Breed guide
Bernese Mountain Dog Breeding Guide: Litter Size, Whelping, Puppy Weights and Health Testing
Updated September 6, 2026 · 6 min read · By the BreedBloom team
Bernese are a giant breed with a short average lifespan, and the community's response has been unusually open data: the Berner-Garde registry tracks health and longevity across the breed. A responsible program contributes to it and uses it when selecting matings.
Bernese Mountain Dog at a glance
Typical litter size
6–10 puppies (average around 8)
Birth weight
16–20 oz (450–570 g)
Adult weight
70–115 lb (32–52 kg)
Gestation
About 63 days from ovulation (57–72 from breeding)
Whelping
Generally free-whelping despite the size. Whelping boxes need to be large and heavily railed; a 100 lb dam lying on a puppy is a real risk in this breed.
Breeding and whelping notes
Histiocytic sarcoma and other cancers are the breed's main cause of death; pedigree longevity research is as important as any single test.
Growth management: keep puppies lean and on a large-breed diet; growth-plate injuries and elbow dysplasia are common when puppies are overfed or over-exercised.
Newborns are heavy-boned and slower to move; ensure every pup nurses in the first hours.
Heat is dangerous for whelping dams and puppies alike; keep the room cool for the dam with a warm zone for the pups.
Health testing before breeding
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Hips: OFA or PennHIP
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Elbows: OFA
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Eyes: annual CAER exam
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Cardiac exam
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DNA: DM, vWD1; histiocytic sarcoma risk assessment is available and increasingly used
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Berner-Garde database submission of health and cause-of-death data
Keep the paperwork attached
Test results are only useful when they travel with the dog. Keep certificate numbers and dates on each dog's record and include copies in every go-home packet.
Tracking a Bernese Mountain Dog litter
Enter the ovulation or tie date and BreedBloom builds the Bernese Mountain Dog litter timeline: ultrasound window, X-ray count reminder, temperature checks, the day 3–16 ENS/ESI schedule, deworming and vaccination tasks, and per-puppy weight curves you can compare against the whole litter. Families follow along in the BloomPetz portal, and the go-home packet is assembled from the same records.
About these figures
Figures on this page are typical ranges drawn from breed club and veterinary references; individual lines vary. Confirm health-testing requirements with your breed's parent club, and whelping plans with your reproductive veterinarian.
Frequently asked questions
How many puppies do Bernese Mountain Dogs have?
Typically 6–10, average around 8.
What is Berner-Garde?
An open database run by the breed community that records health, pedigree and longevity information for Bernese Mountain Dogs. Serious breeders submit to it and consult it when choosing matings.
How much does a Bernese puppy weigh at 8 weeks?
Typically 12–18 lb (5.5–8 kg), with fast growth to follow; adult size is not reached until 2–3 years.
Run your program on BreedBloom
Dogs, litters, puppy weights, ENS/ESI tasks, waitlists, contracts and go-home packets in one connected record, with a family portal built in. Free for up to 3 dogs.
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