Bernese Mountain Dog

Is a Bernese Mountain Dog right for you?

The Bernese is one of the best-loved giant breeds, known for its tricolour coat and calm temperament. Devoted to its family, extraordinarily patient with children, a gentle giant. But there is a hard fact to know before adopting: its average lifespan is around eight years and the cancer rate is very high.

Before you adopt

Ask the breeder for hip and elbow certification, an eye examination, and von Willebrand disease test results. Also ask about the lifespan of dogs in the family; long-lived lines are valuable in this breed.

Ask specifically about cancer history in the line. Histiocytic sarcoma is markedly more common in this breed than in others, and responsible breeders track it.

Temperament

The Bernese is calm, loyal, and affectionate. It bonds deeply with its family and wants to be near people; lying at your feet is its favourite activity.

It is extraordinarily patient with children, which is the breed's best-known quality.

It can be reserved and shy with strangers. Aggression is not part of the breed's character, but shyness is a common problem, so early socialisation is critical.

It is sensitive. It backs away from harsh voices; gentle, reward-based training is required.

Its energy level is moderate; it is not a running dog but enjoys a daily walk and light work. Carting comes from the breed's past and many individuals enjoy it.

The puppy period is long; it does not fully mature until two years of age.

Health issues and lifespan

Average lifespan is 8 to 10 years. This breed's health profile is the most important part of the adoption decision.

• Cancer: The breed's biggest problem and most common cause of death. Histiocytic sarcoma is markedly more common here than in other breeds; mast cell tumours and lymphoma also occur. A new lump, unexplained weight loss, or lethargy should be assessed without delay.
• Hip and elbow dysplasia: Common in giant breeds and at a high rate here. Parental certification is essential.
• Gastric torsion (bloat): An emergency in this deep-chested breed. Distended abdomen, retching, restlessness. Requires an immediate vet.
• Von Willebrand disease: An inherited bleeding disorder; knowing the status before surgery is vital.
• Degenerative myelopathy (DM): Progressive hind-limb weakness in old age; a genetic test exists.
• Aseptic meningitis (Bernese syndrome): An inflammatory disease in young dogs presenting with fever, neck pain, and lethargy.
• Heat sensitivity: The thick double coat and dark colour make hot summers a serious risk. Move exercise to cool hours and provide shade and cool flooring.

Feeding

An adult Bernese (35-55 kg) consumes 600-800 g of quality dry food per day.

• Puppy (2-24 months): Giant-breed puppy food is essential. Growth takes two years in this breed. Slow, controlled growth determines joint health. Do not keep the puppy chubby.
• Adult: 23-26% protein with balanced minerals.
• Senior (6+ years): This breed ages early; a senior protocol and joint support should be considered from age six.

Two to three meals a day; an hour of calm around feeding reduces the risk of gastric torsion.

Grooming and coat

A long, thick double coat. This is the breed's most demanding aspect.

• Brush two to three times a week; daily during seasonal changes. An undercoat rake is essential.
• Matting risk is heaviest behind the ears, on the ruff, in the armpits, on the rear leg feathering, and on the tail.
• Bathe every 8 to 12 weeks; complete drying is essential. Drying a dog this size takes time, and professional washing and drying is what most owners choose.
• Do not shave. The double coat also protects from sun and heat in summer.
• An orthopaedic bed; a heavy body causes pressure sores on hard flooring.
• Nails every three to four weeks, teeth several times a week.
• Weekly ear checks.

Training and exercise

Daily requirement: 45 to 60 minutes of moderate walking plus play. Exercise must be restricted during puppyhood; the joints close at 18 to 24 months, and until then long runs, jumping, and stairs should be limited.

Priorities:

1. Socialisation (8-16 weeks). The most critical item in this breed because of the tendency to shyness.
2. Size management. No jumping, no pulling, waiting at doors; taught in puppyhood.
3. Leash discipline. If you cannot hold a 50 kg dog, the walk is not safe.
4. Tolerating grooming. Brushing, drying, and nail trims are a lifelong routine.
5. Heat awareness. Excessive panting and lethargy in summer must be taken seriously.
6. Carting. For individuals that enjoy it, pulling a cart or sled suits the breed's history.

Work gently and with rewards; harsh methods break trust in this sensitive breed.

History

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a working farm dog from the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Its job was threefold: pulling the milk cart, herding livestock, and guarding the farm. Cart pulling shaped both its body structure and its calm temperament.

The breed is one of Switzerland's four Sennenhund (Alpine herding dog) breeds; the others are the Greater Swiss, the Appenzeller, and the Entlebucher. The Bernese is the long-coated one.

At the end of the 19th century mechanisation left the breed without a job and it nearly disappeared. It recovered in the early 1900s through the efforts of the Swiss professor Albert Heim, and the first breed club was founded in 1907.

The characteristic tricolour coat, with a black base, tan markings, and a white chest and facial blaze, is the breed's signature and is strictly defined in the standard. In Switzerland it is still seen today pulling carts at demonstrations on some farms.