So, you want a Puppy !!     Buyer, Be Aware !!

Click HERE for the BMDCO's "Puppy Buyer's Toolkit"

LOOKING FOR A PUPPY?  We have a great tool to assist you in being an informed buyer and to guide you to a respectable breeder that is right for you !!  This checklist enables you to ask the breeders some very important questions that will help you determine the quality of your new puppy and the important relationship that you can have with your breeder after you bring your puppy home.  It also points out some "red flags" to help steer you away from the undesirable puppy mills and backyard breeders.  Click here for Checklist.  It would also be to your benefit to request a FREE Puppy Buyer's Guide Packet from our public education coordinator to use in tandem with this checklist.

BREEDERS  We have generated a list of Breeders that are members of the BMDCO and/or our sister club, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Greater Seattle (BMDCGS).  These breeders have met certain qualifications and follow a defined code of conduct.  It is important to know that we do NOT endorse, inspect, guarantee, or otherwise approve any particular breeder(s).  This list is offered to you as an additional tool to help you get the quality puppy you desire. 

More Resources to help you with your decision are the BMDCA Compatibility Profiler,  the BMDCA Info Series, the Breed Stewards,  Puppy Bill of Rights, The Real Costs of a Puppy,  AKC's About Buying a Dog, Pat Long's Puppy Pamphlet and the BMDCSEW Puppy Buyer's Guide.  

We want to take this opportunity to warn anyone who is interested in a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy to be very wary of puppies being sold without the mother present. Since this breed is becoming extremely popular, we are sad to report that we have now seen brokers that have been importing puppies from Eastern Europe, where the economies are still recovering from the fall of the Soviet Union. The pups are bought cheap and sold here in the States for large profits. Very few of these poor puppies are in good health. Very few have been cared for properly. They are frequently shipped wholesale before being fully weaned, have had a less than desirable beginning and are neglected and treated less than humane in the journey to America. Lack of an AKC registration can be an indicator of a puppy that was imported however the presence of the AKC registration is not always a guarantee of a quality dog either.

Please exercise patience if you are interested in purchasing a Bernese puppy. You may have to wait four to six months for a puppy from a reputable breeder or perhaps longer if you want one from a particular breeder. However, you greatly increase your chances of getting a healthy, happy Berner by buying from an ethical breeder who adheres to a code of ethics, belongs to a local Berner club, and wants to build an ongoing relationship with you for the life of the dog.

And please be cautious about puppies easily available through ads in the newspaper, dog publications or Internet. At times reputable breeders use these mediums to help with public education and find good homes for future litters. Unfortunately, it is more often true that a puppy available on demand without careful screening is being sold by a foreign or domestic puppy mill or is the product of a back yard breeder who isn't able to find enough homes for their recent litter.

Our club is committed to improving and protecting the Bernese Mountain Dog now and in the future. We are fighting to keep our dogs out of puppy mills and pet stores. If you are interested in more information on the Bernese Mountain Dog, including important health issues, and a list of breeders in the Pacific Northwest you may Request a BMDCO Puppy Packet. We will not use this information for anything other than to send you an information packet. Clicking the submit form will automatically send this information to Julie Jackson, Public Education Coordinator for the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Greater Seattle. This packet is a wonderful way to begin your research and ultimately your search for the right puppy for you.

 

 

And finally.....

Please don't take me home unless you have enough
SPACE for me to grow in; MONEY to feed & take
care of me; TIME to spend with me; & enough LOVE
to provide a FOREVER home.

Think BEFORE you Buy !!

 

Here's why NOT to buy the Puppy in the window !