Hi all

So I'm still researching on if it should get a Bernese , but a neighbor tow doors down is getting a Leonberger and he said that Leo's are healthier compared to the bernese mountain dog? Is this true? I'm not interested in a leo was just interested to see if this is true?

I'm not sure they are hugely. I don't know a great deal about them health wise but a friend in the village is on her second. Her first one reached about 7 years but was put to sleep due to cancer. I don't think they are a long lived breed either like many of the giant breeds

He told me they don't live long he just in terms of health there healthier compared to a Bernese.

They a re pretty healthy especially FOR A Giant breed.

Since they came into the UK the breed club and breeders have concentrated on keeping Hip Scores low.

I knew a breeder who bred around 15 - 20 years ago and she did get some cases of Anal Furunculosis, but it was manageable, I suspect this may come from  the GSD even though it isn't stated to be a breed in the ancestry, I have always thought there had to be..

They do require extensive health testing now, hips, elbows, eyes and a range of dna tests. The genepool is fairly small compared to the Bernese.
I would say that cancer is also a problem in the breed too.
Worth chatting to a few breeders.  Breed club secretaries generally are a very goos source of information and worth contacting them too for both Leos and Bernese.
Before i go a Bernese i considered rescue and spoke to the breed club rescue, she is on here too and got lots of valuable advice and ahe spoke frankly about health.

From whats been written so far they seem to be a 'heartbreak dog' with very little quality of life to enjoy, so much wrong across the breed, born simply to 'survive' for intended human pleasure (in theory) - said in human terms without other options

" very little quality of life to enjoy " from what I can see the biggest problem with the breed atm is cancers . yes that is life shortening but otherwise the majority live very normal healthy lives albeit shorter . they arnt alone with this and its obvious that there is work being done to improve this problem as there is in flat coats a breed I own. They too have a very similar problem with the same cancers but again serious work is being done to resolve this .  Hopefully in time we will be able to improve the lifespan in both breeds and learn more to help others. cancer very sadly is one of the highest causes of death in both humans and dogs
It hasn't put me off owning fcr and it wouldn't if I if I were to decide to own a bernese

I lost my last one age 9 with cancer he had an amazing life. At least its a better age than say many of the giant breeds who average around 7yrs.

with the breed atm is cancers

Im not sure it is just that breed, DCM has 'noticebly' been on the increase with many breeds on mainland Europe as well as here this past 2 decades.

In this breed it was dm that was being referred to not dcm ( dilated cardio mylopathy) two different illnesses unless i have misread somewhere. Not sure where the dcm comment apply here
There are tests for.dm that should be done before breeding that in time hopefully will breed out that disease

I agree suejaw definitely had a good quality  of.life .my fcr was 10 when we lost her to her third tumour again her life was not compromised in anyway .imo we should as we are, be researching a solution to the disease and not by allowing a breed to die out

Not sure where the dcm comment apply here

It was a mistake on my part, reading all stuff on Bernese I got mixed up when cancer was mentioned & thought of DCM which is on an increase curve.
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easily done , I had to read it twice to make sure what I was talking about