Our Breeding Commitment.
We are dedicated to breeding quality Bernese Dogs. Dogs with sound temperaments and strong genetic makeup,
producing healthy puppies who have been started with everything they need to succeed. We think it is very important to know that we are passing on lovable, gentle, adorable personalities.
All of our breeding dogs are genetically tested for Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) and Von Willebrand disease (VWD) through Paw Print Genetics. They are also OFA certified clear of Hip/Elbow Dysplasia. Of course, there are no guarantees that a dog will not get something in his/her lifetime, but setting them up for success from the start gives them the best chance of living a long and healthy life.
During the first few weeks of the puppy’s life, we incorporate Puppy Culture ENS (early neurological stimulation). This method gives the dog a superior advantage because it stimulates the neurological system .
In the first 16 weeks of a puppy's life, they can learn more than they can in a lifetime.This period is called the Imprinting Period. We provide an enriched learning environment for your puppy during his first weeks of life We follow the structured, research based program in order to give your puppy every learning advantage that we can in the time that we have them.
Week 1 - 2 Starting at 3 days old puppies start the Early Neurological Stimulation or ENS This has proven to provide the following lifelong benefits to dogs
improved cardiovascular performance
stronger heartbeats
stronger adrenal glands
more tolerance to stress
greater resistance to disease
and then comes sound
at 3 weeks of age we introduce sounds,
vacuums, childrens voices and play, music, lots of classical, studies have shown increased brain power in mammals who have been exposed to complex melodies in Mozart compositions, :) trains and fireworks from youtube, sudden loud noises. At this time we also introduce pee pad areas and its amazing how quickly they catch on to use them
At 4 weeks, puppy gruel is introduced. We use Goats milk to start and then add a raw freeze dried chicken dinner pablum in with the milk. they stay on this till nearly 6 weeks when they are slowly introduced to raw minced lean chicken and goats milk. We try to introduce different protein meats before they go home such a beef, turkey and lamb
Shortly after introducing food, we introduce bath time, nails clipped, ears cleaned, lots of loves and cuddles and general elements of bathing. During this time we also start with the "puppy puppy puppy" call, this gives an amazing start to future response to recall.
The puppy playpen area..by the time a puppy is 7 weeks old it should have been exposed to the following, and we try to get in as many as we can, this is called "The rule of seven"
1. been on 7 different surfaces, carpet, vinyl, laminate, newspaper, snow, grass, wood, gravel woodchips etc
2.played with 7 different kinds of toys, balls, fuzzies, squeky toys, cardboard boxes, milk jugs, (they love the boxes)
3. Been in 7 different locations including front yard, backyard,basement, kitchen, living room, car, crate or kennel, deck.
4.Exposed to 7 different challenges, such as, climbed on and off box, step2 steps and slide, going through a tunnel, up and down small steps, climbed over an obstacle, played hide and seek, gone in and out of a doorway with a step.
5. eaten from 7 different
containers, ie plastic, metal, plates, frying pan (lol) we dont always make 7 on this one
6. Met and played with 7 new people including children. Our puppies get lots of child exposure
Also in the first two weeks our babies are weighed twice a day to ensure everyone is getting enough nourishment, larger litters can require 2 hourly feedings of puppy formula at this time and receive 24/7 round the clock care, including lots of cuddles and snuggle time.
Lack of early socialization and negative human interaction can lead to long term temperament issues, ranging from fear, timidity, aggression, anti social and all around bad behaviors.
All this and more, because your puppy is worth it !!
What will your new puppy have before it comes home?
Vaccinations are an area of caution , especially for sensitive Bernese. The best protocol is for your puppy to have his first and only vaccines at 16-20 weeks, rabies vaccine should be always done separately from other vaccines.There is lots of information on and about this in my blog on vaccines that will explain why
. After that TITER TESTING can be used to ensure adequate antibodies and immunity. This is something that you can discuss with us prior to picking up your puppy. I do vaccinate at 8 weeks old.
- complete vet health check, of eyes, ears, hips and heart
vaccinations are followed by 2 days of AntiVaccinosis
(https://www.adoredbeast.com/products/anti-vaccinosis)
- dewormed (at least 3 times)
- 10 weeks of complimentary pet insurance with the option to continue coverage Trupanion and Petsmart
- puppy pack (puppy food, locally handmade fleecy blanket with mom's smell on it to help your puppy adjust, a collar and a chew toy) Some raw food to get you home and transition to whatever you are feeding.
( check out..Feed your dogs Microbiome, not just your dog) by Dogs Naturally. I would also encourage joining this group on Facebook, there great. Dogs Naturally,
Dogs Naturally The Pack, lots of health issues discussed on
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/dysbiosis-in-dogs-causes/
What you dont see when you pick up your puppy
Long before you started to see beautiful pictures of that adorable puppy, time, money and hope were put into raising the future moms and dads. Theres always the endless vet bills for one thing or another, yet more health tests to be completed, and waiting for the results, hoping and praying that the last 16 months hasn't been all for naught. if they fail, they dont make the breeding programme. WE watch the future dams and sires, aka the kids, we take note of their personalities, their strengths and weaknesses. We do our best to expose them to as much social activities as possible, we are always learning and researching the best nutrition, the best supplements, learning all about natural healing , taking courses to get better educated, all to be able to do what we do to the best of our ability.
THen comes the breeding time, we usually have a list of families excitedly awaiting the arrival of their new puppy.
Breeding times last about a week and many times weve stood out in the yard at 8.00am, freezing cold, making sure no one is hurt during the actual mating process. Later comes the pregnancy tests, usually an ultrasound, and we can announce we are having puppies.
D Day, this is the exciting and longest day ever. MOm is usually in labour one or two days, so that means we've been up all night just in case. When the first baby arrives the game is on..and you pray the the rest follow without complications. Bernese are notoriously slow whelpers and its a nail biting time waiting for them all to arrive safely. We have had many midnight drives to the vets, always on the weekend, because of a long amount of time between puppies and mom is not able to deliver. sometimes they have even been born on the way lol, then we turn around and go back home.
We would love to meet you in person or via a telephone interview. We only do these a few times a year when we add and update our waiting list based on our breeding plan. If you send an email and don't get an email back, please send it again! I look for the best homes for my all my pups and you will have to be patient and be prepared to wait patiently for your puppy. The right one is worth the wait.
