Bernese Mountain dog

Last updated on September 10th, 2021

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large-sized breed of dog. This breed gets along with will often become more attached to lucky humans. Bernese Mountain Dogs are particularly gentle with children, family and other pets.

This breed is an easygoing, calm family companion. It is sensitive, loyal and extremely devoted. Bernese Mountain is an intelligent, sweet, calm, easygoing, affectionate, loyal, and faithful dog breed.

Content Overview

• History
• Other’s name
• Characteristics
• Coat and color
• Appearance
• Temperament
• Personality
• Health & Problems
• How to take care
• Puppy Information
• Grooming needs
• Friendliness with Kid’s, Family & Other Dogs
• Can we left Bernese Mountain Dog alone at home?
• Things to consider adopting a puppy
• Advantages & Disadvantages

History

Bernese Mountain dogs were delivered to Switzerland by the Romans 2,000 years ago. This name Bernese Mountain turned into derived from the Canton of Bern in Switzerland in which the puppies lived.

Among four related tricoloured Swiss Sennenhund breeds, Appenzeller Sennenhund, Entlebucher Sennenhund, Greater Swiss Mountain canine, and Berner Sennenhund are developed as crosses farm dogs from the Swiss Alps and the Molosser dogs; that Romans introduced them once they invaded the Alps within the first century B.C.

The Berner Mountain was a general-purpose farm canine employed as a watchdog, the property protects, carting dog, used as a guardian for livestock. Many small Swiss farmers, who had been too poor to own horses, also used the breed to transport clean milk, cheese, and other produce.

How Berner Mountain Dog become popular?

In 1892, a Swiss innkeeper searched the country for properly bred specimens and re-developed the dog. As a result, it became likely not a herding canine. In 1899, however, the Swiss became interested in preserving their local breeds and founded a dog club referred to as Berna.

Members included breeders of a variety of purebred puppies. In 1902, the Swiss dog club drew interest to the Swiss mountain breeds. After 2 years, In 1904, At an international dog show held in Bern, the Swiss dog club sponsored a class for Swiss “shepherd dogs,” which included the Mountain dogs.

This also became the first year that those dogs were referred to as “Bernese.” And in that same year, the Swiss Kennel Club recognized the Bernese Mountain Dog as a breed. During World War I, canine shows and breeding took a backseat to conflict efforts.

However, after the battle, the first Bernese Mountain puppies were exported to Holland and then to the United States. Finally, in 1936, British breeders began importing Berners, and the first chaos of Berner doggies become born in England.

In 1968, the Bernese Mountain canine club of the US was founded, with sixty-two members and 43 registered Berners. Three years later, there were more than 100 members within the club. Meanwhile, during World War II, the breed had died out in England.

The Bernese Mountain canine membership of America became a member club of the AKC in 1981. In 1990, the AKC adopted its current Bernese Mountain dog standard. They were introduced to the United States in 1926. They had been recognized through the American Kennel Club in 1937.

Other’s name

• Berner Sennenhund

Characteristics

Breed basic Characteristics

Coat and color

The Bernese Mountain Dog contains a double coat. With a woolly undercoat and a long coat. They have a beautiful, long, bright, and thick coat. This breed shed a fair amount.

The coat would require daily brushing to stay clean and prevent matting. Coats come in tricolored, black with tan markings with white.

Appearance

Body: They have a huge and heavy body.

Skull: The skull is flat on pinnacle and broad, with a slight furrow and a well-defined, however, no exaggerated stop.

Head: Head is wedge-fashioned with a barely rounded crown. It isn’t heavy in proportion to the size of the canine.

Eyes: Their eyes are barely oval.

Eyelids: Their eyelids are close-fitting with darkish black rims.

Teeth: It has scissor stage biting.

Muzzle: The muzzle is powerful and straight

Nose: There nostril is black and spherical.

Lips: Lips are tight-fitting, with the higher lip simply covering the lower lip. There is a powerful jawbone. The lips are black.

Ear’s: They have medium-sized ears which are high-set and triangular with slightly rounded tips. The ears fold down to hold near the head, however, brought forward and raised at the bottom while the canine is alert so top of the ear is level with the top of the head.

Neck: It’s a muscular neck. The neck rises powerfully from the shoulders.

Tail: The tail of a Bernese Mountain Dog is hairy and carried low. It could have an upward swirl; however, it is never curled or carried over the back.

Shoulders: They have properly muscled shoulders.

Leg’s: It has straight legs.

Temperament

It has an extremely good temperament. Mountain Dog is an intelligent, affectionate, dependable, faithful, mild, calm, tolerant, and extraordinarily versatile working canine breed. They are superb watchdogs, very gentle with kids and best family partners.

It may be aloof with strangers and commonly a bit shy. However, they usually need to meet and spend time with people. Bernese required ordinary exercising and training. They are very robust, so they become excellent guardians canines.

Bernese Mountain Dog is easy to train; it makes it less difficult to get the youngsters involved in the training process if you have youngsters.

Personality

Bernese Mountain Dog is a massive and robust dog breed. They’re additionally nicely suited to conformation, obedience, tracking, herding, and carting competitions.

They have intelligence and a fairly trainable nature. However, Bernese Mountain Dog’s size and excessive power can make it tough to handle for first-time dog lovers.

They want routine activity and exercise. Bernese works nicely with different pets and around strangers. They enjoy trekking and generally stick close to their people.

Health & Problems

1. Hip dysplasia

This can happen to any size or breed of dog. The hip functions as a ball and socket. The ball and socket don’t fit or develop properly, and that they rub and grind rather than sliding smoothly.

It is a very painful full condition-affected dog and difficult for owners to observe. This leads to deterioration over time and an eventual loss of function of the joint itself.

Symptoms:

• Pain
• Looseness in joint
• Narrow stance
• Decreased vary of motion
• Lameness in fundament

2. Elbow dysplasia

Bernese Mountain Dogs have a limp on one or both front legs. This will be seen as a nodding of the top when the good leg is placed and lifting the top when the bad leg is placed.

Elbow dysplasia is usually received through X-rays confirming visible changes to the joint. Surgery is that the best way to cure this.

Symptoms:

• Limping or stiffness
• Less enthusiasm
• Swollen, puffy elbows

3. Progressive Retinal Atrophy

This illness attacks the retina within the eyes of dogs. It’ll finish in visual impairment. Progressive Retinal Atrophy might develop, and their eyes will go cloudy or whitish. A mature cataract looks like a white disk behind your Bernese Mountain dog’s iris.

The dog develops a cataract in the lens of the eye clouds, caused by changes within the water balance lens or changes to the proteins inside the lens.

Symptoms:

• Bluish, gray, or white layer on eye
• Clumsiness
• Irritation, redness
• Discharge or blinking

4. Histiocytosis

Histiocytosis may be a familial proliferative disorder recognized almost completely on this breed. This is often an aggressive, most cancers of histiocytes. It’ll impact lungs and lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and important fearful system.

Symptoms

• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Lethargy

5. von Willebrand’s Disease (vWD)

VWD is an inherited bleeding ailment affecting Bernese Mountain Dogs. The disease is due to a deficiency of a protein that’s wanted for blood to clot.

If left untreated, the sickness can cause excessive bleeding or maybe death. So it’s important to permit blood platelets to stay together and seal damaged blood vessels.

Symptoms

• Excessive bleeding from a minor abrasion
• Pain
• Nausea
• Weakness
• Collapse

How to take care?

Bernese Mountain dogs are great with humans and make great pets for the proper people. But, it’s so large; these dogs need specific food, care and living arrangements to be happy and healthy.

Feeding Plan

These dogs need special dietary food. Give them pet food that’s high-quality and provides a balance of nutrients. You want to feed them food rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids needed for optimal growth.

As your Bernese Mountain puppy grows, the number of food they also have increased. Improper food can cause mineral and vitamin imbalances, tooth and bone problems.

How much you feed your puppy depends on their activity level and age:

Give clean, potable water in the least time, and clean food and water dishes very regularly. Fresh and clean water to assist them in digesting their food.

Avoid this type of food

• Chocolate
• Avocados
• Grapes and raisins
• Certain nuts
• Alcohol
• Onions, garlic and chives
• Yeast dough

Exercise does Bernese Mountain Dog need

Bernese Mountain Dog needs 20-30 minutes of exercise per day. They need room to roam. Please keep them in top condition and healthiness; 60 to 90 minutes daily would be better.

Walk helps to stay fit and avoid boredom. The walk is also an honest activity to avoid extra stress on their joints. Bring them on several roads per day. The walk can be one time each day, or two walks each day would be better if your schedule allows.

You ought to provide exercise and purposeful activity for your Bernese Mountain Dog like play with other’s dogs, Hiking, Tug of War, Cart Pulling, Backyard agility, and Digging.

You ought to give them Mental Stimulation activities like Chew Toys, Scenting and nose games, Puzzle Toys.

Puppy Information

It’s important to allow your dog correct training from puppyhood to ensure he’s an honest canine citizen and a pleasure to be around. Puppies are very affectionate and wish to please.

Bernese Mountain Dog puppies want early socialization, so you’ll be able to teach your puppy commands from the moment she arrives home.

During the first few weeks of coaching, a puppy’s attention span is short so keep the training session short as you get older to increase coaching time.

1. Be patient with them

Bernese Mountain dog puppies are very delicate-tempered and obedient. They’ll take some time to train. But, it’ll provide you with back the way you’d treat a puppy.

If you behave calmly, it’ll behave well against you, and if you behave badly, they reply badly.

2. Do not punish them

Scolding or punishing could have an extremely harmful effect on your Bernese. If your puppy does not understand, don’t become impatient and scold her.

If you discover that you are losing your patience, step aloof from the dog and try once more later. Target positive reinforcement instead of punishment.

Scolding or grueling could have an especially harmful effect on your Bernese.

3. Reward Puppies good sensible behavior

If the dog knows he gets a treat for good behavior and ignores bad behavior, it’s possible to reward the sensible behavior.

How to train Bernese Mountain Dog puppies?

1. Learn the basic commands

When you see that he’s within the process of sitting on his own, say “sit” clearly and in a very firm voice. As soon as his butt touches the bottom, praise him, pet him, and provides him a treat.

Do that every time you spy your dog close to sitting. By giving the command first, then doing the corrective action, you’ll give your dog the chance to try what you would like when he hears you say “leave it” and avoid an unpleasant consequence.

It is essential to train your dog a command for once you want him to stop doing something. For example, “Stop” or “leave it”. Learn your pup basic commands like “stay”, “come”, “Go”, “No”, “Yes”.

2. Teach your dog to not jump

Most of the puppies jump once they are very excited or while playing. But day by day, jumping becomes harmful for you and your pup also.

Once you see your dog goes to jump abreast of you, turn your body away, to deflect her, avoiding eye contact and saying nothing. They’re going to get the message that she gets no reward or attention when she jumps on you.

3. Socialization

Begin socializing early. Socialization is extremely necessary for all dog breed. You got to take your puppy
everywhere you go.

Socialize will prove Bernese Mountain Dog stable, pleasant, and fearless adult. The only thanks to discipline is by leading them confidently and in quality.

4. Potty training

Starts Potty training when your puppy sets foot in your house. When the dog urates or defecates, give him praise, so he associates getting to the toilet outside with being praised.

When you’re inside your house together with your puppy, watch her carefully for signs that she must go potty. Panting, pacing, sniffing around, or barking are all signs she must go outside to potty.

Immediately rush your puppy outside and let her attend the toilet.

5. Stop biting

If you discover your puppy chewing on something she should not be, take it away and provides her a soft toy to chew instead. As you’re taking the item away, say “leave it” and provides her a toy to chew on.

Don’t punish your dog. For example, if you discover an item that your dog destroyed while you were away, don’t wave it in her face while yelling at her. Instead, give your dog a chew toy when they want to chew on fingers.

This won’t teach her not to chew. They will not get the connection that you are angry about something she did two hours ago. Unless you catch her within the act, don’t scold your dog.

Grooming needs

Brushing:

Bernese Mountain Dogs would like lots of brushing to retain their natural radiance. This breed will shed a lot, particularly when they live inside. They do not need to be cut or clipped usually.

Remove the matts from the coat, its makes the brushing method easy. Use a detangling spray, which can loosen the matts. If the matts are too big to comb through, cut them out with scissors. Before brushing, divide coat layers into little sections. This may build brushing take longer but will ensure an intensive brushing.

You should use the slicker brush. Brushing with the Slicker Brush can distribute healthy skin oils through your dog’s coat, creating it look healthy and glossy. Make sure to brush within the direction of hair growth.

Brush your Pup each couple of days. Some areas would like additional attention and care, therefore check that Brush behind the ears, fur on the stomach and inner thighs, hair on the legs, tail. Keep in mind that gently brush on the face area.

Bathing:

Bernese Mountain Dog wouldn’t like baths very often. An excessive amount of bathing will dry out your dog’s skin. So check that; make sure to brush your dog before bathing.

Before bathing, wet dog full-body, place a large cotton ball inside the dog’s ear. The cotton ball will stop water from getting deep inside the ear canal and causing an ear infection.

Begin from the neck, operational your technique toward the tail. Scrub in spherical motions at the aspect of your finger so the shampoo reaches the undercoat. Make sure you get the shampoo all the approach down to the skin. Conditioners proceed last.

Bernese Mountain Dog won’t need water to get on its face. Dampen a clean wash fabric with water and gently rub your dog’s face. Be careful around their eyes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a soft, clean towel.

Tooth cleaning

Tooth cleaning is important to a dog’s overall health. Brush your Bernese Mountain Dog a minimum of 2 to 3 times every week. Pick up a dog-safe toothbrush and toothpaste.

Gently brush the teeth. Go from the surface of the front teeth to the rear teeth. You don’t have to clean the inside of the teeth if your dog doesn’t love it.

Nail Trimming

Trim your Bernese Mountain Dog’s nail about once a month. Hold only 1 nail at a time. Position the trimmer; therefore, you chop the nail at an angle that matches the nail’s natural curve.

Start by clipping the nail little by little. Then, if you hurt your dog’s part, apply styptic powder; it will quickly stop the bleeding.

Check your pup ear’s

Check your dog’s ear frequently. If you notice any dirt within the ear, then quickly clean the ear. Use standard ear cleaner and cotton ball or fabric. Gently rub within the ear and ear canal.

Friendliness with Kid’s, Family & Other Dogs

Bernese Mountain Dog’s sweet dispositions, calm natures, and willingness to play cause them as a superb partner for the full family, children, and different dogs. Berner Sennenhund is quite secure for families with children.

They are dependable and devoted to his family. It has a good temperament and calm disposition. But, unfortunately, they are usually a good match for rowdy children.

Bernese is patient, so he’s tolerant of active kids who can need to climb all over his big, hairy body. They like to please their owners, so if the kids want to play, the chances are good that your doggy is a willing playmate.

Can we left Bernese Mountain Dog alone at home?

They prefer to spend time with people and family. Thus try to spend more time with them. They don’t like being left alone for too long. It will get lonely and annoying. After they feel frustrated, they’ll become destructive and chew something they’ll get their paws on.

After enough exercise and mental stimulation, they may be left home alone for five to eight hours. However, they’ll develop damaging behaviors once lonely; thus, crate coaching could also be necessary.

Things to consider adopting a puppy

• Adopting a dog puppy is likewise a large responsibility. It’s a selection you wish to make carefully. It’d help in case you detected a puppy.
• It is hard to search for breeders who specialize in puppies. But, it’s currently not impossible.
• If you do not have time to train, socialize, and exercise these dogs repeatedly, then you got not to adopt this dog.
• Ask stock breeder concerning the breed’s history and justify why one puppy is considered pet quality. In contrast, another isn’t and discusses what health problems impact the breed and her steps to avoid those problems.
• Never purchase a puppy from an irresponsible and less intelligent stock breeder.
• They are extraordinary dogs for families with youngsters.
• Make sure they need lots of socialization from the beginning.
• If you live in a very hot atmosphere, this dog is not suitable for you because Bernese are 100% cold weather dogs and don’t live in hot weather. 
• Make sure that you choose a powerful, sturdy, and healthy puppy.
• Apartment life isn’t suggested for them. The great Pyrenees needs a large fenced-in yard for daily enjoyment and exercise.
• Keep in mind that you have the right to require your new pup to your veterinary for a check-up and also the right to return it for a full refund if it’s not healthy.
• Behave with them calmly. Tell your friend or family to treat them well.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages:

1. It is Sweet, Loving, & Affectionate dog breed.
2. They are super friendly with new people and strangers.
3. Bernese’s are great with kid’s, dog’s and other animals.
4. It has big personalities.
5. They are very intelligent & easy to Train.
6. It has protective & faithful nature.

Disadvantages:

1. It has some health-problems.
2. They have short life-spam.
3. They need early training.
4. Bernese’s are 100% cold weather dogs, and don’t able to live in hot weather. 
5. They are heavy shedders.
6. It requires lots of Space

Also Read:

Great Pyrenees

Belgian malinois

Double Doodle (Golden Labradoodle)

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