Aside from what research you can find on the internet, there are definitely things I have learned about the breed since bringing my bears home! And I am always surprised at the amount of attention my dogs get! I figured it would lessen once they grew up and weren’t puppies anymore as well but this simply has NOT turned out to be the case!

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No, It’s Not A Saint Bernard

The first thing many people seem to get wrong is the breed of my dogs! I think about every second day I get “Is that a Saint Bernard?” or “Is that a Burmese?” Benson’s big square head looks similar to that of a Saint Bernard, and they come from the same region but this seems to be a particular area of annoyance for Bernese owners. You can read more about Saint Bernard’s on the AKC’s website HERE.

Bernese are also lovingly referred to as Berners! I can always tell when someone is more familiar with the breed when they use this term!

History

Bernese Mountain dogs are an old breed of dog, thought to be brought to Switzerland 2000 years ago by the Romans. They are also thought to originate from Mastiffs and other guard dog breeds. They were originally bred to be working dogs, and can haul up to 10x their body weight in a cart! I found it interesting to see that they were often referred to as “poor man’s work horses”. They were also used on farms as guard dogs for livestock.

Did you know that the Bernese Mountain dog breed almost went extinct at one point in history? They come from the Berne area of Switzerland, for which they are named, but at one point the Saint Bernard became the favored breed.

In 1892 a Swiss innkeeper found dogs of the Bernese breed across the country and worked to preserve the breed and keep it from extinction. Bernese Mountain dogs were recognized as a breed by the AKC in 1937 and were bred to be companion and show dogs at that point.

Temperament

One of the things I absolutely LOVE about my dogs is their sweet demeanor. Bernese Mountain dogs are truly gentle giants! They are easy going and love nothing more than to be around their people! True to the breed, my dogs also love small children and other animals of all sizes. I love watching them adjust their energy to match a small child or smaller dog. Benson will roll over on his back and let puppies crawl all over him!

Early and frequent socialization is a MUST with Bernese Mountain dogs however. While they absolutely adore being around their families they can be aloof with strangers if not properly socialized. Most of the Berners I have come across can be quite friendly but I have definitely seen ones who could care less about other people and dogs.

I took Grace just about EVERYWHERE and she would get absolutely mobbed by people when we were out for walks. As a result, she will plop herself down on just about anyone’s feet and adores getting attention from strangers! I definitely notice a difference with Benson though. He came home right at the start of the first lockdown, and while I did what I could for him he can definitely be more aloof with people and prefers to be by my side while Grace shamelessly looks for attention!

Size

Bernese Mountain dogs are BIG dogs! They don’t quite hit the giant dog breed category but the females average 75-100lbs and the males 90-125lbs. This means that proper leash training is a must as well since they can be quite a handful to walk once they get bigger!

They grown rapidly from puppies as well, which means that their brains aren’t quite aware of how big and strong they are! My dogs love to wrestle on walks but they generally don’t pull. I had to work really hard with Grace at the beginning and was thankful that Benson was a much quicker learner on his leash! Each of my dogs weighs more than I do (which must be quite something to see!) so I had to have control of my pups early on.

Puppy kindergarten class for Grace was a huge benefit as she loved to show off in that type of environment. Benson didn’t get the same kind of training but did pretty well as he learned a lot from his older sister. There was the one day though that I was getting dragged down the street and the comment “Out for your daily pull?” made me question what I was doing wrong!

Thinking back to their working dog history and remembering that they were bred to PULL carts led me to turn to a no pull harness for my pups. This has helped IMMENSELY and we have rarely had an issue. You have to be careful with these though and their position on the dog’s body since you don’t want it to affect their growth and development of the shoulder and chest area.

Activity Level

My dogs are LAZY dogs! Similar to many other larger breed dogs, they typically only need 30-60 minutes of exercise a day! I had a little pug before, but I found that I couldn’t even go for small walks with him before he tired. My activity level isn’t overly high but I wanted dogs that could come for a decent walk with me.

Sure, I have seen the odd high energy Bernese but they are known to be calmer, less active dogs for the most part. I find a one hour walk to the beach in the morning and a shorter walk at the end of the day are more than enough for my two. And enough to keep them calm and sleeping most of the rest of the day!

If you are looking for a dog to go for a run with or long hikes with, then you may want to consider a different breed.

Joint Care

As with many other larger breed of dog, Bernese Mountain dogs can have joint issues. This is KEY to consider when they are puppies and growing! I had a trainer come into the house who insisted my dogs needed a higher protein diet. This information was so WRONG!

A higher protein diet would have led to a higher rate of growth when they were puppies. If they grow too fast they can have a multitude of joint issues. A high quality, large breed puppy and dog food is best for this type of dog and can prevent joint issues down the road.

Stairs and jumping off high objects (couches and beds) can also be detrimental for your Bernese Mountain dog puppy. I carried my dogs up and down the stairs until I physically couldn’t do it anymore! Which doesn’t take long…they grow so FAST (like 10lbs a month fast)! I think I made it to about the 4 month point with each of mine. Although I still help them on and off the bed and in and out of the car…

Consider getting a joint supplement as well. I use one daily with my dogs and while my dogs are still young I am hoping that this will help them have a healthier life in their older years.

Allergies

This breed is prone to allergies, both seasonal and food related! You can read more on our struggle with allergies HERE.

Allergies can lead to skin and ear issues so it is important to try to figure out the root cause of it as soon as you see symptoms. Chicken seems to be a particular issue with Berners and is a main ingredient in many dog foods. I now have my dogs on a healthy grain, red meat based diet which seems to be helping.

Grace also has to have an allergy shot in the summer, and Benson gets Reactine when his allergies start acting up. This is definitely something to consider when looking at this breed as it can lead to a lot of work and vet visits to get to the bottom of!

You Will Never Be Alone Again

Bernese Mountain dogs are your constant shadow. You will never go to the bathroom alone again!

This breed of dog loves their humans and to be around them constantly. In my house I have the basement blocked off with a gate that allows the cats to go in and out but keeps the dogs out. Otherwise I would never be able to leave out cat food! One time before I got the gate I put the cat food up on the dining table and Grace at a few months old figured out how to get up there to eat it!

You cannot close a door with these dogs in the house either! They will follow you everywhere, from the bedroom to bathroom to every place you go. And given their size, you definitely know they are there! If I am in the kitchen doing dishes or cooking it’s an obstacle course to maneuver!

Shedding

One thing that really makes me laugh is when people who are considering Bernese Mountain dogs ask if they shed…They shed a LOT!

I brush my dogs frequently with an undercoat rake and a pin comb to work out any mats in their fur. But I still need to sweep and vacuum at least every second day to keep the tumbleweeds under control! I have a vacuum specifically for pets that works great to keep the pet hair to a minimum.

But if you can’t stand to find a hair in your food at pretty much every meal, this isn’t the breed for you! Otherwise, the grooming for these dogs is pretty easy. I bathe them when needed, and a sanitary trim as well as ear cleaning and trimming around their feet is pretty much all that’s needed.

Training

No matter how much they can act as clowns, don’t be fooled! This breed is SMART. Grace picked up the first few things I taught her in a heartbeat. But when it came to things she didn’t want to do, she definitely let me know she wasn’t interested! The stay command was her cue to follow me and bark at me to let me know what she thought of that…I find her to be smart but she can be incredibly stubborn about it at the same time. It took some time for her to learn that I was the boss, not her!

My boy Benson was totally different. Similar to Grace, he picked up all of his training exceptionally quickly! But where she is sassy and stubborn, he was incredibly eager to please! He learned so much so fast.

You can start training with these dogs as soon as they come home! They are little sponges and love making their humans happy.

Old, Sensitive Souls

Bernese Mountain dogs are extremely sensitive dogs, and their feelings can get hurt rather easily! Yelling is NOT the way to deal with your Berner. I had a trainer come to the house for Grace after she came home, and it was a dominance based and more aggressive training method.

Needless to say this was NOT the method that worked for my dogs. Growling at Grace and dominating over her did not work. She started to shut down and become completely unresponsive. She was miserable and this was not the dog I wanted.

I found reward based training and positive reinforcement made my dogs happy to comply with pretty much anything I wanted! They are more than happy to work with you in this manner. I use dental kibble for their treats since they got diarrhea from other treats. When Grace lies down on a walk this is pretty much the only way I can get her going again!

Berner Traits

Most Bernese that I have met have similar quirks and habits! Grace’s penchant for sitting on feet being one of them…She will literally slow down the walk to let people catch up to her and sit down so fast that people almost trip right over her! Then she will give them the good old Berner lean with her full weight on their legs.

They can also contort themselves into all kinds of unnatural positions when they sleep! You really have to wonder how that can possibly be comfortable…Grace also loves to flip her head over backwards to get your attention or if you stop petting her before she is done with you!

Lying down on walks is another biggie! Grace mastered the flop early on and if she doesn’t want to go somewhere down she goes! And she pretty much won’t budge until offered a treat! I had been dropping her leash and she would eventually run to catch up but she figured out that she could go do what she wanted so THAT doesn’t work anymore!

It Can Never Be Cold Enough!!!

Bernese Mountain dogs LOVE the snow and cold! In the winter I can’t keep mine in the house. It can be temperatures and weather not fit for man or beast…And mine will be sleeping contentedly outside! At the first snow their excitement can’t be contained! They will ignore your pleas to come in…

This dynamic flips completely in the summer, when I want to be outside and it is too hot so my dogs want to be in! My air conditioner has never run so much! They will seek out a cool tile floor and prefer these over most dog beds. A cooling bed might entice them in the hot summer months but otherwise mine are used as a bone stash for the most part…

Life Span

This is one thing that really gets me with this breed. They are so sweet and loving that I can’t imagine losing them to a shorter life span. But I decided that it was worth it even to have these amazing dogs in my life for a short period of time.

Bernese Mountain dogs only have an average life span of 6-8 years. By getting two only three months apart in age I have set myself up for a whole world of heartache down the road. And given the breed is susceptible to cancer and other health issues I made sure to get set up with insurance right from the start.

If you want a big loveable dog who loves to make you laugh, then look no further! I have been blessed to have these big goofy dogs in my life for a year and a half now. We have learned, laughed, cried. And loved. On most nights you can find me curled up on the huge couch I bought so that I can be buried in a pile of warm fluffy dog fur. I have truly fallen in love with this amazing breed of dog, and you can bet there will be more to come! I have already started planning for the arrival of the third…

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For more information on choosing a breeder to find an amazing Bernese Mountain dog, read HERE.

The post What To Know About Bernese Mountain Dogs first appeared on Help! I've Got Pets.