Bernese Mountain Railway

Some more information about Bernese Mountain Railway:

Thanks for your interest in our exceptional Bernese Mountain Dog Breeding Program. 

Below is a response I send to all first-time inquirers. It covers about every question you might possibly have about my breeding program. 

But, that doesn't mean I have covered all YOUR questions. If the information you are looking for is not found below, please let me know and I will get you an answer. 

Before you adopt any dog, please read this article to check if you are truly ready or not: 
https://perfectmatchpuppy.com/are-you-ready-for-a-dog/ 

You're all set? Great! I hope this rather long message answers any questions you may have. If there is anything else you'd like to know please don't hesitate to ask. 
Visit my website’s “Puppy Adoption Page”, where I have: 
1) a FAQ, sheet 

2) Registration options with pricing is at bottom of page 5 of my "Lifetime Happy Tails Health Guarantee and Puppy Adoption Agreement" form, and 

3) a 2021 Breeding Program Update, all found at this link. If you have more questions, then please reach back out. https://bernesemountainrailway.com/puppy-adoption 

We don’t have any available puppies right now, as our current litter all has homes, but I do have a waiting list for the litters we expect to be ready around Christmas and into the new year. 

They are all ready to leave their mom at 8 and a few days. This is to ensure the puppies get all the den/litter lessons they need to become well-adjusted family companions. 

For your peace of mind all our puppies are guaranteed family reared and not inbred and come with (as basic) first and second vaccinations, worming, dewclaws removed, plus a "How To Raise a Bernese Mountain Dog" puppy manual. 
We are almost halfway through Early Neurological Stimulation for this litter. Learn more about it also, by visiting the “Puppy Adoption” page of my website, and reading a little bit further down. 

Our puppies are also personality matched*, dewclaw, clipped, potty training begun, first groomings with nails clipped as well as a Lifetime “Happy Tails Health Guarantee” against serious inherited diseases. 

There is also 1-month of free pet insurance available from an award-winning company through the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB. 
(* Personality Matching involves you completing an Owner Questionnaire so we can ascertain what temperament puppy would suit you best. When the pups are close to 7 weeks old we then put them each through 8 personality tests that result in them getting a score that reveals their personality. This allows us to match owners with their best fit puppy and ensures that inexperienced owners or those with very small children don't end up with boisterous, high-energy dogs. 
More info on Puppy Personality Matching, including case studies, are here: https://www.dogbreedinginformation.com/puppy-personality-matching/ ) 
MEETING OUR DOGS 

If you'd like to meet my parent dogs and puppies, we hold "Puppy Open Days.” Join my waiting list to learn when these will be for this litter. Just know that no puppies are released on these days and only those who have submitted a completed “Puppy Adoption Agreements” are invited to participate. 
Sorry, due to the huge number of requests and our busy lives, we do not normally allow visits at other times. 
ABOUT AKC BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOGS 
Confirmation:: Measured at the withers, dogs are 25 to 27½ inches; bitches are 23 to 26 inches. Though appearing square, Bernese Mountain Dogs are slightly longer in the body than they are tall. Sturdy bones are of great importance. The body is full. 
Temperament: The temperament is self-confident, alert, and good-natured, never sharp or shy. The Bernese Mountain Dog should stand steady, though may remain aloof to the attentions of strangers. 

They are generally calm and agreeable and benefit from daily exercise so they don’t grow overweight and depressed. Please don't adopt one unless you are keen to walk it every day. 

They are intelligent and easily trained, and a characteristically affectionate dog that is cooperative. They are well suited for family life. 
Highly sociable, they can go from working to curling up on the sofa with you, they get along with children and people very well if properly socialized as a pup. 

Personality varies from individual to individual (which is why we test them!). Usually, AKC Bernese Mountain Dogs are intelligent, affectionate, bold, boisterous, and are a delight for their owners. For the first-time pet owner, I would recommend, as with any pet adoption, doing your research. 

WHAT'S INCLUDED WITH OUR PUPPIES & COST: 
We do everything breeders can possibly do to breed and rear our puppies to be the best canine companions money can buy – with optimal temperament and health. 

They aren't the cheapest around (details below) but they are the best and all come with: 
1. Birth to 8 weeks Puppy Culture Protocols are followed. To get a glimpse of these activities please visit the “Berner Romper Room” page of our website. Here is a link: https://bernesemountainrailway.com/berner-romper-room 
2. Standard "up to date vaccination and worming" 
3. 4 weeks of complimentary free pet insurance is also available to all new owners from an award-winning company through AKC. 
4. Family reared for great early socialization so your puppy is properly prepared to become part of your family, scientifically proven to reduce the likelihood of behavioral issues later in life (good reason NOT to buy from pet shops or puppy mills!). 
5. Photo or video updates of their progress as puppies. 
6. A full "Users Manual" that covers your puppy's care, grooming, training, etc, plus information on how to inexpensively feed your dog throughout its life for optimal health and minimal vet bills. 
7. Personality matching to each family so that your new family member's 8. Temperament fits your household composition and ownership experience as optimally as possible. This is especially important if you have small 
 children in your family and/or are a first-time owners. 
 9) Dewclaws removed to prevent the chance of future painful injury  10) A Lifetime Happy Tails Healthy Guarantee of no life-threatening inherited disorders developing in your puppy. See the full document for all the details.  11) Have had their first baths and nails clipped – each week after age 3 weeks  12) Toilet training has begun in our environment, making it as easy as possible for you. 
 13) Crate-acclimatised to make crate toilet training less stressful on the whole family,  including the puppy. 
 14) Chew toy conditioned to enjoy chew toys 

 15) 4 days feeding of Victor Classic Dog Food 
PUPPY PRICE 
Our puppies cost $3,500 for Limited Registration and $4,000 for Full Registration(Males Only). 
The price is guaranteed fixed as shown until your puppy comes along, Otherwise, it is subject to change without notice, based on out of our control cost increases for raising a litter. 

With AKC Bernese Mountain Dogs from less committed breeders are now selling for as little as $900. 
DESEXING 
Early desexing has serious proven implications to the physical and mental health of dogs for the rest of their (often much shorter) lives. Accordingly, I do not recommend desexing until dogs are 2-year old, and my puppies are not sold desexed. 
More info at this link: 
https://www.dogbreedinginformation.com/puppy-desexing-laws-threaten-dog-welfare/ 

FOR PICS OF OUR PAST BABIES AND PARENTS: 
You will find some lovely photos of past litters on our website and our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AKCBerneseMountainDog 

JOINING MY WAITLIST 
I only accept deposits from individuals who have already submitted a Puppy Adoption Agreement. Of course, this isn't binding on either party until there is a puppy for you to claim. 

There is a $500 deposit required per puppy to be on the list (this is counted towards the purchase price and is fully refunded if I cannot place a pup for you within two years. 

If you leave the list from time of deposit to within 3 weeks of picking up your puppy, all but $150 is refundable. But if you pull out 2 weeks or less before you are due to collect a puppy allocated to you then the full amount is surrendered. 

If you'd like to reserve your place, submit the completed “Puppy Adoption Agreement” and request an invitation to make a deposit. 
Going to their new owners can be a stressful time whether they live across the road or across the country. To lessen the impact we send them off with an item bearing the smells of their old home and littermates. We also provide you with a playlist of sounds they have heard since their ears opened. Here is our website’s page link to this litter’s playlist: https://bernesemountainrailway.com/berner-romper-room I don't believe interstate travel adds a lot to the stress, given that puppies sleep 18 hours a day at that age, and are likely to sleep most of the way. 

LACK OF FUNDS? 
Avoid making an expensive or heartbreaking mistake and choose your next puppy carefully! If it is healthy (and I hope it is) you will have many years to regret the wrong choice. 
I cannot recommend any particular outside breeders, as almost all of them – even those I like and work with occasionally – sometimes inbreed their dogs. So you will have to assess each litter and puppy on its own merits. 
Have a woof-some day, 

Michelle Hall 
307.202.3808 
www.BerneseMountainRailway.com 
https://www.facebook.com/AKCBerneseMountainDog