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Responsible breeders use several health tests to screen potential breeding dogs for genetic health problems. Wise buyers will confirm the screening certifications before purchasing a pup. The major tests are described below.

The Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) and the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America (BMDCA) have specified six necessary health tests for breeding Bernese Mountain Dogs: CHIC works with parent breed clubs to identify health screening protocols appropriate for individual breeds.

1. Hips: There are two hip certification methods: OFA and PennHIP.
   
   
   • Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA): Hip X-rays are taken when the dog is two years old and sent to the OFA for evaluation. Preliminary evaluations are available, but they are not official and should be repeated when the dog is two.  more..
     
     Dogs that pass are issued a hip number and are rated excellent, good, or fair.
     
     
   • PennHIP:  PennHIP reports a distraction Index (DI) for each hip.  The DI indicates how tight the ball of the upper leg bone is held into the hip socket.  Tight hips (low DI) are better than loose ones (high DI). PennHIP also reports where the tested dog ranks compared to other dogs of the same breed.  more..

     DI values that are tighter (lower) than the 60th percentile are considered good,  For Bernese this means both DIs less than 0.50

   For both certification methods, breeders should look for a broad and deep history of hip health in the pedigree.  This means lots of close relatives to the parents with OFA numbers or good quality PennHIP  hip results.
   
   
2. Elbows:  Elbow X-rays are taken when the dog is two years old and sent to the OFA for evaluation. Dogs that pass are issued an elbow number.Preliminary evaluations are available, but they are not official and should be repeated when the dog is two.
   
   Breeders should look for a broad and deep history of elbow health in the pedigree.  This means lots of close relatives to the parents with OFA elbow numbers.  more ..
   
   
3. Eyes:  Eye examinations by a veterinary ophthalmologists look for heritable eye problems  Results should be sent to the OFA's Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER)  This exam should be repeated yearly
   
   Breeding recommendations for dogs with eye diseases vary depending on the problem
    
4. Degenerative Myelopathy (DM): DM is a paralyzing neurological disorder. It can be caused by two different mutations on the SOD1 gene. There are DNA tests for both mutations from several companies.
   
   
   • SOD1-A: This mutation occurs in multiple breeds.  It is sometimes referred to as DM-A or simply as DM    more..
     
     
   • SOD1-B: This mutation is Bernese specific. It is referred to as DM-B  more..
     
   
   At least one parent of a litter should be clear for both DM-A and DM-B.  The other parent can be a carrier or affected without the litter being at risk.
   
   
5. Heart:  Cardiac examinations look primarily for sub aortic stenosis (SAS).  SAS is a known problem in Berners, but more data is needed to establish how significant.
   
   Berners with SAS should not be bred  more..

Additional Elective Health Screenings: At least one of the following three tests should be completed. 

1. Histiocytic Sarcoma HS):  Histiocytic sarcoma is a common cancer in Bernese and a frequent cause of death. There is a DNA test and software tool (HSIMS) that breeders can use to estimate the risk of HS in a litter of pups.  Both parents must have had the test to estimate the risk.  more..
   
   Consult with your potential breeder to see if both parents have been tested and the HSIMS software estimation has been run.
   
   
2. von Willebrand (vWD):  There is a DNA test available from several companies that looks for the genetic mutation that causes vWD which is a blood clotting disorder. 16% of Berners are carriers for this mutation.
   
   One or both of the parents should be clear for the vWD mutation. One parent can be a carrier or affected without the litter being at risk  more ..
   
   
3. Autoimmune Thyroditis: Autoimmune thyroditis is the most common cause of primary hypothyroidism which can cause weight gain, hair, and skin problems.
   
   Dogs that test positive for autoimmune thyroditis should not be bred.  more..