Puppy Training Institute
The most unique thing about Recherche Bernes’ is our training program called Puppy Training Institute. We not only breed premium Bernese Mountain Dog and Bernedoodle puppies, but we also provide extended training conducted by our experienced professional trainers. For families that are extremely busy to families that haven’t trained a puppy in yeas, this is the perfect training program for you.
After perfecting this program for more than a decade, our extensive training process offers multiple levels of education with hundreds of hours of instruction, resulting in highly trained Bernese Mountain Dogs and Bernedoodles.
This page breaks down each level of our training program so that you understand what you’re getting with the trained Bernes we offer. Every puppy at Recherche Bernes will go through at least one of these programs. If you are extremely busy, have no experience with training a puppy, or just want the perfect puppy, this program is for you.
After training more than 500 puppies, we have learned by experience what training works, and what doesn’t.
We have 5 training levels in our Puppy Training Institute. EVERY puppy from Recherche Bernes is trained in at least one of these programs.
See below for full descriptions of each phase of training.
Each program was designed to provide not only a beautiful healthy puppy, but one that is emotionally and mentally stable for life. These programs form a foundation for your pup to become a therapy dog, a hunting dog, or the best family dog you could ever have.
Training Levels Overview
Puppy Academy
- 6-12 Weeks of Age
- 250 Hours of training
Training always begins at 6 weeks of age and continues until 12 weeks of age. That’s an average of 250 hours of professional instruction in 6 weeks of training.
Canine College
- 12-16 Weeks of Age
- 350 Hours of training
This is an additional 4 weeks of valuable training, and most of our pups are required to be in Canine College, because it’s so essential to the continued advancement of the pups.
Master’s Program
- 16-20 Weeks of Age
- 450-475 Hours of training
Once a pup graduates from Canine College, they are fully inoculated, enabling even more diverse training. This includes field trips and real-world distraction training.
Doggy Doctorate
- 20 Weeks to 6 months of Age
- 600+ Hours of training
This is the perfect program for people who want fully reinforced training in their pup, and an easier transition to their new home.
Double Doggy Doctorate
- 6 months through 7-12 months of age
- More than double previous training programs
In our newest and fastest growing program we continue to train pups into young adulthood. Your pup will experience new surroundings, and their house training, obedience training, and socialization training, will be stretched. Your pup will learn a completely new place to potty train, will be extensively socialized with people and environments, and will continue to be obedience trained. The focus in this program is getting your pup out of their comfort zone. Here, we can see more easily any weaknesses they might have and work on them. We also can customize their training to meet the direct needs of our clients. Most DDD pups will also be Canine Good Citizen certified.
The 4 Pillars Of Our Training Program
Our professional trainers take each puppy through 4 primary areas of training, and each stage builds on the last to cover nearly every situation a puppy might encounter once they leave us.
1
House Training
Our pups spend 4-5 hours in house training alone. It takes a large amount of consistency, patience, and time for a puppy to master house training. This looks like:
- Crate trained– this is training them to be used to being in a crate at night, for feeding, and for breaks. They learn to sleep through the night.
- Potty trained– training the pups to hold the restroom indoors and to notify the owner they need to go to the bathroom outside.
- Chew trained– training them what to chew and what not to chew.
- Bite trained– training them not to be aggressive or bite humans.
- Jump trained– training them not to jump up on couches, people, chairs, etc…
2
Obedience Training
Every puppy works on each one of these commands every day. This takes a lot of time and skill, but by 12 weeks of age, most pups are better trained than pups 12 months of age in these areas!
- “Sit“- voice & hand commands
- “Stay” – voice & hand commands
- “Down“- voice & hand commands
- “Come“- voice & hand commands
- “Off“- voice & hand commands
- “Sit/Stay“- voice & hand commands
- “Down/Stay“- voice & hand commands
- “Place“- teaching them to go to a certain “place” on command. Reserved for extended training programs of Doggy Doctorate
• Stair Trained– Teaching every day to go up and down stairsSocialization
3
Socialization Training
- Stranger Trained– All of our pups go on “field trips” to various locations to get them used to different people. They are taken to pet friendly stores and are handled weekly by strangers.
- Child Trained– Our pups are socialized frequently with children.
- Vet Trained– Pups are used to being handled by a veterinarian. Every precaution is taken to assure the pups have “happy visits” when they are there.
- Noise Trained– Between the vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, industrial fan, and television, each puppy is used to hearing loud noises, and are rarely fearful of them.
- Grooming Trained– Our pups are routinely given baths, being blow dried, having their nails clipped, ears cleaned, groomed, and even having their teeth brushed.
4
Outside Training
- Leash Trained– every day, each individual puppy is trained how to appropriately walk on a leash. This is also associated with “heeling” or making sure the puppy walks beside you. We train each pup to walk on the left, and to not walk ahead or drag behind of you. They are taken up and down stairs on a leash.
- Car Trained– every week we take the pups are field trips to help with socialization and car sickness. Our goal is to have each puppy used to riding in a vehicle and to not experience motion sickness.
- Spot Trained– each puppy is trained to use the restroom in a certain area. With the right technique, each puppy is spot trained by 6 weeks of age. They are continually spot trained for the remainder of their training, and can be easily spot trained when they go home. In other words, the client can determine where specifically they want their puppy to use the restroom!
- Thunderstorm Trained– we make sure every puppy is used to all types of loud noises, including thunderstorms.
Puppy Academy
Starts at 6 weeks and ends at 12 weeks of age
Every one of our puppies is enrolled in Puppy Academy. Puppy Academy offers around 250 hours of training from a Professional trainer, and is the base program that covers all the groundwork for our more advanced training programs. During this time, our Bernes puppies are in their most important learning phase.
1
House Training
- Crate Training Goal– to sleep in a crate at night for up to 3-4 hours
- Potty Training Goal– to hold their restroom for 1 hour during the day without an accident
- Chew Training Goal– to respond to the word “no” when chewing something wrong
- Bite Trained Goal– to respond to the word “no” when biting hands too hard
- Jump Trained Goal– to know the word “off” when commanded
2
Obedience Training
- “Sit” Goals– to go into a “sit” with a combination of verbal/hand commands
- “Stay“Goals – to “stay” for a duration of 5 seconds from a distance of 5 feet
- “Down” Goals– to be lured into a “down” command with a simple point to the ground
- “Come” Goals– to respond to a “come” command with a high, peppy voice
- “Off“Goals– to understand that “off” means to jump down
- Stair Trained Goals– to slowly but not fearfully go up and down stairs
3
Socialization Training
- Stranger Trained Goals– Not many field trips are allowed at this point since they are not fully inoculated. Socialization is done on campus with our trainers and staff.
- Child Trained Goals– We arrange for our staff to bring their children in to play with the puppies so that they get used to all types of behaviors.
- Vet Trained Goals– They will be taken to the vet and introduced to a typical vet visit.
- Noise Trained Goals– Our pups are introduced to the TV and the vacuum cleaner, as a foundation to the noises they can expect in a home.
- Grooming Trained Goals– Our pups are introduced to baths, being groomed, having their nails trimmed, being blow dried, and to get comfortable with a typical grooming appointment.
4
Outside Training
- Leash Trained Goals– Every day our pups are trained how to appropriately walk on a leash. They will be used to having a lead on their neck and given some correction. They still will be fairly small and not able to focus as much, so they aren’t going to auto-sit well or be able to go on long walks.
- Car Trained Goals– to have them not get car sick
- Spot Trained Goals– to train them to use the restroom with river rock inside or outside
- Thunderstorm Trained Goals– to train them with CD’s and TV to get used to thunderstorms.
Canine College
Starts at 12 weeks and ends at 16 weeks of age
The second portion of our core training is Canine College. This program offers 350 hours of training from a Professional trainer, and helps to introduce training in a more real-world situations. Most of our puppies are automatically enrolled in Canine College, as it helps enforce good habits from Puppy Academy.
Below is a Detailed Video on Canine College Including Showing Graduates
As mentioned earlier, most of our pups are required to be enrolled in Canine College because it gives the puppies an extra 4 weeks to mature, solidify each command, be more consistent in potty training, and be even stronger emotionally and mentally. Every puppy has a different “light bulb” moment – the moment when they realize they are being trained. Once that happens, we see enormous growth in their progress. An average puppy will be are around 10-12 weeks old when this happens. Because of this, the additional 4 weeks of training in Canine College can be crucial in order for pups to keep all the commands they have learned.
1
House Training
- Crate Training Goal– to sleep in a crate at night for up to 4-6 hours
- Potty Training Goal– to hold their restroom for 2 hours during the day without an accident
- Chew Training Goal– to respond to the word “no” when chewing something wrong
- Bite Trained Goal– to rarely bite on the hand and if they do quickly respond to “no”
- Jump Trained Goal– to know the word “off” when commanded
2
Obedience Training
- “Sit” Goals– to go into a “sit” with a verbal command only and also a verbal/hand command
- “Stay“Goals – to “stay” for a duration of 10 seconds from a distance of 10 feet
- “Down” Goals– to go “down” with combination of a verbal and hand command
- “Come” Goals– to respond to a “come” command with a regular voice
- “Off“Goals– to understand that “off” means to jump down
- Stair Trained Goals– to go up and down stairs at a normal pace
3
Socialization Training
- Stranger Trained Goals– Socialization is still done on campus with our training staff until our pups are fully vaccinated and can go on field trips.
- Child Trained Goals– Socialization with children still happens on campus with our staff.
- Vet Trained Goals– They will be given routine vet appointments.
- Noise Trained Goals– Pups are consistently engaged with noises from typical household items.
- Grooming Trained Goals– To be used to getting a bath and being groomed without great complaint.
4
Outside Training
- Leash Trained Goals– Pups will start getting comfortable with leash walking and start “auto-sitting.” This is training them to focus on us during a walk, so that they keep up and don’t pull.
- Car Trained Goals– to have them not get car sick and feel more comfortable riding in different vehicles.
- Spot Trained Goals– to train them to use the restroom on river rock, inside or outside.
- Thunderstorm Trained Goals– to train them with CD’s and TV to get used to thunderstorms.
Master’s Program
Starts at 16 weeks and ends at 20 Weeks of age
With the ability to finally leave our facilities, our puppies enter a new dimension in their training as part of our Master’s Program. With between 450-475 hours of training, every puppy can now train in less controlled environments. Real-world locations, interacting with other people and animals, and additional work on our 4 focus areas, make this a truly advanced program.
Below is a Detailed Video on Canine College Including Showing Graduates
At 16 Weeks Old, every puppy is fully inoculated, meaning they have all of their puppy shots including distemper, parvo, rabies, kennel cough, and more. Until this time, our pups are only allowed to be on our property and guarded against being around other animals. If they are on a field trip or at the vet, they are not allowed to touch the ground because they are very susceptible to diseases. Once the Master’s Program begins, our pups are free to go anywhere and training grows drastically.
1
House Training
- Crate Training Goal– to sleep in a crate at night for up to 6-7 hours
- Potty Training Goal– to hold their restroom for 3 hours during the day without an accident
- Chew Training Goal– to respond to the word “no” when chewing something wrong
- Bite Trained Goal– to never bite on hands
- Jump Trained Goal– to rarely jump up and if they do, respond quickly to “off”
2
Obedience Training
- “Sit” Goals– to go into a “sit” with a verbal command hand command only
- “Stay“Goals – to “stay” for a duration of 20 seconds from a distance of 20 feet
- “Down” Goals– to go “down” with verbal command only, and also a combination of a verbal/ hand command
- “Come” Goals– to respond to a “come” command with a low key voice
- “Off“Goals– to rarely ever jump up and if they do, respond quickly to “off”
- Stair Trained Goals– to go up and down stairs at a faster pace
- “Place“Goals– they will be able to understand that the word “place” means to go to the dog cot and to stay for up to 10 seconds.
3
Socialization Training
- Stranger Trained Goals– Frequent field trips take place so our pups learn to be around different people in different places. At this point, they are used to a variety of people and easily adjust to others.
- Child Trained Goals– Each pup continues to be introduced to children in public and privately.
- Vet Trained Goals– Our pups continue with their vet visits.
- Noise Trained Goals– Pups are consistently surrounded by noises from typical household items.
- Grooming Trained Goals– To be used to getting a bath and being groomed without great complaint.
4
Outside Training
- Leash Trained Goals– they will immediately “auto-sit” whenever we stop walking. They won’t pull and will look to us for direction. They will also begin walking with other people besides trainers.
- Car Trained Goals– to have them not get car sick and feel more comfortable riding.
- Spot Trained Goals– to train them to use the restroom on river rock, inside or outside.
- Thunderstorm Trained Goals– to train them with CD’s and TV to get used to thunderstorms.
Doggy Doctorate
Starts at 20 Weeks and ends at 6 months of age
600 Total Hours of Professional Training.
Below is a Video Showing Typical Doggy Doctorate Graduates
Our Doggy Doctorate program is our most popular training program and is perfect for the family that wants a puppy that is so well trained, they can’t mess it up. 6 month old pups are wonderful because they still have several months of puppy left in them, but they are mature enough and well trained enough to know and remember their commands for life.
With any puppy, the greatest challenges are going to be maturity. A Doggy Doctorate puppy has twice the training as a Canine College pup, so they have all of their commands mastered. They can sit, stay, lay, come, heel, walk on a leash, go up and down stairs, etc, typically without any problems.
1
House Training
- Crate Training Goal– to sleep in a crate at night for up to 7-8 hours
- Potty Training Goal– to hold their restroom for 4 hours during the day without an accident
- Chew Training Goal– to not be as destructive and to respond to the word “no,” when chewing something they shouldn’t be
- Bite Trained Goal– to never bite on hands
- Jump Trained Goal– to never jump up
2
Obedience Training
- “Sit” Goals– to go into a “sit” with a verbal command and hand command only, and to do so with anyone.
- “Stay“Goals – to “stay” for a duration of 30 seconds from a distance of 30 feet
- “Down” Goals-to go into a “down” with a verbal command only & hand command only
- “Come” Goals– to respond to a “come” command with a low key voice
- “Off“Goals– to never jump up
- Stair Trained Goals– to go up and down stairs at a faster pace
- “Place“Goals– to go to their dog cot and stay there for 20 seconds when commanded to “place”
3
Socialization Training
- Stranger Trained Goals– Frequent field trips to more distracting places occur so that our pups learn to be around different people in different places. At this point, they are used to a variety of people and easily adjust to others.
- Child Trained Goals– Each pup continues to be introduced to children in public and privately.
- Vet Trained Goals– Our pups continue with their vet visits.
- Noise Trained Goals– Pups are consistently surrounded by noises from typical household items.
- Grooming Trained Goals– To be used to getting a bath and being groomed without great complaint.
4
Outside Training
- Leash Trained Goals– they will immediately “auto-sit” whenever we stop walking. They won’t pull and will look to us for direction. They will begin walking with other people besides trainers and will not lose their command knowledge when they go home.
- Car Trained Goals– to have them not get car sick and feel more comfortable riding in different vehicles.
- Spot Trained Goals– to train them to use the restroom on river rock, inside or outside
- Thunderstorm Trained Goals– to train them with CD’s to be use to thunderstorms and not freak out.
Doggy Double Doctorate
Starts at 6 months and ends between 7-12 months of age
They are receiving MORE hours of training per week than any pup in our program typically.
The goals listed below are for an 8 month old pup as that’s the average age our clients enroll their DDD pup in:
Our Doggy Double Doctorate (DDD) program is our most extensive training program we know of in the world today and is perfect for the family that wants a very old puppy that has the maturity and training of a well trained adult. Some families choose DDD because they want their puppy to be the most trained it can possibly be. Others want the DDD because they don’t like the young puppy stage.
All DDD pups includes our 30 Day Guarantee! If for some reason you are not satisfied with your puppy you are able to return your pup back to Recherche for a replacement pup or partial refund. Read below details on Guarantee:
- Return your pup for a replacement pup (minus deposits) or a 75% refund (minus deposits) within 30 days.
- You must keep the dog for 3 weeks minimum. Be willing to work with “Recherche Tutors” if needed.
- Replacement pup is same breed at same training level if available
- Recherche has right to choose for refund instead of replacement
DDD is the only program that doesn’t have a hard fast end date. Most of the pups in this program will end at 8 months of training, but we have kept pups for longer. Our DDD program is designed to train a pup into adulthood. The more training, the more mature and the better they will be once they are home.
Our professional trainers will take your pup as far as they possibly can go. After Doggy Doctorate (6 months old), the pups will be stretched as far as possible in their socialization, potty training, and crate training. Any weaknesses in their progress will be evident, and we’ll be able to work on them to correct any issues that arise.
In addition, we can start customizing their training to meet the clients needs. You let us know what you want us to work on and we can start implementing that into their training. These pups typically receive more training per week than they have received in 2 weeks prior! Prices are set on a monthly basis and can go up to 12 months of age.
Below is a Video Showing Typical Doggy Double Doctorate Graduates
1
House Training
- Crate Training Goal– to sleep in a crate at night for up to 8-10 hours
- Potty Training Goal– to hold their restroom for 5 hours during the day without an accident
- Chew Training Goal– to not be chewing things they shouldn’t
- Bite Trained Goal– to never bite on hands
- Jump Trained Goal– to never jump up
2
Obedience Training
- “Sit” Goals– to immediately go into a “sit” with a verbal command or hand command only, and to be able to execute that with anyone
- “Stay“Goals – to “stay” for a duration of 45 seconds from a distance of 45 feet
- “Down” Goals-to go into a “down” with a verbal command only, hand command only and to do so with anybody
- “Come” Goals– to respond to a “come” command with a low key voice even when they don’t want to
- “Off“Goals– to never jump up
- Stair Trained Goals– to go up and down stairs at a normal pace as people
- “Place“Goals– to go to their dog cot and stay there for 30 seconds when commanded to “place” even with distractions
3
Socialization Training
- Stranger Trained Goals– At this stage in their training, field trips are weekly and will consist of high distraction environments with crowds of people.
- Child Trained Goals– As most of our trainers have children in their home, each pup will live with a family and learn how to respond to children in a house setting.
- Vet Trained Goals– They will continue with their weekly vet visits.
- Noise Trained Goals– Pups are consistently surrounded by noises from typical household items.
- Grooming Trained Goals– To be used to getting a bath and being groomed without great complaint.
4
Outside Training
- Leash Trained Goals– they will immediately “auto-sit” whenever we stop walking. They won’t pull and will look to us for direction. They will also begin walking with other people besides trainers and not lose any of that when they go home. Being older they will also be able to keep up with their owner’s normal pace
- Car Trained Goals– to have them not get car sick and feel very comfortable riding.
- Spot Trained Goals– to train them to use the restroom on river rock, inside or outside
- Thunderstorm Trained Goals– to never had any issues with thunderstorms
*Disclaimer: Puppies, like people, are not robots and do not graduate our training programs all at the exact same level. Some pups will have harder times in certain areas, and it is impossible to fully guarantee perfect training with any pup. The continuance of the commands has as much to do with the new family as our training does, so it is important for you to be prepared to continue the protocols given. Recherche Bernes does guarantee that they will have worked hundreds of hours with each puppy, and will do everything possible to prepare your home for your new family member. Recherche Bernes will provide training instructions, videos, and a lifetime of support, so that your pup can continue growing in the happiest dog possible.
