When I lived on the farm I had Bernese Mountain Dogs. Two males and two females, not all at the same time. None were spayed/neutered. The Bernese is prone to Osteosarcoma, and I did not want to increase the risk. I never had a problem. My Sam (my true heart dog) never marked, never tried to roam. Twice a year he did what I called his Tweety Bird. He'd whine and it sounded just like a bird. LOL We did the crate/rotate while the girls were in heat and just didn't have any trouble. The Bernese has a short lifespan anyway, 6-9 years, and I wanted to keep them as long as possible. Sam developed problems with his hips at the age of 5, and died a year later of bloat. The girls started having hip problems at about the same age. George never had a hip problem.
This is a picture of my Sammy.
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Jackie & Oliver |