Birken Berners Update

While Mom scratches her back, the kids try for a quick drink

They love straw and have just discovered chickens.

Six weeks old now and soon off to their new families. One will be raised as a show dog, my boy Jiggers will hopefully be a good sire down the road.

The other two will be going to young families who have Berners now, so they won't be lonely for long

PUPPIES ARE NOW 5 WEEKS OLD

The pups are getting busier and busier as they discover their surroundings. Mom pops in about four times a day now and spent last night out in the snow with her step-brother, Disco Cisco from The Barking Bunch.

We've had about 25cms (10") since last night and the adults love it.

In the morning you go outside and call them and a large mound of newly fallen snow rumbles to life with them bursting out!

The pups get their first shots next week, along with a micro-chip. I'm also going to DNA sample each pup.

This is mostly due to a nefarious deed we call "Litter Stuffing" where a mating has occurred with a female/male who have not successfully passed the hip and elbow x-ray examinations and very possibly, already suffers from the maladies caused by structural joint

displacement, namely;

Dysplasia of the hips and/or elbows, fiberous dysplasia and illnesses related to these issues;

and produces a litter that is credited to a female/male that have passed the exams when displaying for sale, and registering them with AKC/CKC

Documents are also forged to show that a litter came from a dysplasia free female and/or male.

These practices seriously damage the Bernese lineage by passing this disease on to young dogs, and eventually breaks the hearts of those families who purchased such a puppy.

Please check the paperwork of your new family member with the authority that issues the paperwork.

So here they are with a picture of Cisco this morning We'll have more pics next week when they are introduced to the white stuff!

Wonderful Berner Photos

Here are our 7 "kids" at 4 weeks and 2 days of age. The first two are of the girls respectively; JYC and HT (until they get their own call names) Then the two boys, Jiggers and Boomer. The other three just wouldn't sit still for a photo op. Now they are beginning to eat solid food. We give them Royal Canin Puppy food, they never had an issue with Melamine laced Gluten because they do not use the same source, China, for their ingredients. They all will be getting their micro-chips and second examination for de-worming and first shots as well as assessing general health status in 12 days. Then we can let them out of doors, where we have lots of snow to play in. More pictures next week.

Berner Puppy Love

Here we are at 4 weeks already and the fun has begun The big boy, Boomer, is being beaten on by his sisters, while Jiggers (second of 4 boys) looks on. Also we added a few other pictures, just taken with Jiggers and sister.