Pet Advisor Blog
Bernese Mountain Dog – Dog Breed Guide
Breed summary
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Introduction
Big and strong with an air of confidence, the Bernese Mountain Dogs are quite an attention grabbers for their size and exceptional good looks. Among the Swiss Sennenhund, the Berner Mountain Dog breed is the only one with a longer and fuller coat covering their huge squarely built bodies. This breed is one multifaceted working dog that excels in tracking, herding, ideal watchdog traits, keen guardians and superior strength to pull carts loaded with heavy cargo. They might be muscular giants, but this Swiss mountain dog breed is a gentle one. They show great obedience, so great that most excel in competitive obedience competitions. They act like rock stars and perform like athletes, unfortunately for this breed; they are also prone to die young. Berner’s life expectancy is just 8 years maximum and most dogs don’t reach the age of six. This is due to a type of cancer that is prone to affect the breed. This cancer is still being researched today.
Official Name
Bernese mountain dog
Other Name
Berner Sennenhund
Berner Sennen
Berner
Origin
Date – Ancient Roman Times / Country – Switzerland
Family / Group – Guardian, Working, Mastiff
History
They are known to be one of four native Swiss dogs descended from crossing Switzerland’s early herding dogs with the ancient Roman Legion’s mastiffs, the Bernese Mountain Dog is a large and powerful breed with roots to the ancient world. They were named for the canton of Bern and originally developed to be an all-purpose farm dog that is strong enough to pull carts, smart enough to drive cattle and alert enough to be ideal guard dogs. Although their lines can be traced even before the Classical Age, little is known about the Bernese Mountain Dog and has just been put to the spotlight when European breeders brought and introduced it to the American dog world in 1926.
Personality
For such a big sized dog, the Berner as it is fondly called is quite easy-going and gentle. They have this dignified aura and show confidence in every movement. There are occasions that these dogs would be aloof to strangers, but it is just a natural instinct for them to be wary. All in all, once you get to know the dog, they will eventually get along with everyone. This friendly and docile trait makes them ideal pets for families with children of all ages and other pets.
Bred For
Strength and working attitude as an all-purpose farm dog. They pull carts, drive cattle and guard the entire farm.
Environment
These are dogs not recommended for apartment life. Homes with at least a large and fenced-in yard would be the ideal living condition for them. The dog breed’s thick coats make them sensitive to hotter climates and would be happier in colder areas.
Grooming
This breed is a seasonal, heavy shedder. Grooming their long thick coats is a necessity and must be done daily if able or weekly at the least. This breed is a seasonal, heavy shedder.
Training
They are easy to train and will pick-up every lesson in a short period of time.
Health
Life expectancy is very short for a large breed. Berners tend to die before reaching the age of six. Some are known to reach 8 years old, which is their maximum lifespan. The Bernese mountain dog is prone to bloat cancer and eyelid problems, hip and elbow dysplasia
Exercise
The Bernese mountain dog was bred to be all-around workers with impressive strength to do all sorts of tasks. This high energy makes their exercise needs a bit demanding. Long daily walks, preferable with a pack, is the least you can do if you have one as a house pet. Having them trained to pull carts or wagons and even signing them up for competitive contests like these would make them happy and content.