Is Your Dog Itchy?
February 16, 2022
Breed Specific: The Pomeranian
March 25, 2022
Pikes Peak Vet wants you to know about your Berner’s lifestyle and other needs!
These tall, sturdy dogs are built to work, but are affectionate and live to please their owners. Their sweet, affectionate nature means they are fairly easy to train. Their long, silky coat requires some work to keep it clean and untangled. They are gentle with children, making a good family dog.
Males – Height: 25-27.5 inches Weight: 80-115 pounds
Females – Height: 23-26 inches Weight: 70-95 pounds
Feeding: Discuss an appropriate high-quality diet with your veterinarian. Berners can be prone to weight gain, so watch calorie consumption. Treats, while an important training aid, can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs and which are not. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.
Grooming: Weekly brushing during most of the year, daily while they are shedding, will help the Berner’s double coat from getting tangles and keep their hair off your furniture and floors. Make sure to trim their nails regularly to avoid pain and structural issues for feet and legs.
Exercise: At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily will keep the Berner happy and healthy. They make great hiking companions as they are very used to being outdoors. Berners enjoy pulling young children in a cart and some even participate in carting and drafting competitions. Agility, herding, obedience, rally and tracking are other activities in which Berners excel. They are sensitive to heat, so don’t exercise them heavily in hot weather or the middle of the day.
Training: Early socialization and obedience training are a must for this large breed. Intelligent and eager to please, they are often easy to train. Being an affectionate breed, their feelings are easily hurt and they do not respond well to harsh corrections. Berners should not be left alone for long periods of time as undesirable behaviors can result.
Thank you to https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/bernese-mountain-dog/, and Every Dog by Nancy Hajeski for this information.
Over the Berner’s 7-10 expected years, you and your vet will create a health plan to evaluate and catch any conditions that may arise
HEALTH CONCERNS
- Joint issues
- Blood clotting problems
- Degenerative eyesight
- Ear infections
- Allergies
- Bloat
- Cancer
- Degenerative nerve issues
PPVC’S HEALTH PLAN FOR YOUR BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG
Pikes Peak Vet has the goal of healthy longevity for your pet.
Wellness Exams and Vaccinations
- Every 6-12 months, as advised by your veterinarian, until age 6, your Berner should get a full physical exam and routine bloodwork.
- Pets age faster than us and tend to hide symptoms. At age 6, we recommend routine exams and bloodwork every 6 months to catch anything unexpected before it gets too firm a hold. You may be advised to bring them in bi-annually at an earlier age due to their shorter life span.
Other Exams and Screenings
- Chest x-ray
- Hip and elbow x-rays
- Von Willebrand’s DNA Screening, UC Davis
- Regular eye exams
- Routine screenings for cancer and DM
- Stomach tack, aka Gastropexy
- Routine dentistry as needed
- est from NC State
- In-house thyroid screening
- Regular dental cleanings
Reach out for more information by phone or text, 719-475-1747, or through our Pikes Peak Vet app!
3 Comments
I appreciate your saying that this enormous breed needs early socialization and obedience training. My sister is looking for AKC Berner Mountain Dog Puppies for Sale. I’ll advise her to teach her dog obedience and early socialization.
Berners are sweet, but they are so big and especially when they are puppies, they don’t always know their own strength. 🙂
All of this article was quite interesting, and I learned a lot about Bernese Mountain Dogs. They have such sweet natures and are true gentle giants. Prospective dog owners would do well to educate themselves on the characteristics that are unique to certain dog breeds. Your explanations are quite helpful.