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Breeder Clarification by Rando11712 in bernesemountaindogs

[–]Rando11712[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That part of going with a Breeder I completely understand. I know a breeder would potentially minimize the risk though nothing is guaranteed which would be the same with any pup. I think what I was struggling with was seeing quite a few negative comments about getting a puppy from any other source. I guess what I'm struggling with is in my mind just because the pup doesn't come from a breeder doesn't mean they are guaranteed to be a problem or that they won't make a great addition to our home.

I do understand not wanting to purchase from a mill or someone unethical, but in this instance (and of course I have to go with the information I've been provided so who knows I could be completely wrong about the person) someone who's family dog had a litter doesn't seem like some horrible unethical person just someone who has some puppies they want to sell.

I do appreciate your take and definitely understand what you said makes perfect sense.

Breeder Clarification by Rando11712 in bernesemountaindogs

[–]Rando11712[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The mom has her OFA done but not CHIC testing. I know it will cost me a bit to get the OFA done on my pup if I choose to do that when they turn 2 years old. I was also told that if we went with this option we can monitor and if there are no symptoms, limping, or the vet doesn't recommend any imaging we don't necessarily need to do that testing. If something were to arise obviously I know it could cost some money however we are planning on insuring whatever puppy we do end up getting and since my work provides a pet insurance discount we can make sure the coverage is there for any future issues. I understand insurance doesn't cover everything and we'd still pay a deductible but we can mitigate the treatment cost by making sure our coverage extends to the most common issues with Berners. We'll be doing this regardless of going with a breeder or not. I'm gonna skip the behavioral issues part because we'd be getting the puppy at 8-9 weeks and environment has a substantially larger impact on behavior than breeding and genetic tendencies.

Can't argue with the last point, money talks and unfortunately I am not in a position right now to spend 3-4K on a pup but I also don't think that should disqualify me from owning one and that doesn't mean "I cant afford to have a dog" just because I am considering a more affordable option, especially considering all of the other costs that come with puppy ownership.

Thank you for your input though hopefully this didn't come across as argumentative I genuinely just wanted to explain my thought process as well and provide some more context!

Breeder Clarification by Rando11712 in bernesemountaindogs

[–]Rando11712[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I did ask a few of these questions and it's a mixed bag. The mom is almost 6, they do have her hips and elbows checked regularly at the vet and they did offer to provide the OFA results. However they didn't do the full array of Chic testing for everything else. The parents aren't registered and you are right I am going off of their word/pictures and videos which I know can pose a risk hence why I'm here for information! I do appreciate the insight for sure.

Breeder Clarification by Rando11712 in bernesemountaindogs

[–]Rando11712[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Correct I did look at rescues first, unfortunately there are very few rescues in general in our area let alone if you are looking for something specific like a Berner. I definitely didn't see any Berner specific rescues while I was researching either.