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As a general rule, anyone who would ship a dog to you, sight unseen without really knowing where they are sending this pup, is not reputable and in it just for the money.  THEY don't know if they are sending to a testing lab, or true loving owner in the end.

So I would start with the Cane Corso club and Rescue - those are your best sources for referral, although no guarantee all are reputable (every club has non-reputable that they can't get rid of).

http://www.canecorso.org/

Rescue is your best option since those who rescue, know who is doing what, and who's dogs they are taking in - so they often know the most reputable out there.  And you could consider a rescue first anyway.....

There is an excellant software available in which you can calculate the co-efficient variance in your breeding program which will tell you just how inbred your dogs are. 

I can't speak for other breeds, but in my breed the best breeders always provide a pedigree with the inbreeding coefficient. For novice buyers, they educate on the coefficient and what it means (unfortunately, most novice buyers don't first learn on their own what is considered acceptable vs. not which is needed in order to evaluate).

Some breeds are in better shape than others, but in mine, I wouldn't touch a half brother/sister scenario - I have not seen anything but shorter lifespan come from it in my breed and can't find a  great case example to point to that will justify it.  There is certainly less control with outcrosses as has been noted, but in breeds as dire as mine, it is deemed necessary to start building a wider immune response, which has become far too narrow today.  As just one example, my breeder has phenomenal longevity in her line, until she linebred trying to capitalize on that great longevity - the production from that linebreeding just passed away at 8.5 years, while their mom is still alive at 12 and maintaining that longevity.  I am just not seeing good results but watching closely.

As an aside, my current girl has linebreeding on each side of her pedigree - 5th generation in on the sire side, and 3rd generation in on the dam side - but the sire and dam don't have a single dog in common in over 12 generations!  Now THAT'S an outcross   Time will tell whether it helps or hurts my girl so I will keep you posted......

Given what you describe, he could have medial shoulder laxity:

http://www.vetsportsmedicine.com/resourceCenter/documents/VOSMNwstrFallFINAL11.20.08.pdf

But OCD of the shoulder should also be ruled out, especially given his age

You need to go to an orthopedic specialist for a valid diagnosis.  A shoulder abduction test can be done by a qualified orthopedist, but your regular vet will not be equipped (and has not been schooled in this or other diagnostic measures).  X-rays could reveal OCD, but wont detect medial instability.  If the shoulder abduction test is not conclusive, then an MRI is usually the only other definitive tool.

The OFA (panel of radiologists) grades shoulders and the shoulder joint and this is a good route to go for the cost, relative to a lot of testing by local practioners - you get a 3 panel assessment (3 opinions) for the cost and so its a good deal.

I applaud you for recognizing the behavior for what it is - so many are not aware of what a "body standover" is and means.

According to most behaviorists I have spoken to, including Patricia McConnell, a body standover is one of THE most offensive gestures in the canine world.  Dogs are individuals and how each one responds to offensive acts by others varies and runs the gamut, but for the dog who takes this for the status seeking motive that it is, it could spell big trouble and is best to always prevent it.  One of my girls, Gracie is a great example of a sweet natured and dog social dog but there are two things she will NOT tolerate:  being mounted or taking a body standover.

The best thing you can do is to prevent the set-up and never allow him to cock his head over the neck/back of another - either by pulling him back with the leash, or taking him by the collar (if offleash) and gently turning him away while teaching a "cue" such as "leave it", "off", or "look at me".  Once he knows the cue, you should be able to verbally redirect him.  To best teach the cue, use high reward food treats to lure him off of things while saying the cue word. 

My dogs all know "look at me" for example and I find this to be the single best command we have.  It is super easy to teach - every time my dog looks at me, I clicked and treated.  After several times of looking at me, and recognizing the pattern that "I get a reward when I look at her" - I started saying the cue "look at me" and re-inforced it.  It took no time for them to learn the cue and now I can control any distraction with the cue or prevent my girls from focusing on a dog with crude social skills (who is about to do something offensive and for which I am trying to avoid having anyone get offended).

If you start now, you should have no trouble teaching this command and controlling the status seeking.  Last case scenario, getting yelled at by dogs he offends may be the best teaching as well, as long as no one means harm and is focused on just verbally discplining.

Either "slipped hocks" or hock laxity most likely - both of which will cause degeneration and arthritis over time.

Clicking is not normal and should never be ignored - definitely time for x-rays.  I just placed a foster boy who had horrible slipped hocks (puppymill dog purchased from a petstore) - the hock popped forward so badly it was amazing he could walk - and the clicking had been going on for so long that he had a partially torn tendon - a common outcome of hock laxity and exertion.  We did surgery on him and his new forever family has been great about doing rehab.  I had him fitted for a hock brace for him to wear on walks etc to stabilize the joint - this is usually all that is needed (and a lot of good joint supplements) to keep things intact.

Hi Juliets - I am happy to hear you are interested in my breed and working to do your homework - always refreshing to hear.  I have been in Berners for a long time, am a member of the national club and my local club, as well as Berner Rescue for Southern California.  I have plenty that I can share on the breed, getting started, and breeders if you're interested.

I can't speak for other breeds, but I can speak for the Bernese community in the U.S. and Canada - and can offer this:  NO reputable breeder charges more for a show dog and I can repeat NOT ONE SINGLE ONE that I could point you to.  The fact is, the best breeders in this breed are trying to breed for the betterment of the breed and many, for top titles - because they do all of the health testing (including hips, elbows, thyroid, eyes and often heart and shoulders as well) which becomes costly, they sell each pup, male or female, show quality or not, for the same price believing they are all worth the same (and aren't they?).  If this doesn't sound like the people you have been speaking to, then you are likely not yet finding the good breeders.

Because these breeders often have wait lists, I am not familiar with any of them giving the top pick or two to a first time buyer - BUT if you were to go to shows, show commitment to learning and seeking mentoring, it is possible if a relationship is established.  Depending on your reasons for wanting to breed, they may or may not want to mentor and work with you.

Bernese Breed Stewards are a great way for referrals - in this breed, the breed stewards know who is having puppies in the next 6 months and who already has them on the ground. They further know pedigrees and dogs firsthand (and very experienced in the breed) and have signed a contract and code of ethics to only refer to those breeders who are complying with the Bernese Code of Ethics for breeding.  The stewards are listed by state on the BMDCA website, but you can contact absolutely any one of them regardless of location.  I highly recommend you contact those stewards who are NOT breeders themselves (and therefore have nothing to gain) and they will be willing to educate on what to look for and breeders to contact.  Feel free to contact me for specific recommendation s on stewards and breeders.

Here are some red flags however to watch out for:  If any of these exist, I would encourage you to walk away:

--They charge a deposit (no reputable breeder in this breed charges money up front and does not need to - its not about the money)

--They charge more for females or show pups (this should be obvious but again, is not about the betterment of the breed)

--They do not do all of the health testing on all dogs - you should be able to review the certifications on both parents, their parents and all of their siblings.

--They are not involved in any breed activities, such as showing, drafting, etc. and as a result do not have any mentors in the community.  All good breeders get their start from other good breeders.

--As a result of the above, they breed exclusively their own dogs.  They have one male they breed to all of their females, regardless of strengths and weaknesses.  The best breeders go outside their own, at least occasionally to find the best mate for their dog, who will best complement their dog.

--They sell directly over the internet, having never met you, and will ship the puppy to you (I don't know a single breeder, over 20 who will do this and the BMDCA does not condone it).  Making initial contact with a breeder over the internet is perfercly appropriate, but they should then be working to get to know you by phone, interviewing you at length, and usually expect you to come and pick up the puppy in person.  I have always flown to pick up my Berners firsthand.

--Another great sign is they show pics of dogs on their website with horrible structure and conformation, but only show the dog from the front, or sitting in a "sloppy sit" position - never properly positioned to see the full structure. They are breeding dogs of poor type but don't know it.

--Use OFFA.org and bernergarde.or g to research pedigrees and health certifications .  The Berner resource makes it very easy to see the backyard breeders and mills.

--Always ask the weight and height of the parents - a good first start at assessing whether the dogs even meet the breed type.  If the male is 80 lbs., walk away because this is not a breeder selecting for proper breed traits and the proper amount of "bone". Eyes should not be round, heads should not be domed, ears should not be set low, the tail should not be "gay" set and look like an Akita arched over the back etc.

A few easy tips: 

When reviewing pedigrees, look for a dog called ARTUR Z LOUCCKE KOTLINY - one of the, if not THE most overbred puppymill dogs and thought to be the backbone of the mill auction business in the U.S. (his owner is THE broker who is credited with establishing the breed in mills and petstores by importing the first dogs from eastern european countries without health certification standards and registries such as Hungary and Russia).  This dog's owner was the focus of the BMDCA and the Newf Club of America's rescue and legislative efforts for several years.

Look for dogs originating from Hungary or Russia as a result - not a good sign.

Is this fitting what you have found?

I asked how old his dog was, and then told him how cute it was and made up this completely untrue story about how Sammy got hurt jogging when he was little, and my vet told me that it's not at all safe for puppies to run like that, on a leash, and it was really expensive to treat his injury, etc etc.  That poor puppy. The guy walked away with the dog, at least, and I do hope he'll go online and look up appropriate activities for a puppy!!

Well Done!!!!  I hope he heeded your warning too for the sake of that puppy.

Hiking...off leash, where Sammy controls his pace (which you should notice is a lot of trotting, and stopping) is great and you can build up his endurance and muscle strength for this.

Jogging no - very bad for his joints and he is not built for this, even though he is undersized for a Berner.

To determine how much to do with him now at this age, you should be x-raying his hips and elbows.  You need to know now whether there is dysplasia there so you can take preventative measures now (mild dysplasia may not show up arthritically until age 4 so you want to know now) and determine how heavy of activities you can appropriately do with him. If his hips and elbows are cleared by a radiologist, or ideally the OFA, then drafting and hiking are great activities and he can ultimately go several miles.

Berners are not built for endurance however so a lot of stopping is their usual M.O.