Preventing Anxiety in Bernese Mountain Dog Puppies

A 9-week-old Bernese and a breeder who's already flagged the anxiety risk — that's actually a really good position to be in. You're thinking about this before it becomes a problem, which makes a real difference. Is your pup settling in okay so far, or are you already noticing any nervy behaviour at home?

The night whining is almost certainly just normal — he's just left his mum and littermates, so that's expected. But you're right to take the breeder's warning seriously. Berners are a velcro breed. They bond deeply and that's part of what makes them wonderful, but it also means separation anxiety is a genuine risk if the foundations aren't laid carefully. A couple of quick questions: are you at home most of the day right now, and do you have a crate set up for him?

That's a good setup, and working from home is helpful — but it's also worth building in short solo time deliberately, so he learns from the start that being alone is safe and normal. The biggest thing I'd add right now is an Adaptil Junior puppy collar. It releases a synthetic version of the pheromone mother dogs produce to calm their pups, and it works continuously without you having to do anything. At this age, during the critical socialisation window, it can genuinely help his nervous system build a calmer baseline. It's not a fix-all, but paired with short planned absences and crate training, it gives his brain the best chance of developing without anxiety as the default.

The Adaptil Junior collar lasts around four weeks and is designed specifically for puppies up to around 12 weeks. After that, if you want to continue the pheromone support — which is worth considering given what the breeder said — you'd move onto the standard Adaptil collar or the plug-in diffuser. But honestly, the most important thing alongside the collar is the behavioural habit-building now. Start leaving him alone for just five minutes at a time, build it up very gradually, and never make a fuss of arrivals or departures. That combination — calm chemistry plus calm routine — is what sets a Berner up well.

Good move — and well done for getting ahead of it at 9 weeks. Most people only look for help once it's already a problem. If you notice anything that feels like more than normal settling-in behaviour as he grows, come back and we can look at next steps. You're starting this right.