Bernese Mountain Dog

The Bernese Mountain Dog is one of four Swiss mountain breeds, a big, solidly built dog originally put to work on farms in the canton of Bern. It hauled carts, helped move cattle and kept watch over the property. Most people recognise the breed straight away by its tricolour coat of black, white and rust.

For all its size, the temperament is steady and affectionate. Adults typically weigh between 70 and 115 pounds, but indoors they are calm and gentle with family members of every age. They form tight bonds with their household and would rather be underfoot than left to their own devices in another room.

Anyone considering the breed should be prepared for a fairly short lifespan of around 7 to 10 years, and for the grooming, space and exercise a dog of this size and coat needs.

Who it suits

The breed suits a household with room to move, time for daily grooming and people who are around most days. It works well for families with children and can suit first-time owners prepared to commit to training and coat care. It is a poor fit for a small flat, a hot climate, or a home where the dog would be left alone through long workdays.

The breed originated in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, where farmers kept big tricolour dogs to pull carts, move dairy cattle and guard the homestead. These were working dogs first and foremost, bred for strength and a level temperament rather than looks. One old name for the type was Durrbachler, after the village of Durrbach where many were kept.

Numbers fell away by the late nineteenth century as mechanisation took over the farm work these dogs had always done. Swiss breed enthusiasts began organised efforts to save the type around the turn of the twentieth century, and the geologist and dog expert Professor Albert Heim is credited with promoting and helping standardise the Swiss mountain breeds, the Bernese among them, in the early 1900s.

A Swiss breed club was founded in 1907, which helped settle the standard and encourage more consistent breeding. The dog was named Berner Sennenhund, the alpine herdsman's dog from Bern.

The breed arrived in the United States in the 1920s and gained American Kennel Club recognition in 1937. It is one of four related Swiss mountain breeds, alongside the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, the Appenzeller and the Entlebucher. In Australia, pedigree Bernese are registered through Dogs Australia, the national body for purebred dog registration.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is big and solidly built, with a broad chest, a level back and a body a touch longer than it is tall. The skull is flat on top with a moderate stop, and the dark brown eyes give the face a gentle expression. The ears are medium sized, triangular and set high, hanging close to the head. The tail is bushy and carried low when the dog is resting.

Coat and colours

The coat is the breed's defining feature. The base colour is jet black, with rust or tan markings above each eye, on the cheeks, down the sides of the chest, on all four legs and under the tail. White shows up as a blaze running up the muzzle and forehead, a chest marking often shaped like an inverted cross, and commonly on the feet and tail tip. The double coat sheds steadily all year and more heavily during seasonal coat blowouts.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is good-natured and devoted, bonding closely with its family and preferring to be in the same room as its people rather than off on its own, sometimes called a velcro tendency. It is patient and gentle with children, though given the dog's size, supervision around very young kids is sensible.

The breed is typically calm and a little reserved with strangers rather than pushy or aggressive. Many dogs will watch and alert to visitors but settle once properly introduced. Early socialisation helps a naturally cautious pup grow into a confident adult, and the breed usually gets on well with other dogs and household pets, particularly when raised together.

Drive is steady, low to moderate rather than high strung, and these dogs generally take household routines and noise in their stride. Because they are sensitive, calm and consistent handling gets the best results, and harsh correction tends to knock their confidence.

Grooming

• Brush two to three times a week, and daily during seasonal shedding, to keep loose hair under control and stop mats forming
• Pay attention to the feathering behind the ears, on the legs and under the tail, where tangles form first
• Bathe every one to two months, or as needed
• Trim nails every few weeks and check ears regularly for dirt or moisture
• Brush teeth several times a week

Exercise

• Aim for about 30 to 60 minutes of activity a day
• Walks, hikes and a run around the backyard all suit the breed well
• Many enjoy draught work such as cart pulling, a nod to the breed's working history
• Avoid hard exercise in the heat, and go easy on high-impact activity in pups while their joints are still developing

Environment

The breed does best with space and a cool climate. The heavy coat struggles in hot, humid weather, so air conditioning and shade indoors matter over an Australian summer, when many regions run hot and dry, conditions this alpine breed did not evolve for. These dogs want to live indoors with the family rather than be kept outside alone. A house with a yard suits them well, though a settled adult can manage on less space given enough daily exercise.

The Bernese Mountain Dog does well on a complete diet formulated for large breeds. During growth, a large-breed puppy food with controlled calcium and energy levels helps the skeleton develop at a measured pace, which matters for a dog that will end up 70 pounds or more. Adult dogs need a diet that keeps them in lean condition, since extra weight puts strain on joints this breed is already prone to.

Treats and supplements

Keep treats to around 10 percent of daily calories to protect the waistline. Some owners and vets use joint supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin, or omega-3 fatty acids, to support the joints, though it is worth discussing these with a vet first. Fresh water should always be on hand, particularly in warm weather.

The Bernese Mountain Dog has an average lifespan of about 7 to 10 years, short compared with most breeds, and reflects a higher rate of certain cancers in the population. Responsible breeding, health screening of the parents and attentive veterinary care can all improve quality of life. Ask the breeder for hip, elbow and other health clearances on both parents before buying.

Preventive care

• Keep core vaccinations and parasite prevention up to date
• Keep body weight lean to reduce strain on the joints
• Book annual check-ups, and twice yearly once the dog is a senior
• Ask the breeder for documented hip, elbow and eye clearances
• Get any new lumps checked promptly

The Bernese Mountain Dog is bright and keen to cooperate, which makes it a trainable breed for most owners. It is also sensitive, so calm, consistent handling works far better than anything heavy-handed. Start training and socialisation early, while the pup is still small enough to manage, since an untrained adult of this size is hard work to control. Short, upbeat sessions hold its attention better than long drills.

Basics

1. Start socialisation in puppyhood with people, places and other animals
2. Teach name recognition and a reliable recall first
3. Add sit, drop, stay and loose-lead walking
4. Practise in short daily sessions of 5 to 10 minutes
5. Build up to busier, more distracting settings gradually
6. Introduce a job, such as draught work or hikes, once the dog is old enough

Responsible breeding of the Bernese Mountain Dog centres on health screening and temperament, given the breed's known risk of joint disease and cancer. Breeders generally wait until a dog is physically and mentally mature, usually around two years old, and confirm hip, elbow and eye clearances before mating. The short average lifespan makes choosing healthy, well-documented parents especially important, and in Australia, registration through Dogs Australia gives buyers a way to trace a puppy's pedigree and health testing.

Gestation runs about 63 days. Litters tend to be large for the breed, and the dam needs a quiet, warm whelping area along with extra nutrition through late pregnancy and nursing. Puppies are born blind and deaf and rely entirely on their mother for the first few weeks. Early handling and socialisation from a few weeks old help raise confident adults, and puppies usually go to their new homes at around eight weeks.

How to register a Bernese Mountain Dog in Australia

Every state and territory keeps its own Companion Animal Register, and council rangers scan as a matter of course, so a Bernese Mountain Dog with a current record is home before dinner. Register your dog free with United Pet Club: the profile carries your details beside his photo for his whole life, and no renewal ever turns up.

A chipped Bernese Mountain Dog without a registration is carrying a number nobody can use. File it with United Pet Club and the number works for him: free for life, open to every chip brand sold here, searchable from any clinic or pound in the country. Microchip registration now, free account while you're at it.