Hi everyone, glad to be a part of this forum, thank you for having me. My daughter has a 7month old Bernese. We both have been working at training. She does the sit, down, leave it and a wonderful recall. We are working on the loose leash walking. She isn't doing bad and I am using a martingale ONLY because she has started to just get stubborn. She will walk close by my side for around 5minutes all with high value treats to keep her attention. But lately she will just stop and no amount of coaxing or putting a treat in her view will getting her moving again. My question is, is this just stubbornness, or what can I do to get her going again?
Hi I have owned/own 2 Bernese. They can be stubborn and the more you push the more they will dig their heels in. How much exercise is she getting ? The rule for large breed dogs is 5 minutes per month that;s daily. So for example a 7 month old puppy should be getting no more than 35 minutes exercise daily. She could be exercise intolerant our first berner was it is highly unlikely that is the problem but is something to consider, maybe cut her walks down so she learns she walks out and back no resting however with this breed it would most likely be a short walk. Sometimes the breeding lines make for naturally lazy berners others for busy sometimes hyperactive berners. They do naturally tend to rest a lot and also like to just sit or lie and watch the world go by. Then up they hop to continue, is it hot where you are ? They do get warm very quickly, mentally they do not mature till at least 3 years old and physically by 2. Her joints might be sore from growing they are a slow growing breed. So I would suggest maybe shorter walks, patience you are going to need heaps of it and high value treats and if it's warm carry water to offer her a drink she could be warm and need a drink. They are a unique breed do not compare them to Labs, or any other breed they are really not the same plus they are a working dog not that you would know it but have an independent thinking brain. They were bred originally to be a watchdog, herder and cart puller so do not always think they want to follow your line of thinking. Patience, consistency and a firm but fair approach will bond her to you like no other breed. Mostly though if she is getting over 35 minutes daily I would cut that time down to that or even less. Watch her gait they are prone to hip and elbow issues and if at all worried pop along to the vet. From my experience though I would say she is needing a rest and using a little bit of that independent streak she has.
Hi, sorry it took me so long to get back on here. And thank you for your reply. She gets plenty of exercise in the yard as far as throwing a ball and playing. Bit when we go for a walk, that last all of about 10 minutes so it sure isn't a matter of her being tired . She just doesn't want to walk. She has been been vet checked, just doesn't feel like walking.
