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When searching for a breeder: Never answer to any advertisments in local newspapers,
or shop windows etc: as all responsible caring breeders of the Bernese Mountain dog would never need to advertise their litters
in this way. Be causious of people that breed more then 3 breeds
of dogs, or who claim they are reputable breeders but have a litter of cross bred dogs for sale. Have they really got the time and love to give
to all those dogs and litters? And are they really breeding for the interests of the breed standards and the welfare of the
dogs themselves? Go to Dog shows and meet breeders of your chosen
breed, it is always nice to meet potential puppy owners face to face. Get in contact with breed clubs they normally have
lists of registered breeders. Personal websites such as kenziebern.com is another
good source of information about the breeder and their dogs, a very personal touch. WHEN VIEWING A PUPPY; Never accept purchase of a puppy if you have not
seen the dam (mother) or the living conditions of the litter, and never allow the puppy to be delivered to you at a meeting
place as there is a HIGH RISK that the puppy is from a puppy farm and has been poorly bred without any offical KC Registration
or proper Health checks. Take a pad with questions to ask the breeder, all
good breeders are happy to answer any questions you may have about the breed and or health issues. Never meet a person selling puppies anywhere other
than where the puppies have been born or weaned, as you will not know where the puppies have actually come from. Look at the surroundings of where the puppy has
been living, are the puppies clean, pleased to meet you, look healthy and are they in a warm clean environment? Have the puppies
been brought up in Kennels or in a loving caring home? Always ask to see the Dam (mother) is she looking
healthy, clean? Her temperament is important, if she has a bad temperament this will be passed onto her It is also nice to meet the Sire (father) but sometimes
this is not possible as most breeders use other peoples stud dogs and travel long distances to do so, so ask if they have
any photos and copies of the Hip and Elbow scorings etc: Also check to make sure the Dam (mother) is no younger
then 2 years old and no older then 7 years of age, and that she has not had any other litters in the last 12 months. If she
has been bred from within the last 12 months of having this litter then the breeder is not a responsible caring person and
does not have the dogs health and interests in mind. All female dogs should have at least 12 months grace before having another
litter. And with this large breed, breeding under the age of 2 years is unhealthy for the dam as well as the puppies. HIP AND ELBOW All responsible breeders will have the Dam (mother) and
Sires (father) hip and elbow scoring certificates from the British Vetinary Association, the lower the total score the better.Ask
to see these certifcates as proof. If you are not sure then contact the breed club they will be able to advise you. KENNEL CLUB REGISTERED All responsible breeders also use parents that are Kennel
club registered and will have a certificate proving this too. Check to make sure the address on the KC registeration is the
same as the address you are viewing the pups at. And if you buy a puppy make sure you have the puppy's KC registeration form
from the breeder on the day you collect your puppy and that the breeder has signed the KC registration certificate for transfer
of ownership to you. PUPPY FARMS; Unfortunatly there are 'puppy farms' out there so be very
careful, puppy farms are not always farms where puppies are bred they are: Places where dogs are bred from constantly and no care
is given to what happens to the puppies and how many times the Dam (mother) has a litter. Puppy farms also normally breed several breeds of dogs,
not having a particular breed they are interested in. if you are not sure then contact me or the breed clubs
and we will try to help. Buying a puppy from somewhere like a puppy farm will just
encourage these people to carry on breeding, it is difficult to walk away from a poor little puppy that is being sold at a
puppy farm but the best thing to do, instead of buying the pup is to save all the litter and the adult dogs and report the
breeder to the Local RSPCA Breed Club or Police station as soon as possible. I know this information is a lot to take in, but there
are responsible caring breeders out there! So please do some research and ask questions!
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