SCRAPS Breed Profile
BERNESE
MOUNTAIN DOG
Stats
Country of Origin: Switzerland
Group: Working Group
Use today: Companion and tracking, herding, watch, guarding, search and
rescue, carting and competitive obedience.
Life Span: 6 to 8 years
Color: Tricolor with symmetrical markings of black, rust and white. The base of
the dog is black. The dog has a white blaze on the chest and white on
the head, toes and tip of the tail.
Coat: The weather-resistant coat is moderately long, thick and slightly wavy or
straight.
Grooming: Daily to weekly brushing of the long thick coat is important, with extra care needed when the coat is
shedding. Bathe or dry shampoo as necessary. This breed is a seasonal, heavy shedder.
Height: Males 24 – 28 inches; Females 23 - 27 inches
Weight: Males 85 - 110 pounds; Females 80 - 105 pounds
Profile
In Brief: Farm dogs by heritage, Berners need a
moderate amount of exercise as well as
consistent obedience training. As a double-
coated breed, they also tend to shed, and so
require regular brushing. Their gentle, easygoing
manner and the need to be close to their people
makes them a good fit for families. One of four
varieties of Swiss Mountain Dog, the Bernese
Mountain Dog is the only variety that possesses
a long, silky coat. Today, this versatile breed
participates in conformation, obedience, carting,
agility, tracking, herding and therapy work.
These cheerful dogs love children. They are
very intelligent, easy to train and are natural
watchdogs
Description: The Bernese Mountain Dog is a
large, strong, sturdy, agile dog. The body is
slightly longer than it is tall. The broad head is
flat on the top with a moderate stop. The muzzle
is strong and straight. The teeth meet in a
scissors bite. The medium-sized, triangular ears
are set high and rounded at the tip. The straight
legs are strong. The bushy tail is carried low.
Dewclaws are often removed. The feet are
round with arched toes. The weather-resistant
coat is moderately long, thick and slightly wavy
or straight. The dog is tricolor with symmetrical
markings of black, rust and white. The base of
the dog is black. The dog has a white blaze on
the chest and white on the head, toes and tip of
the tail. Rust is on the cheeks reaching to the
corners of the mouth, over each eye, on each
side of the chest, on all four legs and
underneath the tail.
Temperament: These cheerful dogs love
children. They are very intelligent, easy to train
and are natural watchdogs, but not overly
dominant. A Bernese Mountain Dog will be your
friend for life. Self-confident, alert and good-
natured, be sure to socialize well as a puppy.
These dogs are slow to mature, acting like
puppies longer than other breeds. They are
rather friendly with strangers, and are generally
good with other pets and dogs. The Bernese
needs to be with people and not confined to the
backyard or a kennel. These dogs are sensitive
and should be trained firmly, but gently. Owners
will only run into issues with this dog if they are
not displaying natural leadership towards the
dog, treating him more like their baby and
lacking in the knowledge as to what dogs
instinctually need to be stable minded. Owners
who fail to convince the dog humans are alpha
may find themselves with a totally different dog
than what is described above. For a dog to feel
secure it needs to clearly know the rules so they
can be followed, thriving in structure, along with
a daily pack walk to satisfy its instinct to migrate.
Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service
6815 E. Trent • Spokane Valley • Washington • 99212
(509) 477-2532 voice (509) 477-4745 fax
www.spokanecounty.org/animal
The Bernese Mountain Dog was bred for draft
work and can be trained to pull a cart or wagon.
Health: The Bernese Mountain Dog is prone to
bloat, cancer and eyelid problems, hip and
elbow dysplasia. Gains weight easily. Do not
overfeed. Prone to mast cell tumors. Cancer is
unfortunately a very large part of the Berner
world and many Berners die young.
Living Conditions: Bernese Mountain Dogs are
not recommended for apartment life. They are
relatively inactive indoors and will do best with at
least a large, fenced-in yard. Because of their
thick coats they are sensitive to the heat and
would much rather be in cold temperatures.
Exercise: Large active dogs such as these need
regular exercise, which includes a long daily
walk.
Origins: The Bernese Mountain dog originated in
the Swiss mountains. Many 18th century paintings
show dogs that look like a Bernese type dog. The
breed was named for the Canton of Bern in
Switzerland. They were working dogs particularly
good at draft work, pulling carts to market. They
also were used to drive dairy cattle, to watch over
the farm and as companions to the farmers. By the
end of the 19th century many other working dogs
were being imported to Switzerland, which brought
the numbers of the Bernese down as workers
began to use other types of dogs. An effort was
made by a group of people including Professor
Albert Heim and Franz Schertenleib to preserve
the breed. They went around finding what
remaining dogs they could in order to stabilize the
Bernese. Today the breed makes a wonderful
companion and they still to this day enjoy
whatever draft work you can give them. The
breed’s talents are tracking, herding, watch,
guarding, search and rescue, carting and
competitive obedience.
