Bernese Mountain Dogs (and large breed care in general)

i love berners too! While i've never personally owned a giant breed, i've owned quite a few large breeds and a few small breeds too. Honestly, my big  boys have been a little better in the house as far as accidents and rowdiness goes. But, a few things you should have:

a GOOD vacuum... i love dyson!

lots of big, strong toys

a spot where water can be splashed on the floor. That is one of the major downfalls of big dogs...i feel like they all slop their water.

a giant crate. Wyatt is 2.5 years old and still has to be crated while i'm gone

frontline/heartgard and everything is way more expensive too, which sucks.

as far as dog food goes, i've been feeding canidae for ages and i've had no problems.

ETA: large breeds also need more exercise to get worn out. I recommend a chuck-it!

 We had a Bernese in our training class and he was such a sweet, sweet dog.  He was between 105-110lbs so not too big (LOL it's all in the perspective, Bugs is 105) but he looked big due to the long hair.  He wasn't very high energy and didn't eat a ton.  The owner is a real nice lady and we hit if off so I am just reporting from her really.  He did slobber a lot.  This is just one dog but he was very 'soft', hates being away from the owner and just wanted to be loved on by everyone.  He & Bugsy would play after class and he would just quit on Bugs (who is super duper high energy) and lay at our feet.

Large/giant breeds in general.  I love big dogs so I don't know how valid anything I say will be .  Food needs early on are different, your goal is to have slow growth, the calcium balance is essential.  After puppyhood large breeds generally eat less per lb than smaller dogs, it really will depend on the dog.  Bugsy finally started to need less between 2 & 2.5 yrs. Most people I know found their large breeds to potty train very easily, their bladders are larger and intestines longer than a small breed pup.  I recommend obedience training early and ongoing, clearly not a problem for you.  Not sure about exercise needs as the one I know is so chilled out.

Travel is a bigger deal with a bigger dog.  Whether you are looking to stay somewhere with your dog or just go in the car with them it is a bigger deal.

As for taking up space well - 105 is my norm he doesn't seem big to me - you are however unlikely to not no where he is  

 We have a lovely berner that I know at the dog park, and a friend adopted a berner/GSD mix pup.

Berners are huge, furry, and nice nice nice. They aren't very energetic, so they don't have high exercise needs. When my friend adopted her pup, there was a minor freak out from the GSD rescue people who thought he might be sick - because he was so much calmer than GSD pups. He wasn't lethargic, just low key.

 
I really like them. I couldn't deal with the fur, and in truth I want a dog with more get up and go, but I have a major soft spot for berners.   

shamrockmommy

So anyway, what's it like living with a large breed?  What about food?  I'm

It's...different. I had dim memories of having a large breed since I had Akitas before Beagles..but Cleo is a GIANT breed which is different even, than that.

Let me see...things that have come up...

Normal puppy play with small dogs can be dangerous and hurt them, including bitey face and chasing/neck biting.

They are VERY uncoordinated and falls, tweaks happen...be up on your observance skills and know when you can manage things at home vs the vet. Buffered baby aspirin and cage rest are good!

Travelling with them presents a different sort of challenge. For us...we have an SUV...but say we want to take Cleo to Petsmart to get dog food...we can't because the back where she sits...is where we'd need to put the food...and our kids sit in the back seat. So! Logistics of travel can be tricky.

Weight. Be aware that you will NOT be able to lift or carry your puppy long to make it do the things that make your life easier...get in the tub, get on the scale, get into your crate..get into the car...etc. You must use training to overcome the lack of ability to physically manipulate the dog.

Strength. See above and relate it to walking. Cleo is good on a lead normally but if something catches her attention or she spooks she could potentially pull me over. She doesn't because I walk her in a high collar but leash walking is something we will work on. That was new to me...my hounds kinda do their own thing on walks.

Injury potential to humans. MANY Giant breed owners have been injured by their dogs. Paw swipes can poke or injure eyes, knees can be sprained by sidebody blows in a fit of zoomies...eyes can be blackened by an attempted bouncy KISS from your dog..tail swipes can literally leave welts that hurt on your legs. If you are frail or have small kids then manners around people MUST be priority. Even typically staid Giant breeds have stages where they are more active and willful.

Destructiveness. Cleo is not destructive...but I hear many Leo's, are. I know what she is capable of in theory..and it scares me. I am so grateful she does not look for things to get into...but some puppies, will. Scary stuff! Puppy proofing extends UP higher than with small dogs too, don't forget. COUNTER HEIGHT in many cases.

Housebreaking. Cleo was housebroken on arrival and has pee'd one time in the house and a tiny amount at that. Imagine a 50lbs puppy that has an accident...submissive wetting...or an upset tummy and the blow outs...be prepared.

MONEY. Everything costs more with a large dog...crates...collars...toys...food yes...vet care yes...HW and Flea meds are VERY expensive in the largest doses and you should prepare for that. Vitamins and supp will go bye bye twice as fast as those typically measure out by weight. Ditto medications should you need them.

I love Cleo and I cannot imagine ever being without a Leo in my home at this point. BUT I will never forget how incredibly shocking it was to see her that first time at 4mos old. She was just...HUGE and I had a wavering in my heart about whether I made a good choice. But now I know I did...and I have found living with her to be actually...easier than Beagles.

We just became the proud parents of a 2 year old Bernese so I am not an expert by far but we have always had large breed dogs.  Mostly Rotties until recently.   Hot Shot did not have any formal training which is very clear but in just the last 3 weeks we have had him he is doing very well.   The people that had him before obviously to us may not have been very nice to him.   He cowered with quick movement and stong voice when he first came to us.    My hubby although would not be mean does have a very loud, strong voice even when talking normal, lol.  Hot Shot is finally getting used to that also.   He was alway outside and we have let him get used to being inside with us and our Newf?/mix puppy Rocky.   He is very good with Rocky, still very playful and exciteable at 2.  It only took a week or so to get him to not pull on his lead.  He weighs about 150lbs and I weigh about 120lbs,  very necessary for him to learn that.   It only took a few days for Hubby to get him to take treats easily without getting extra fingers in his mouth,    He does not slobber near as much as our Rotties.  He has lifted his leg 2 x's in 3 weeks in the house, caught him the last time, in time and he has gone to the door each time since.   He doesnt eat a whole lot, loves to go for walks each evening, but I cant get him to sit....lol.  Dont know why but when walking, I stop, Rocky stops and sits, Hot Shot stops but will not sit not matter how much praise you give Rocky for sitting he just flat wont sit.   He wont sit for treats, to be petted and loved on, nothing.   He will lay down, but cant get him to sit...its the craziest thing I have ever seen.   He loves attention from us, he is very loving and mostly calm.  Only barks when someone comes up our lane or one of the neighbors cow's is where it shouldnt be,  I am thrilled to see you are a groomer cause that is the one thing I am not sure of.   I comb him everyday, he loves it, I could do it for hours and he would not mind it.   I am not sure if there is a certain way to comb him, his feet have a lot of hair between the pads, I am not sure if I should trim them or not.  Of course when we got him he was very dirty, and badly in need of combing.  I bathed him and the first comb out was a little time consuming.  Now it is easy since I do it every day.   He is just a family pet now, and loving it, but if you have any grooming tips I would appreciate it.   

I  have always prefered large breeds but my one recommendation is training from the beginning.   Even tho Hot Shot is leaning well, its much easier to show them what you want when they weigh 20 or 30 pounds instead of 150.  Keep in touch,  the more I read the more I understand that he is completely different than our high enegy Rottie was.   Oh yeah one more thing, neither one of our dogs likes to play ball like Shadow did, I really miss that.

My number one advice: ZERO tolerance for pulling. From the very first time you have their leash in your hand, vow to never ever reward pulling by letting it work. At the very first sign of tension on the leash, practice the Be a Tree method. This is something you want to teach while you are still bigger and stronger than the dog!

Do some research on the proper feeding of giant breed dogs, so that you get slow and steady growth. Quick growth can lead to joint problems and arthritis.

I thought very seriously about Berners when I was deciding on breed, but I read that they are particularly prone to cancer and the likes and the average lifespan is only 6 years! We met a Berner at the dog park one weekend and my partner demanded to know why we weren't getting one. I told him the average life span and he agreed that he wouldn't want to live with that possibility.

If I were going to get a Berner, I would be looking VERY closely at what I was feeding. This is just a gut feeling of mine, but I'm coming to suspect that the more processed a food is and the more chemicals that go into it, the worse it is for your chances of developing cancer. They tell us to avoid processed meat for the same reasons. I would even be careful about what the meat was fed. Most chickens are raised on rubbish, so I'd look for organic or grain-fed. I haven't seen much to back that gut feeling up with, but it bothers me, the amount of chemicals that go into processed foods.

My niece has a Berner...gee is he cute! And a very nice dog...but I don't see her too much...so I don't have any tips about her.. But I do have a giant breed.  I love them.

Yes, everything about a giant breed costs more, food, medicine etc. They eat more, they weigh more.   I got Bubblegum when she was 3 and she had to be spayed... almost $500. Anesthesia itself on a 100 lb dog brought that up.  When she had a UTI...her antibiotics for 10 days were $40.   HW pills.... you have to end up getting the highest weight pills,,,then get another smaller one if your dog ends up over 100#.   When I lost Bubby,,and talked about getting another Dane... even my vet said "why don't you get a dog that isn't as expensive to keep!" 

A big thing about an extra large breed is if you have small children around.....they can knock them down so easily...or worse.....old people. I really  have to watch my Dane by Grandma.        With a Dane....you have to watch their tails...will whip anything off a table...or injure someone.   I had two eye injuries with a Dane...one was Ollie who was playing and came to steal something from me as I was going to pick it up.... I was just bending over to pick up some weeds, and he ran and grabbed one and picked his head up at the same time I was putting my head down...and BAM....his head into my eye.     A major black eye.   Bubby sent me to the doctor when she put her big front paw into my eye.    So yes...they can be dangerous...but little dogs come with their own dangers I'm sure.

f I were going to get a Berner, I would be looking VERY closely at what I was feeding. This is just a gut feeling of mine, but I'm coming to suspect that the more processed a food is and the more chemicals that go into it, the worse it is for your chances of developing cancer.

Wow, I was going to say exactly the same thing.  The reason my old vet went from being very conventional, to being extremely supportive and even asking for advice on holistic feeding, was that she was a Berner breeder and her last line died out, lost to cancer.  She did hold on to a couple of her older dogs for a few more years, after switching to a combination kibble and homecooked diet, and she took me very seriously from then on when I proposed diet changes as a frontline attack on any non-specific problem. 

brookcove

f I were going to get a Berner, I would be looking VERY closely at what I was feeding. This is just a gut feeling of mine, but I'm coming to suspect that the more processed a food is and the more chemicals that go into it, the worse it is for your chances of developing cancer.

Wow, I was going to say exactly the same thing.  The reason my old vet went from being very conventional, to being extremely supportive and even asking for advice on holistic feeding, was that she was a Berner breeder and her last line died out, lost to cancer.  She did hold on to a couple of her older dogs for a few more years, after switching to a combination kibble and homecooked diet, and she took me very seriously from then on when I proposed diet changes as a frontline attack on any non-specific problem. 

Wow, all this talk of Cancer.....   I think you may be correct about the food, I have often wondered if the food situation caused us to loose our Shadow (Rottie) at the age of 4.     I had read about the "chances of cancer" in the Berner's.  I have read that a lot lately about many other breeds and cancer as well.  Is the chance of Cancer increasing due to something environmental, is it hereditary, or is it because we have more opportunity to research and compare notes thru the internet and media that we hear more about these things now.   This is not just with our pets, I am sure most of us also find that we know more people with Cancer related illness.   This will be the question that will always be in my mind and heart....Was it something I did wrong?  Could I have prevented Shadow's cancer some way?  Was it food, was it Tic/flea treatment, was it genetic?  Although I do not wish to go thru that again with any pet, I could not say no when given the opportunity to be the forever loving home to our big boy Hot Shot.  Hot Shot is a Berner,  Rocky is Newfie/mix rescue, both big dogs.  What direction do I take?  I just have to do what I think is good for them now!  In our area Tics are bad....must have a way to prevent tic infestation,  Heartworm treatment?  Have always done that with Shadow too?  Could that be a cancer causing medication?  So I just decided;  love my big babies for as long as I am allowed to have them with me.  There is nothing better than looking into the eyes of a loving giant baby and knowing the total loyalty and affection that is looking back at you. 

Well it's nice to read that your seriously considering all of the pro's and con's of owning one of the big guys/gals.

We use to have Danes, and miss them terribly.  Just about everything with a giant breed is just that.. giant!

Cleo (My sweet pea) had been abused and bounced around to several different homes before we got her at the wee age of 4 months.  She had horrific separation anxiety problems, she had a chewing problem, was terrified of men and had dominance issues.  At training she was my little Einstein, learning new commands within 5 repetitions or less and had a work drive like no tomorrow.  Cleo was at her happiest when she was by my side, and so was I.  She had complete tolerance around other dogs, and delighted in playing with dogs of any size. With small children and seniors, she was calm and supportive, often taking baby steps to stay by their side.  One of our family members was in a wheelchair , but it never fazed her.  Cleo would happily pull them around, or stand still and allow them to use her as a brace to get up.

True, the vet bills are jaw dropping; and sometimes even outrageous for the Giant breeds.  Surgery alone is almost worth taking out a second mortgage on the house, and sometimes it can be very difficult to find a vet who knows just how to handle such a big breed.  Food bills are obviously going to cost more than say for a chihuahua. When it comes to toys, we used the old rule of thumb "If it looks breakable, don't get it",  or "better get one size bigger".  Cleo snored louder than any Pug I know, and as far as bed space went.... well the floor wasn't all that bad to get use to.

So when someone asks me why do I love the big guys?  I don't have to think for even a second....  Because their giant in every way, including their heart.  I have never felt such love as I did from that Dane.  They're sensitive and in tune to your emotions, often coming over and putting their head on your lap just when you need that bit of doggy love.  They'll protect you at any cost, often risking their life for you; and when that day comes that there no longer in your life... you'll miss them terribly, and you feel that part of you has gone with them.  You'll think back and laugh at all of those times that food was taken from your table, and how often your pillow was taken up by someone other than you, and deep in your heart you know that in a split second, you'd do it all over again.  That's a giant breed to me. 

Due to our living arrangements we have been without a giant in our lives (or a dog for that matter) for almost 10 years... and it's been the worst 10 years because of it.

I wish you all the luck when searching for that special Berner.  Make sure you find a breeder who really knows their breed (same goes really for all breeders...) and ensure that they do all of the heath testing possible for that breed.  I have always felt that if you pay a little more in the beginning, then it may save you in the long run. 

P.s. There has been quite a few posts that mention cancer, which is another big thing that you have to be cautious of.  Another reason why I said be choosy of your decided breeder.  Dacota our other Dane, passed away from osteosarcoma the same year as Cleo; which was a huge loss to our family.  Now, years later, more research is coming to light about nutrition and cancer links.  Definitely be wary of what you feed, your giant breed vet and breeder should have some good sound advice about feeding.

You can't go wrong!

Ashley

BannedBreed Lover

So when someone asks me why do I love the big guys?  I don't have to think for even a second....  Because their giant in every way, including their heart.  I have never felt such love as I did from that Dane.  They're sensitive and in tune to your emotions, often coming over and putting their head on your lap just when you need that bit of doggy love.  They'll protect you at any cost, often risking their life for you; and when that day comes that there no longer in your life... you'll miss them terribly, and you feel that part of you has gone with them.  You'll think back and laugh at all of those times that food was taken from your table, and how often your pillow was taken up by someone other than you, and deep in your heart you know that in a split second, you'd do it all over again.  That's a giant breed to me. 

Ashley, you put that so perfectly..... that is why we continue to have giant babies too!

brookcove

f I were going to get a Berner, I would be looking VERY closely at what I was feeding. This is just a gut feeling of mine, but I'm coming to suspect that the more processed a food is and the more chemicals that go into it, the worse it is for your chances of developing cancer.

Wow, I was going to say exactly the same thing.  The reason my old vet went from being very conventional, to being extremely supportive and even asking for advice on holistic feeding, was that she was a Berner breeder and her last line died out, lost to cancer.  She did hold on to a couple of her older dogs for a few more years, after switching to a combination kibble and homecooked diet, and she took me very seriously from then on when I proposed diet changes as a frontline attack on any non-specific problem. 

 Me too! Although I don't believe that food and holistic care is the total answer for them, as I know someone who was very holistic minded (no vaccines, raw fed only) and she still lost hers to cancer. They did live longer for Berners though - about 9 years. When I worked at a place that sold raw food, there were a lot of Berner clients and most of their dogs had cancer. One client was driving 6+ hours one way a month to see a holistic vet for her 2 year old Berner who had cancer. It also is not an issue with just pick a good breeder and you'll be fine - cancer seems to happen with the well bred Berners just as much.

All the cancer talk and all is getting a little off the subject...so sorry to add to it, but I just wanted to say that as much as I agree to nutrition being important...I also think we have to watch what else we are doing. I truely believe that over vaccination and over use of pesticides are causing our dogs major problems,,perhaps waring their immune system down.  HW prevention is like a pesticide...its killing HWs IF your dog gets them.  Flea and tick medicine given to them when they may never need it can't be good for them also. These are major chemicals...and I think we are fooling ourselves if we think we can go buy our dogs premium food and give them all these chemicals and expect them to be healthy.   Don't get me wrong..I am not advocation vaccinations...or even HW or flea prevention...I'm talking over use!  My  dogs that I have had, have never had fleas.... and I have never used a flea medicine.  I never did anything to keep them away...and I used to live on 2 acres of land and they were out all the time.  Now I hear people all the time saying they love where there is trees and lots of grass and they don't want their dogs to get fleas.   I wouldn't either...and they might not anyway without the flee prevention.