My mother wanted one for so long... but in visiting with breeders she decided against them. Losing a dog at 6 or 7 is bad enough if it's a fluke, but to lose nearly all of them that young? No thanks.

ACL issues are also huge. There is some speculation that perhaps the breed has thyroid issues that are different from the 'norm' and that may be causing it. Hard to say. The gene pool is extremely limited. Outcrossing with other related breeds like the Greater Swiss will be needed to save the Berner, but the breed clubs and AKC are against it.

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