How much is a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy?

Why do Bernese puppies cost what they do?

Bernese puppies cost what they do because a well-planned Berner litter is expensive to raise. The health tests a Berner's parents should have add up to a lot together, problems giving birth are common in the breed, a C-section is sometimes needed, and litters can be small.

Supply plays its part too, since the breed's shorter life limits how many litters a Berner mama can have, and between that and the breed's soaring popularity, more families want Berners than there are puppies. We are working toward health testing every one of our mamas and papas. As each parent's certificates come in, we post them on that parent's own page. The testing a Berner's parents should have is set out in our Bernese lifespan and shedding guide, and each Berner's own page shows its price beside its mama and papa.

What comes home with a Bernese puppy?

Your Berner comes home at 8 weeks old, and you can collect it from us in Syracuse, Indiana. Shipping can be arranged for a fee. Both of its parents are registered with the American Kennel Club, and every puppy is covered by our 1 year health guarantee.

This price is for limited registration which does not include showing or breeding rights. We are willing to sell you full registration for an additional fee. Prices do not reflect sales tax, shipping fees, or the 3% merchant fee when using a credit/debit card or Paypal. Contact us with any questions!

Limited registration keeps a Berner out of the breed judging at a dog show and keeps its litters from being registered, while obedience, rally, agility and tracking stay open, and Berners and their families enjoy every one of those.

How much does a Berner eat?

A grown Berner eats about four cups of a good dog food a day on average, though every dog is different. Some Berners eat surprisingly little for their size and others need more than the usual amount, and your vet can help you set portions. Puppies are usually fed three times a day until somewhere between 3 and 6 months old, and grown dogs twice, because one very large meal can lead to bloat.

Wait at least an hour after a meal before exercise, and at least half an hour after exercise before a meal. Many Berner breeders keep growing puppies on a low to moderate protein diet so that growth stays steady and slow, because a big-boned puppy that grows too fast puts extra strain on young muscles and tendons.

What vet costs should you plan for?

Plan on a vet visit soon after your Berner comes home, more through its first year, and a checkup every year after that. Line up a vet before you bring a puppy home. Puppy shots carry on past go-home day, with boosters 2 to 4 weeks apart until a puppy is older than 16 weeks, so talk shots over with us and with your vet before your puppy arrives.

The larger costs are the ones nobody schedules. Treatment and a hospital stay for a Berner that becomes very sick or needs surgery can cost many times the purchase price, so pet health insurance is worth considering. Before you choose a policy's limits, ask your vet what the common conditions for your breed cost to treat, and remember that standard policies don't cover anything in a pet's health history from before the policy began. For a Berner, those conditions include hip and elbow trouble, bloat and cancer.

What else does a Berner cost to keep?

Most of what's left is training and equipment, such as classes, a crate, toys, and grooming tools and supplies. A Berner needs a sturdy fence four or five feet high to stay safely in the yard, and a small yard on its own won't give a Berner enough exercise, so count on daily walks as well.

Budget for classes early, with a puppy kindergarten between four and six months old and a first obedience course before the first birthday, all taught with positive methods. Grooming needs little beyond brushes and your time, since the coat is fairly easy to keep with a bath now and then and frequent brushing, though the shedding is considerable. Berners love the cold and can get heat stroke, so they need air conditioning in hot weather.

How do reserving and paying for a Berner work?

Reserving a Berner starts with our application, and sending it doesn't tie you to a deposit. Once you're approved, a deposit holds your puppy. A non-refundable deposit of one third of the puppy price holds a puppy that is already listed. A $200 non-refundable deposit holds a place on the waiting list for a litter that has not been born yet. Deposits are non-refundable, but they can be transferred to another puppy up to three times, or held for a year.

We have Bernese litters only now and then, so when there's no Berner on our Bernese page, the waiting list holds your place for the next one. Plan ahead and be patient, because a puppy from a well-planned litter can take many months to come along.