Bernese Mountain Dog

Bernese Mountain Dog

(The “Berner”)

 Where did the Bernese Mountain Dog (Often fondly called the “Berner”) come from? The answer to that is a bit fuzzy because the breed seems to go back more than 2000 years. Apparently they first evolved when the Romans invaded the Alps in the first century BC. The Romans brought mastiff-type dogs with them as herd dogs, and these mastiffs probably cross-bred with local farm dogs from the Alps to produce the four breeds of Swiss mountain dogs: the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, the Bernese Mountain Dog, the Appenzeller, and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog. The first paintings and written records of the Berner appear around the 17^th century.

 According to Dogtime the Swiss dog club sponsored a class for Swiss "shepherd dogs," including the Mountain dogs, at an international dog show in Bern in 1904. At that time the dogs were first referred to as "Bernese," In that same year, the Swiss Kennel Club first recognized the Bernese Mountain Dog as a breed. The breed was soon recognized by many kennel clubs around the world, but the American Kennel Club (AKC) did not recognize the Bernese Mountain Dog until 1937.

 What does the Berner look like? He's a working dog, so he is fairly big. The male will reach about 25 to 27 inches at the shoulders, and weigh around 100 pounds. The female is slightly smaller, perhaps around an inch shorter. When properly groomed, the Bernese Mountain Dog is a beautiful dog. He is the only one of the Swiss mountain dogs with a long, thick, shiny coat, and it is one of his highlights. The coat is black with a white chest and rust colored markings on the face above the eyes and by the sides of mouth, on the front of the legs, and some around the white chest. Of course that coat can also keep his owner busy. The Berner sheds year round, and needs weekly brushing. He also has a dense undercoat,  and when he sheds that undercoat he wants daily grooming.

 He developed as a working dog, but does he make a good pet? As usual, the circumstances determine the answer. A Bernese Mountain Dog is a fairly big dog who was originally meant to be a farm dog in Switzerland. As a result, he doesn't belong in an apartment. In addition, he has a thick coat and likes colder weather – in fact, he likes playing in snow. He'll overheat easily in hot weather and so isn't suitable for the warmer climates.

 On the other hand,  Berners are faithful, loyal, intelligent, and affectionate. Most of all, they seem to want to be with and to please their masters. A Berner will become unhappy and probably develop bad behavior if left out in the yard alone or otherwise ignored for too much time. But he will learn to pull sleds and carts; in fact, some kennel clubs have competitive events of this sort for Bernese Mountain Dogs. They are gentle and can be good with children, although they are big dogs and can inadvertently knock over a small child. Also, Berners usually get along well with other animals.

 But this breed does have some health problems resulting from inbreeding. Towards the end of the 19^th century and the beginning of the 20^th century, new types of transportation came along, and the Swiss farmers no longer needed the Bernese Mountain Dog to pull carts. The breed was more or less neglected and came close to extinction until some breeders set out to register the breed and save it. By then the pure gene pool was small, and the breeders insistence of purity of breed led to inbreeding. This inbreeding has given the Berners a greater susceptibility to cancer and musculoskeletal diseases than other breeds of similar size. A Bernese Mountain Dog's life expectancy is about 6 to seven years, whereas that of most other breeds of similar size is 10 to 12 years.

 Besides having a short life, Berner puppies can be fragile and need extra care. The dogs usually have a major growth spurt during the second four months of their lives, and can easily suffer bone and joint injuries. In fact, a Berner's joints may not be fully developed until he is about two years old, and playing on hard pavement before then is not safe.

 So there you have it. The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large, affectionate, gentile, good-looking dog. But his fragile puppy-hood, short life span, and likelihood of illness in his final years suggest that you'll only have a healthy canine friend for a few years. During those few years, however, he'll be the most loyal friend you could want.

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Bernese Mountain Dog

(The “Berner”)

Where did the Bernese Mountain Dog (Often fondly called the “Berner”) come from? The answer to that is a bit fuzzy because the breed seems to go back more than 2000 years. Apparently they first evolved when the Romans invaded the Alps in the first century BC. The Romans brought mastiff-type dogs with them as herd dogs, and these mastiffs probably cross-bred with local farm dogs from the Alps to produce the four breeds of Swiss mountain dogs: the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, the Bernese Mountain Dog, the Appenzeller, and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog. The first paintings and written records of the Berner appear around the 17^th century.

According to Dogtime the Swiss dog club sponsored a class for Swiss "shepherd dogs," including the Mountain dogs, at an international dog show in Bern in 1904. At that time the dogs were first referred to as "Bernese," In that same year, the Swiss Kennel Club first recognized the Bernese Mountain Dog as a breed. The breed was soon recognized by many kennel clubs around the world, but the American Kennel Club (AKC) did not recognize the Bernese Mountain Dog until 1937.

What does the Berner look like? He's a working dog, so he is fairly big. The male will reach about 25 to 27 inches at the shoulders, and weigh around 100 pounds. The female is slightly smaller, perhaps around an inch shorter. When properly groomed, the Bernese Mountain Dog is a beautiful dog. He is the only one of the Swiss mountain dogs with a long, thick, shiny coat, and it is one of his highlights. The coat is black with a white chest and rust colored markings on the face above the eyes and by the sides of mouth, on the front of the legs, and some around the white chest. Of course that coat can also keep his owner busy. The Berner sheds year round, and needs weekly brushing. He also has a dense undercoat,  and when he sheds that undercoat he wants daily grooming.

He developed as a working dog, but does he make a good pet? As usual, the circumstances determine the answer. A Bernese Mountain Dog is a fairly big dog who was originally meant to be a farm dog in Switzerland. As a result, he doesn't belong in an apartment. In addition, he has a thick coat and likes colder weather – in fact, he likes playing in snow. He'll overheat easily in hot weather and so isn't suitable for the warmer climates.

On the other hand,  Berners are faithful, loyal, intelligent, and affectionate. Most of all, they seem to want to be with and to please their masters. A Berner will become unhappy and probably develop bad behavior if left out in the yard alone or otherwise ignored for too much time. But he will learn to pull sleds and carts; in fact, some kennel clubs have competitive events of this sort for Bernese Mountain Dogs. They are gentle and can be good with children, although they are big dogs and can inadvertently knock over a small child. Also, Berners usually get along well with other animals.

But this breed does have some health problems resulting from inbreeding. Towards the end of the 19^th century and the beginning of the 20^th century, new types of transportation came along, and the Swiss farmers no longer needed the Bernese Mountain Dog to pull carts. The breed was more or less neglected and came close to extinction until some breeders set out to register the breed and save it. By then the pure gene pool was small, and the breeders insistence of purity of breed led to inbreeding. This inbreeding has given the Berners a greater susceptibility to cancer and musculoskeletal diseases than other breeds of similar size. A Bernese Mountain Dog's life expectancy is about 6 to seven years, whereas that of most other breeds of similar size is 10 to 12 years.

Besides having a short life, Berner puppies can be fragile and need extra care. The dogs usually have a major growth spurt during the second four months of their lives, and can easily suffer bone and joint injuries. In fact, a Berner's joints may not be fully developed until he is about two years old, and playing on hard pavement before then is not safe.

So there you have it. The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large, affectionate, gentile, good-looking dog. But his fragile puppy-hood, short life span, and likelihood of illness in his final years suggest that you'll only have a healthy canine friend for a few years. During those few years, however, he'll be the most loyal friend you could want.