BREED GUIDE
YOUR BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG PUPPY
Bernese were Swiss farm dogs, pulling carts and watching the yard, and they're big, soft and slow to grow up. They tend to be gentle shadows with their family and a bit watchful with the world, and because they grow so fast, how you exercise a Bernese puppy matters a lot.
WHAT I'D START IN THE FIRST WEEKS
GROWING JOINTS
GO GENTLY ON JOINTS
Their elbows and hips are still growing for a long time. Short, easy walks, no stairs at a gallop and no jumping out of the car will help protect those joints, so play and sniff rather than mile after mile.
LEAD MANNERS
TEACH A LOOSE LEAD EARLY
They were bred to pull, and a 45 kilo pull is no joke. Reward your puppy for walking beside you from the very first lead walks, long before they're strong enough to tow you.
CONFIDENCE
LET THEM SETTLE IN
A watchful Bernese puppy needs new things to feel safe. Let them watch from a distance and come forward in their own time, rather than being handed round to every visitor.
