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The Bernese Mountain Dog belongs to the medium to large dog breeds. The powerful dog breed, which originally comes from Switzerland, is also called ,,Dürrbächler” in his native country.
The good-natured and friendly natureis characteristic of the Bernese Mountain Dog and has made it one of the most popular farm dogs in the world. The dog breed is not only good-natured and friendly, but also shows loyalty to his master or mistress.
The Bernese Mountain Dog belongs to the medium to large dog breeds. The powerful dog breed, which originally comes from Switzerland, is also called ,,Dürrbächler” in his native country. Due to his friendly, loving and calm radiating nature, his nickname is also ,,Bärli”. The appearance, which is strongly reminiscent of a teddy bear, is characteristic of the Bernese Mountain Dog.
Even though the Bernese Mountain Dog looks a lot like a teddy bear on the outside, inside it is a true working dog to which Swiss dairy farmers could entrust the fruits of days of labor.
The weight of Bernese Mountain Dogs is usually between 35 and 50 kg. The coat of the dogs is long and shiny and plain or slightly wavy. According to the standard, the color of the coat should be tricolor and have a jet black base color. The basic color black covers the torso, neck, head and tail like a coat. The symmetrical blaze of the animals starts at the forehead and spreads towards the muzzle, where it reaches at most the corners of the lips. The pectoral cross, the paws and the tip of the tail are also colored white.
The markings on the cheeks, legs and sides of the white chest hair are brown-red and complete the attractive appearance of the Bernese Mountain Dog. But the fur of the dogs is not only pretty to look at, but also protects them from the cold and snow. Heat is not well tolerated by the hairy dog.
Males have a height at withers of 64 to 70cm and females have a height at withers of 58 to 66cm.
The life expectancy of the dogs is 7 to 10 years. The low life expectancy is due to breeding standards that place the external appearance of the animals above their health welfare.
The good-natured and friendly natureis characteristic of the Bernese Mountain Dog and has made it one of the most popular farm dogs in the world. The dog breed is not only good-natured and friendly, but also shows loyalty to his master or mistress. Even though the Bernese Mountain Dog actually has an innate guarding instinct, it may greet even a burglar with a wagging tail. Aggressive behavior is completely foreign to the animals.
Because the Bernese Mountain Dog is aware of his strength and ability, he definitely has a mind of his own and tries to assert it when the opportunity presents itself.
Despite its impressive size and weight, the Bernese Mountain Dog is also persistent and agile.
Due to its stubbornness in some areas, which shows for example in the refusal of commands, the Bernese Mountain Dog is only conditionally suitable for beginners. With a lot of love and patience, however, the education of the strong and sensitive animals is quite feasible.
Furthermore, when keeping a Bernese Mountain Dog, you should keep in mind that these strong and large animals need a lot of space. The Bernese Mountain Dog is happy to have a house with a garden or even a yard. For a small city apartment, the freedom-loving dog is not suitable. The active Bernese Mountain Dog
needed a lot of exercise and employment. He is not only happy about long and productive walks with you, but he is also happy when you challenge him mentally. For this purpose is suitable both intelligence toys, but also various training. For example, you can train your four-legged friend to become a rescue dog or a tracker. In fast-paced sports like agility, you must be careful not to overwork the heavy and large dogs and put unnecessary stress on their joints. You also have to keep in mind that puppies are not allowed to walk on stairs for the first few months, so that they can spare their joints, which are not yet fully formed.
Your Bernese Mountain Dog’s food should be of high quality and provide him with all the necessary nutrients. In addition, you should consider factors such as the age, weight, size and activity and health status of your four-legged friend when choosing food.
The long and straight or wavy hair of your four-legged friend should be brushed at least 2 to 3 times a week. This way you can avoid matting and keep the shine. During the coat change, it is best to brush and comb your four-legged friend daily.
Eyes, ears, claws, pads, skin and teeth also need to be checked daily and cleaned if necessary.
Like other large dog breeds, the large Bernese Mountain Dog is prone to hip problems (HD) or problems with the knees (ED). In addition, many Bernese Mountain Dogs suffer from tumors, arthritis and damaged kidneys due to overbreeding.
The ancestors of the Bernese Mountain Dogs were originally kept as farm dogs in the Swiss area around Bern and were suitable for pulling wagons as well as driving livestock. However, it is not clearly verifiable until today, from which dogs exactly the farmer dogs descend. Molossers and Mastiffs are believed to be among the ancestors. The dogs were brought to the Alpine region with the Romans at that time. From the beginning of the 20th century the Bernese mountain dogs were kept in the village Dürrbach and from then on they gained more and more popularity. The name “Dürrbächler” also comes from this. In 1902, the dogs were first shown at a dog show on the advice of a Bernese coffee host. Then in 1907 the ,,Swiss Dürrbach Club” was founded, which should initiate the pure breeding of the breed. The Swiss geologist and cynologist Prof. Dr. Albert Heim, who helped to create the breed standards, then renamed the ,,Dürrbächler” to ,,Bernese Mountain Dog”. This was to emphasize the kinship with the Swiss Mountain Dogs.
The sensitive and warm Bernese Mountain Dog has great potential to become your best friend for life. He is happy when he can go through life with you. However, because of his own will, you should also have the necessary assertiveness to educate your four-legged friend.
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