Back 40 Berners

The McCrary Family

Breeder of Bernese Mountain Dogs

  • Eureka, MT
  • Responds within a few hours

Meet the breeder

I'm The McCrary Family, the breeder behind Back 40 Berners located in Eureka, MT. We are a small, in-home breeder of champion/imported Bernese Mountain Dogs. Our dogs are first our companions, not kennel dogs. We believe that breeding should be done to better the breed, and have chosen the best lines to import from Europe as our foundation for our program. Our dogs have done well in European show rings. Bourne earned a championship in Hungary and his pedigree can be traced directly back to the first Bernese in Switzerland in 1906. Puppies are raised in our home. We provide life-long support to our puppy families.

Q. & A. with The McCrary Family

  • Why did you start breeding?

    Our journey into breeding and showing started with Shelties in the early 2000's. Debbie had grown up with Shelties, so we found a couple of mentors who helped us learn a lot about ethical breeding and showing, which we have carried over into our current program. When our last Sheltie passed and we moved out west, we began researching breeds that would thrive in the mountains, and decided on a Berner.

  • What makes your program special?

    We believe that breeding should be done to better the breed, and as such have imported from some of the best European lines as the foundation of our program. We keep a small number of dogs so that our adult dogs and puppies can be spoiled with lots of love and attention in our home and not in kennels. We also do early neurological stimulation and puppy culture protocols with our puppies.

  • Where do your breeding dogs live?

    They live in my home.

Matched dogs

These dogs are already reserved or have gone home.

Getting a puppy from The McCrary Family

The McCrary Family has been certified by Good Dog’s screening team for responsible and trusted breeding practices. When you’re ready to reach out, feel free to ask any questions about the breed, their program, or specific puppies.

Together, you’ll choose the puppy that’s right for you, stay in touch with regular updates, and plan how to bring your new puppy home.

Price

Puppy prices include a $500 non-refundable deposit and $3,000 final payment, before taxes & fees.

“Includes limited AKC registration, first vaccinations/health check by vet, ENS/puppy culture protocols, and lots of love and socialization! Deposit is non-refundable, but can be transferred to another litter if necessary.”

Contract & health guarantee

The McCrary Family may provide a written contract or health guarantee when you purchase a puppy. This helps protect both you and your breeder, ensuring that you both have a clear understanding of the terms of your puppy purchase. If The McCrary Family offers a contract or guarantee, the details will be personalized by them. If you have any questions or want to know more, don’t hesitate to reach out to The McCrary Family directly.

Always communicate and pay on Good Dog.Learn more

What’s included

    • From Good Dog
      • Lifetime support from Good Dog’s Care Team
      • 10% lifetime discount on Figo pet insurance
      • Puppy Training Program & private community
    • Puppy health practices
      • Vet check
      • First round of shots and deworming

Location & pick-up

You can drive or fly to pick up your puppy from The McCrary Family.

Breeder’s location

Meet in Eureka, MT

4829 miles away

·

Other pick-up locations

Meet at Glacier Park Airport

4840 miles away

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Flexible meeting point

The McCrary Family can meet at a location that works for both of you

More about The McCrary Family

  • Certifications & recognitions

    Certificate of Pre-Breeding.

  • The McCrary Family has been a member of Good Dog for almost 4 years

    The McCrary Family was screened for responsible practices and has been a member since 2022.

  • The McCrary Family’s links

The McCrary Family is a trusted Good Dog breeder

Back 40 Berners meets or exceeds our community standards in these areas:

  • Responsible breeding practices
  • Health of breeding dogs and puppies
  • Puppy environment and enrichment
  • Buyer education and policies

Parent dogs

Parent health testing

Breeder-Reported Testing

Excellent level

Back 40 Berners reports to performing the health tests below on their breeding dogs. Ask your breeder about the tests performed on the parents of your litter. Learn more about health testing for Bernese Mountain Dogs.

  • Hip Dysplasia (Preliminary), Hip Dysplasia

    Hip testing reduces the chance of passing down hip dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause hip pain and the eventual loss of the function of the hip joint.

  • Elbow Dysplasia Finals (OFA, BVA, SV, FCI), Elbow Dysplasia (Preliminary)

    Elbow testing reduces the chance of passing down elbow dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause arthritis in the elbow joint and front leg lameness.

  • Eye Certification (CAER, registered with OFA)

    Eye testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide range of hereditary eye illnesses including retinal dysplasia, lens luxation, and glaucoma, which can cause impared vision or blindness.

  • Cardiac Evaluation (registered with OFA)

    Heart testing reduces the chance of passing down congenital heart disease, which can cause a range of symptoms ranging from trouble exercising to heart failure.

  • DNA Profile, Degenerative Myelopathy (DM; SOD1B), Bernese Mountain Dog Type, Degenerative Myelopathy (DM; SOD1A), von Willebrand Disease I (vWD I)

    Genetic testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide variety of hereditary diseases of differing prevalence and severity such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (an eye disease) and Von Willebrand's Disease (a blood disease).

Verified owner stories

Hear what other owners say about working with The McCrary Family to bring home their puppies.

  • Ryan T.

    Verified owner · May 2024

      • +8

    Wow, we couldn't have asked for a better experience in getting our first dog. Sam at Back40Berners has been there every step of the way and beyond. From the very beginning, she sent photos on the day Koa was born until the day we met her at the airport to bring her home. We flew to Montana to visit the puppies at just 4 weeks and got to see all the litter. It was a long travel day but worth it to see them at that tiny size. Being that this was our first puppy, we had no idea how much responsibility and effort it those first 3 months would be, but again Sam was always available to support us along the way with advice about food, diarrhea remedies, vet advice and even Koa's first heat cycle. Sam also posts pupdates on social media so we can keep up with others in the litter and see the new litters on the way. We really couldn't have hoped for a better breeder. She truly cares about her dogs and their well-being.

  • JL

    Jeana L.

    Verified owner · May 2023

    Our experience with Back 40 Berners was incredible. They were so easy to contact with questions, made the adoption process easy, and were so flexible. But most importantly to us, they clearly love these pups like family. I cannot recommend them highly enough. We love our sweet girl!

Photos

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Health testing is one key piece of responsible breeding and is performed on breeding dogs to prevent the presence of heritable conditions in their puppies.

Health testing is one key piece of responsible breeding and is performed on breeding dogs to prevent the presence of heritable conditions in their puppies.

Health testing is one key piece of responsible breeding and is performed on breeding dogs to prevent the presence of heritable conditions in their puppies.

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