Fans of The View will recognize Joy Behar’s dog Bernie, who has appeared on the political talk show for many years. Joy Behar, 82, named her pooch — full name Bernie Behar — after senator Bernie Sanders. More specifically, the dog’s Instagram account, which has over 40,000 followers, humorously says that he was “named after Bernie Sanders who believes in universal single payer veterinary care for all animals.” Here’s more info on Behar’s dog, including his breed and age.
How old is Joy Behar’s dog Bernie?
Joy Behar’s dog Bernie is seven years old, as of February 12, 2025, and will be eight on April 1.
Bernie Behar’s birth date was confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on April 1, 2020 that celebrated his third birthday. Joy first introduced Bernie as her new puppy on the show on July 17, 2017 in a segment with Bernie Sanders, which means that she adopted the dog from a shelter when it was roughly two months old. The first post on the dog’s Instagram account was made a few months later on October 20, 2017.
The typical lifespan for a dog of his breed is usually 11 to 16 years, so Bernie is well within his adult years.
What breed is Joy Behar’s dog Bernie?
Joy Behar has confirmed her dog Bernie to be a purebred Shih Tzu, which is one of the most popular breeds in New York City.
As described in The View’s first pooch pageant in 2023, Bernie was described as a dog that “loves attention, long walks, and relieving himself.” Joy amusingly called him a fine actor, “the Marlon Brando of Shih Tzus.”
Earlier that year, though, the View host had a scare when Bernie fled the house after hearing fireworks on July 4. The Shih Tzu escaped in a panic, leading Joy and her husband Steve Janowitz to run out into the streets with a flashlight in their pitch-black neighborhood. They even called the police to help assist in the search for the missing pup. Fortunately, Bernie was found at a police station, dispelling fears that he had been lost or stolen.
