyone’s Berner have a similar bump inside ear or know what this may be?

Money is tight so want to avoid taking him to a vet unless needed… maybe just a pimple?

Thanks!

Girlfriend i

He’s always obsessed with giving his paw, he’ll whack at you until you hold it. But this past week he’s been giving both (very insistently), then sitting up and staring at us expectantly. It’s pretty adorable, but not entirely sure what he wants outside of attention!

I’m going give you a TLDR upfront- that was a clickbait title, but I hope you’ll read on to find out why.

On Monday (1/27), after nearly a week of vet appointments and inconclusive results, nondescript symptoms, my wife and I sat in our vet’s office (whom we love), with a new level of concern for his lack of progress and recommending we take him to another facility with more tools to diagnose. Our beloved Moose, on his 4^(th) birthday, had been declining over the previous week, with lethargy, difficulty getting up and around, lack of appetite, and increasingly labored breathing; just not the normal bundle of love we’d known since we brought him home at 8 weeks.

We drove straight to an emergency vet office nearby where symptoms were concerning, but vitals looked normal. However, about an hour after arrival, he deteriorated very quickly, and the Dr (bless his heart) brought us back immediately to explain that they had to intubate him and a team of about 10 people were working diligently to stabilize him just so they could figure out what was going on exactly. About 10 minutes later he returned, and the prognosis was the worst we could imagine- an inoperable mass had developed around his esophagus/wind pipe, explaining just about all his symptoms. There, on his 4^(th) birthday, barely able to see through the tears, we said goodbye to a dog that meant more to us than we ever could imagine. The image of our strong boy, heavily sedated on the table, will forever be etched in my memory. He will leave a void for a long time.

I’ve had various breeds, and our family dog was a show dog growing up (a field spaniel), so I was able to be around a lot of breeds at the various dog shows we would go to. And as one who loves the research phase of any project, I spent countless hours learning about breeds and standards and temperaments and all that stuff. While I’ll admit my “dream” dog was a Newfoundland, the Berner was a compromise with my wife who was drool averse (Moose really didn’t drool much); considered the Berner size to be a happy medium (Moose still thought he was a lapdog at about 108 lbs); and dog hair (well… she kind of lost that battle… Moose definitely shed, and it brings me a small amount of joy to know I’ll likely find his hair in various places for a long time to come). Additionally, my sister and brother in law had a Berner (who lived to be 11.5 yrs old), and I saw their two boys come home from the hospital and be raised around theirs, and loved his gentle and patient demeanor around kids. Similarly, his demeanor whenever we went in public, the heads that would turn, and the absolute pure joy strangers and kids alike had being able to pet such an accommodating dog, I knew that would be my next dog.

I owned (and still do) a 12+ year old Black Lab. And up until we looked into getting a Berner, I thought I would be a “lab guy” forever- similar to the Berner, the Labs disposition towards strangers was one of my most important traits when looking for a dog. A dog that can bark at the door, but can be trusted implicitly (yes, I know, within reason- any dog can be provoked) around kids, ranked VERY high on my non-negotiables when it comes to breeds. But my Lab just loved people TOO much… was very energetic, even with extensive leash training.

Enter the Berner. In my opinion (humbly and admittedly, biased), the greatest breed that there is. While these are all generalities and many factors play in to each individual dog, he checked all the boxes: Large breed, check. Good looking, check. Great around kids and family, check (he did do several obedience classes in his first year). Solid watch dog (will alert you when someone is at the door), check. Low energy indoors typically, check. Loves to be outdoors, hike, snow, etc, check. Obedient, check (but, can also be stubborn). Along for a ride anywhere…. Check, check, check. Nothing pleased Moose more than to be with his human counterparts.

As I mentioned, I’ve owned and been around many dogs and breeds, but never have I had a connection with a dog as I did with Moose. If you have the space for a large dog, I can’t think of a better all around breed. Now I know, everyone is looking for something different in a dog, and so I am certainly biased as he checked all the boxes I was looking for. Ever since the day we brought our son home from the hospital in December, 2022, Moose was nothing but gentle and oh so accommodating for a growing boy to climb on, chase after, and just downright annoy. So much of my heartbreak of this situation is not getting to see their relationship continue to grow.

So again, I know the title was clickbaity- but the fact is… Moose was not just a dog that was “around our house”. He was a genuine family member; a personality that everyone loved- all our family and neighbors loved him… he was just absolutely incredible. He provided a sense of peace for my wife as she would go on walks and hikes, having such a presence by her side (also helps maybe a little that most people who aren’t super knowledgeable about breeds think they look akin to Rottys). And so, if you are looking for a dog that you can avoid developing a real attachment to… to assuage the pain that will come the day you have to separate from your furry friend- then the Berner may not be for you.

But if you’re looking for one of the most incredible all around family breeds there is- then I suggest you do some real research, and find a really high quality reputable breeder, or a shelter/rescue if you can, and do some homework- and await the most endearing breed I’ve been around.

I am also more than happy to answer any questions if a Berner is something you’re looking into! This message is as much a tribute to my best buddy that has now passed to the other side as it is a look into how special this breed really is. I hope you got something out of it.

(I’d be remiss to not mention two of the most glaring downsides to this breed. This mass that developed unfortunately leads to it- the breeder I got my dog from breeds and raises very quality dogs, and this was a-typical from her lines – but just like humans, even the best bred, raised and cared for dogs can develop cancers/masses/health issues; and sadly in this case it was inoperable/terminal. Shorter than most large breed dogs, which typically have shorter life spans, the Berner finds itself on the 7-8 yr range I believe, which is exceptionally short. Definitely there are outliers, as I mentioned my sister/brother in law’s dog was 11.5 when he passed. But just be aware; Lastly, health issues in general- sadly these breeds are prone to many cancers, and eye and hip issues. But again- most all breeds have their list of known issues that will be consistent across AKC information pages, and the research you do. Lastly, to clarify- Moose was purchased from a reputable breeder, both in meeting them/their home, as well as hearing from others who had purchased (and re-purchased) from the breeder many times; breeder is registered on BernerGarde with all lines registered; AKC registered... I believe all the right steps I could take were taken).

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We are seriously thinking about getting BMD but while we accept the relatively short life expectancy, the number of times health issues are mentioned here is worrying.

Is this a somewhat regional thing? If I drive to Switzerland and buy a dog am I going to encounter the same health issues that are in the US or even the UK?

Hello all!
Needing some advice here. My Berner is 14 months old. It’s been great so far. He’s always active and attention seeker! We just love him loads.

From the past 15 days he isn’t eating well. Rejected his kibble, tried feeding chicken and rice. Has rejected that as well. We had to somewhat force feed him. Took him to the vet and they ran some blood tests and all came clean. The doctor suspected pancreatitis but since the blood work came clean, that concern was resolved. The vet examined him physically and advised he was ok. Prescribed some medication for acid reflux. He’s lost weight about 9lbs since start of the January. I attribute this to him not eating well however Very concerned with his health but not knowing what else to do about it.

Any advice appreciated. This is our first pet. We are freaking out!