Sorry I did not respond.  I am kind busy right now, this week we are saying goodbye to our old Kuvasz bitch.  So this week is all about her; fun walks, pictures, petting and cuddles.  Tomorrow the vet comes out to euth her.  I'm kinda distracted right now.  Hope this makes sense.

Often at 5-6 weeks mom does the weaning, no matter how good a mother she is.  Because the teeth are coming in.  OUCH!  (the scratches look real painful!) She also leaves them more with the other dogs (my parents' best puppy sitter is a girl from the first litter).  She is very maternal and tolerent.  But she is still supervised by mom.  In their house there is always plenty of safe dogs to socialize the pups.  But they are still supervised by people. 

The pups go to their new homes no earlier than 8 weeks. No expections.  They need that socializing time with mom and even more, their litter mates.  If they are going to a home with no other dogs, 10 weeks is prefered, just to get a little more time.  It may not sound like much time, but they learn an awful lot in that time and are so much better off for the extra 2 weeks with the littermates and adult dogs.

Spay neuter info (sorry, this is all I have bookmarked and can find quickly):
http://www.caninesports.com/SNBehaviorBoneDataSnapShot.pdf
http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

There is also an interesting Rottweiler study on AVMA that links (kept) ovaries with exeptional longevity.  Keeping a female intact until at least 6 increases the chance of her living to 13 by 4.6x.  (Average lifespan is about 9 years).

My parents' puppy contract spells out a bunch of restrictions, and one is no spay/ neuter until (at least) 26 months (I think). Early alteration null and voids their health guarantee.  Because it increases the risk of temperament, skeletal, connective tissue and cancer problems.  If my parents cannot trust them to properly keep an intact dog at least that long they simply do not get a dog. 

One thing about Berners.  It is a very closed society, and they are extremely protective of their dogs.  If you are talking to a good breeder, they will have A LOT of questions.  Be open and honest.  My parents have a 6 page questionnaire.  It has turned off a number of potential puppy owners. But that's just fine with them.  If someone does not want to share that much, than they are less likely to keep you involved as the puppies grow.  And my parents like to keep in touch for their lifespan.  Also, the questionnaire helps to pick just the right puppy for the person, and decreases the chance of people picking the wrong puppy.

A good breeder will be happy to spend time with you now, put you on their puppy list, even if you are not ready for a few years.  Expect to meet the mom, but often the sire will be elsewhere.  AI is becoming very common with the good breeders (thank god, cause it expands the already limited gene pool).