LOOKING FOR A PUPPY?

Please exercise patience if you are interested in purchasing a Bernese puppy. You may have to wait four to six months for a puppy from a reputable breeder or perhaps longer if you want one from a particular breeder. However, you greatly increase your chances of getting a healthy, happy Berner by buying from an ethical breeder who adheres to a code of ethics, belongs to a local Berner club, and wants to build an ongoing relationship with you for the life of the dog. An excellent website to review.

Adobe Acrobat reader software is required to view some of the files found on this site. Get a free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader, but watch out for extra stuff they will throw in. If you don't want it, uncheck the boxes by clicking them.

This checklist enables you to ask the breeders some very important questions that will help you determine the quality of your new puppy and the important relationship that you can have with your breeder after you bring your puppy home. It also points out some "red flags" to help steer you away from the undesirable puppy mills and backyard breeders.

It would also be to your benefit to request a FREE breed/breeder information packet from our public education coordinator to use in tandem with this checklist.

BREED INFORMATION – Buyer’s Guide.

This is one of the best guides you will find while educating yourself about Bernese Mountain Dogs. Click Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy Buyer’s Guide and become an educated buyer.

BREEDERS

We have generated a PDF list of Breeders that are members of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Greater Seattle and/or our sister club, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Oregon. The breeders have met certain qualifications and follow a defined code of conduct. It is important to know that we do NOT endorse, inspect, guarantee, or otherwise approve any particular breeder(s). This list is offered to you as an additional tool to help you get the quality puppy you desire. The breeders are also listed on our Breeders page.

More Resources to help you with your decision are

We want to take this opportunity to warn anyone who is interested in a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy to be very wary of puppies being sold without the mother present. Since this breed is becoming extremely popular, we are sad to report that we have now seen brokers that have been importing puppies from Eastern Europe, where the economies are still recovering from the fall of the Soviet Union. The pups are bought cheap and sold here in the States for large profits. Very few of these poor puppies are in good health. Very few have been cared for properly. They are frequently shipped wholesale before being fully weaned, have had a less than desirable beginning and are neglected and treated less than humane in the journey to America. Lack of an AKC registration can be an indicator of a puppy that was imported however the presence of the AKC registration is not always a guarantee of a quality dog either.

And please be cautious about puppies easily available through ads in the newspaper, dog publications or Internet. At times reputable breeders use these mediums to help with public education and find good homes for future litters. Unfortunately, it is more often true that a puppy available on demand without careful screening is being sold by a foreign or domestic puppy mill or is the product of a back yard breeder who isn't able to find enough homes for their recent litter.

Our club is committed to improving and protecting the Bernese Mountain Dog now and in the future. We are fighting to keep our dogs out of puppy mills and pet stores.

And finally.....Think before you buy.

Please don't get a puppy unless you have enough SPACE for it, MONEY to feed & take care of it, TIME to spend with it; & enough LOVE to provide a FOREVER home. Have a plan and you’ll have a friend for life.

Other resources for breeders in the Pacific Northwest:

PLEASE NOTE: We have attempted to provide you with information that may assist you in making a well-informed decision. In the end, only you know what is best for you and your family. If at any time you are uncomfortable with a breeder, their answers to questions or their facilities, we would encourage you to look elsewhere. ****Do not substitute outside judgments for you own****

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