Bernese Mountain Dog

The Bernese’s coat is tricolour with:

• Black overall
• Rust-coloured markings on the cheeks, above the eyes, on the four limbs and on the chest
• White blaze on the forehead, white marks on the neck, chest and ideally on the feet and the tip of the tail

The fur is long. The coat is shiny, smooth or wavy.

The eyes are dark brown.

The Bernese is a large and well-balanced working dog. His remarkable appearance is very harmonious and his body is powerful, flexible and well-proportioned.

This big Swiss teddy bear is very affectionate, loves his family and can even be somewhat clingy with his social group.

This dog loves playing with children (but keep an eye on him).

The Bernese Mountain Dog remains immature for a very long time, so playing is a nice way to externalise all his energy, and also to learn in a fun way, as long as games are both entertaining and educational.

“The calm force” perfectly describes this big teddy. Calm, measured, balanced and kind, he is a perfect companion for the young and old.

Be careful though, the Bernese Mountain Dog will need daily physical and mental stimulation to remain calm indoors.

Like many sheepdogs and herding dogs, his intelligence is remarkable. He will quickly understand what is expected of him, but his late maturity may slow down the full grasp of certain lessons.

The Bernese Mountain Dog’s hunting instinct is very restricted, which makes him a rather sociable dog in regards to other domestic animals.

The Bernese Mountain Dog has a pronounced guarding instinct so he can be suspicious of strangers. However, if he does not have to act as a guardian, he is kind to everyone.

Even though he is very suspicious, the Bernese Mountain Dog will never attack, as he will prefer to remain passive while being dissuasive if necessary.

This teddy dog may be a rural type, but he does not appreciate being separated from his master. This makes him a dependent dog, even clingy to his social group. Since he is very protective and faithful, he needs interaction and tenderness.

The faithful fidelity that this Swiss dog has towards his social group means he’s a dog who does not appreciate loneliness. He needs to be surrounded by people that give him all the affection he seeks.

Like many sheepdogs, this Swiss Mountain dog has a great ability to concentrate and listen to his master.

However, he matures very slowly (it usually takes 2 to 3 years longer than other dog breeds for the Bernese to reach maturity), so it is necessary to be patient and to repeat training exercises many times so that he can completely acquire them.

Education needs to start early in this dog breed, especially given its large size: up to 60 kg in males!

Therefore, it will be essential to offer the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy a firm but gentle education based on positive reinforcement training and on the dog's personal learning rhythm.

Teaching him to walk on a lead without pulling should be one of the earliest lessons to work on in order to enjoy safe walks.

The Bernese Mountain Dog has a pronounced bark which he will not hesitate to demonstrate in case of intrusion into his family’s territory. However, this is not his favourite communication tool.

He is very close to his social group and he has a rather limited predatory instinct, so he is unlikely to run away. He prefers to stay with members of his social group.

The Bernese Mountain Dog does not like solitude very much; he is not made to stay alone all day without doing anything. In fact, he can be destructive when feeling impatient and bored.

The greed of this dog will be most notable through his inclination towards training based on motivational treats. However, be careful to avoid excess.

Berners are used for multiple tasks, from herding to cart-pulling.

While it is now rare to see a Bernese Mountain Dog as a herding dog, Berners are still commonly used to deter intruders due to their strong guarding instincts.

Despite his luxurious appearance, this imposing dog knows how to scare any stranger that enters the property of his social group. However, he will remain a passive guardian.

The calmness, sweetness and affection of the Bernese Mountain Dog are perfectly compatible with a first dog adoption. Nevertheless, you must not neglect his early education if you want to avoid extreme behaviour and to control his immense need for energy expenditure.

Even if this big dog is able to adapt to city life (only if the apartment is big enough to host him comfortably), he will certainly prefer life in the great outdoors. Confined places do not really suit him.

His thick coat gives him good protection and allows him to live outdoors as comfortably as indoors. But beware, the Bernese Mountain Dog mustn’t be excluded from his social group. He needs a warm place among his masters.

If he lives in an apartment, several long walks of at least 30 minutes are necessary along with games to keep him busy and active during the day.

Since he was originally a working dog, the Bernese Mountain Dog has the desire and need to be physically stimulated on a daily basis.

He will happily accompany an active master when he jogs; and in terms of agility, he can also show great flexibility.

Like many working dogs, it is very important to offer the Bernese Mountain Dog daily exercise, like physical exercise (long walks, pulling, agility), mental exercise (learning tricks, obedience) or olfactory exercise (tracking).

Unfortunately, the size of this Swiss giant does not allow him to travel easily.

But nothing is impossible, especially if the Bernese Mountain Dog is well-trained and is accustomed, from a young age, to travelling with his masters.

He is not a predator, so the Bernese Mountain Dog will be able to get along with cats if he is used to their presence from a very young age.

Some socialisation training is needed but cohabitation is possible.

Since he is not aggressive at all, rather passive in nature, this big teddy will never seek confrontation with his peers, even with the most reckless of dogs. He will remain impervious to provocation from peers.

Nevertheless, given the large size of this dog, socialisation is very important to avoid incidents and also to keep him under control.

Since he is particularly sweet and friendly, this dog will be the perfect companion for a family with children.

If the children's behaviour annoys him, he will naturally retreat.

However, certain safety rules will need to be put in place to ensure that the cohabitation is healthy and harmonious.

The Bernese Mountain Dog’s character could be compatible with dynamic and active elderly people. On the other hand, his great need for energy expenditure and his incredible power cannot be handled by sedentary elderly people.

The Bernese Mountain Dog’s shedding is quite impressive, especially during the two periods of biannual shedding: in the fall and spring.

The lifespan of the Bernese Mountain Dog is between 8 to 10 years.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a rustic dog. Although robust enough by nature, he is affected by several diseases. And, like many large dogs, he will be predisposed to certain physical problems, especially if his masters are not careful about his growth and his morphology when he is performing certain physical activities (e.g. pulling, agility).

The heat will not be a problem as long as the Bernese has access to continuous fresh water and a spot in the shade to rest.

His thick coat and his great courage make this dog very resistant to bad and sometimes extreme weather conditions.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is very greedy and if he does not get enough exercise, he could quickly gain weight.
Therefore, it is important to give him daily rations adapted to his physical condition. Avoid giving him food between meals but make sure to meet his need for energy expenditure.
 

• Hip dysplasia
• Gastric dilatation-volvulus syndrome (GDV)
• Otitis
• Ectropion
• Histiocytosis: cancer that affects about 20% of this dog breed

This dog of Swiss origin (near Bern hence his name) comes, like all dogs of the molosser category, from the Tibetan Mastiffs adopted by ancient Rome before spreading through Europe following the Roman legions. From this dog followed the Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund, the Appenzeller Sennenhund, the Entlebucher Sennenhund and of course, the Berner Sennenhund. The different types vary according to their geographical region.

Originally, the Bernese was used for his guarding and herding qualities; now he is mainly considered a family dog, although he is still occasionally employed in mountain rescue scenarios.