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Posted: 10/9/2025 12:51:35 AM EDT
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Our Aussie passed away some months ago, and my wife absolutely wants a Bernese. We have a deposit on a puppy and plan to pick him up once he is 8 weeks old. Does anyone have experience with the breed? Any advice? We are considering starting joint supplements after a few months and would be especially curious if others had success with those types of supplements. |
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My friend had them. They are gentle giants for the most part. His was a little wary of strangers until he warmed up to them. I loved seeing that dog and she rolled over for me to scratch her belly whenever I came in. He told me they can become fearful if harsh training methods were used. So can all dags, but they may react more. If you don't mind a little drooling and want a beautiful dag, go for it, but keep in mind 10 years is about the max. |
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Originally Posted By Mousegun: My friend had them. They are gentle giants for the most part. His was a little wary of strangers until he warmed up to them. I loved seeing that dog and she rolled over for me to scratch her belly whenever I came in. He told me they can become fearful if harsh training methods were used. So can all dags, but they may react more. If you don't mind a little drooling and want a beautiful dag, go for it, but keep in mind 10 years is about the max. Thanks. Good insight. Also looking at pet insurance for the first time with a dog based on health concerns. |
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Originally Posted By Manwithn0nam3: Our Aussie passed away some months ago, and my wife absolutely wants a Bernese. We have a deposit on a puppy and plan to pick him up once he is 8 weeks old. Does anyone have experience with the breed? Any advice? We are considering starting joint supplements after a few months and would be especially curious if others had success with those types of supplements. Yes we have one, she's great! Very calm, likes to lay around a lot, and wants to be all over you...all the time. If you are sitting in a chair, or on the couch....she wants to be in your lap. If you are sitting down on the ground, she will come over and just try to lay on you. Great dog for kids. We also have a Golden Retriever, and he's also a great dog....but a lot more energetic and crazy acting sometimes. She's never aggressive, but she will put on a big show if another dog comes into the yard. She follows our laughter around all the time, and is great with kids. She doesn't hardly bark, she's calm, she's well behaved, and pretty smart. Our Golden is kind of a big goofy idiot...she's much smarter  We love our Bernese, I just wish they lived longer. She's around 6 now...and starting to show her age. I think we will get another one whenever she passes. Probably one of the best dogs to have around if you have kids. We have started giving her some joint supplements, just because she's having a harder time getting around sometimes....but she's still very active and runs and jumps all the time. A gentle giant pretty much sums her up. And she's a little on the smaller side....but still pretty big. 
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Joined:
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Originally Posted By imq707s: Yes we have one, she's great! Very calm, likes to lay around a lot, and wants to be all over you...all the time. If you are sitting in a chair, or on the couch....she wants to be in your lap. If you are sitting down on the ground, she will come over and just try to lay on you. Great dog for kids. We also have a Golden Retriever, and he's also a great dog....but a lot more energetic and crazy acting sometimes. She's never aggressive, but she will put on a big show if another dog comes into the yard. She follows our laughter around all the time, and is great with kids. She doesn't hardly bark, she's calm, she's well behaved, and pretty smart. Our Golden is kind of a big goofy idiot...she's much smarter We love our Bernese, I just wish they lived longer. She's around 6 now...and starting to show her age. I think we will get another one whenever she passes. Probably one of the best dogs to have around if you have kids. We have started giving her some joint supplements, just because she's having a harder time getting around sometimes....but she's still very active and runs and jumps all the time. A gentle giant pretty much sums her up. And she's a little on the smaller side....but still pretty big. https://i.imgur.com/KO6NrrX.jpeg Originally Posted By imq707s: Originally Posted By Manwithn0nam3: Our Aussie passed away some months ago, and my wife absolutely wants a Bernese. We have a deposit on a puppy and plan to pick him up once he is 8 weeks old. Does anyone have experience with the breed? Any advice? We are considering starting joint supplements after a few months and would be especially curious if others had success with those types of supplements. Yes we have one, she's great! Very calm, likes to lay around a lot, and wants to be all over you...all the time. If you are sitting in a chair, or on the couch....she wants to be in your lap. If you are sitting down on the ground, she will come over and just try to lay on you. Great dog for kids. We also have a Golden Retriever, and he's also a great dog....but a lot more energetic and crazy acting sometimes. She's never aggressive, but she will put on a big show if another dog comes into the yard. She follows our laughter around all the time, and is great with kids. She doesn't hardly bark, she's calm, she's well behaved, and pretty smart. Our Golden is kind of a big goofy idiot...she's much smarter We love our Bernese, I just wish they lived longer. She's around 6 now...and starting to show her age. I think we will get another one whenever she passes. Probably one of the best dogs to have around if you have kids. We have started giving her some joint supplements, just because she's having a harder time getting around sometimes....but she's still very active and runs and jumps all the time. A gentle giant pretty much sums her up. And she's a little on the smaller side....but still pretty big. https://i.imgur.com/KO6NrrX.jpeg Beautiful dog! Has she had any health issues besides what you mentioned? I’m a little worried about issues with this breed. |
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I've never had one but I've had clients bring them in for herding lessons. They were originally bred in Switzerland to herd milk cows, pull carts and guarding. The ones I've known had great temperaments and were kinda goofy, but they were young too. There is a national organization, Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, Inc, that I would recommend looking into and maybe even joining-https://www.bmdca.org/ I like to suggest to people with a dog like that to find a job or something to do with the dog. Herding, scent work, obedience, cart pulling, tracking, etc. are out there and you can do trials if you wanted to. It's fun and you learn to work with your dog at a different level. |
"I can't do anything to "end racism" when others are inventing new ways to make the most mundane things racist."-Gingerbreadman
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Highly trainable, one of our obedience instructors had Zuri, a wonderful Bernese. She also did carting, and loved it. Zuri and my Rottweiler CoCo loved to run around after we we're done teaching for the night. We're dogless right now, and have considered a "Berner". Since you had an Aussie, another smart breed, I highly doubt your going to have any issues with training, and your certainly used to the hair. Congrats on the new addition. |
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Originally Posted By Manwithn0nam3: Beautiful dog! Has she had any health issues besides what you mentioned? I’m a little worried about issues with this breed. Originally Posted By Manwithn0nam3: Originally Posted By imq707s: Originally Posted By Manwithn0nam3: Our Aussie passed away some months ago, and my wife absolutely wants a Bernese. We have a deposit on a puppy and plan to pick him up once he is 8 weeks old. Does anyone have experience with the breed? Any advice? We are considering starting joint supplements after a few months and would be especially curious if others had success with those types of supplements. Yes we have one, she's great! Very calm, likes to lay around a lot, and wants to be all over you...all the time. If you are sitting in a chair, or on the couch....she wants to be in your lap. If you are sitting down on the ground, she will come over and just try to lay on you. Great dog for kids. We also have a Golden Retriever, and he's also a great dog....but a lot more energetic and crazy acting sometimes. She's never aggressive, but she will put on a big show if another dog comes into the yard. She follows our laughter around all the time, and is great with kids. She doesn't hardly bark, she's calm, she's well behaved, and pretty smart. Our Golden is kind of a big goofy idiot...she's much smarter We love our Bernese, I just wish they lived longer. She's around 6 now...and starting to show her age. I think we will get another one whenever she passes. Probably one of the best dogs to have around if you have kids. We have started giving her some joint supplements, just because she's having a harder time getting around sometimes....but she's still very active and runs and jumps all the time. A gentle giant pretty much sums her up. And she's a little on the smaller side....but still pretty big. https://i.imgur.com/KO6NrrX.jpeg Beautiful dog! Has she had any health issues besides what you mentioned? I’m a little worried about issues with this breed. Nope....she's been great. I think you really have to watch how much they eat.....if you just let them eat as much as they want, they will get fat fast, and that causes more joint/hip issues. She's been really healthy overall....... |
 They are big dummies and I like them a lot. The puppy weeks are good times but most that I have met are serious eaters of stuff they shouldn't eat. Mine likes socks and gloves in a big way and will occasionally take a tank top from my wife. I have never had to bring him in for surgical removal but it can be scary stuff. He has a lot of bark but is generally wary of strangers. If you park a jeep at the house while shooting at the range he sometimes puts sugar in gas tanks. |
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Originally Posted By cwar_USA: https://i.imgur.com/NMoHLoh.jpeg They are big dummies and I like them a lot. The puppy weeks are good times but most that I have met are serious eaters of stuff they shouldn't eat. Mine likes socks and gloves in a big way and will occasionally take a tank top from my wife. I have never had to bring him in for surgical removal but it can be scary stuff. He has a lot of bark but is generally wary of strangers. If you park a jeep at the house while shooting at the range he sometimes puts sugar in gas tanks. Attached File Said Jeep that was ruined by Bongo. |
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