Coming Soon…

Title of the breed:

Bernese Mountain Dogs

Berners fall into the category of a large dog breed, although one of the smaller members of our 'giant' group!.

Typically the girls weigh 35-48kg as an adult, the males 38-50kg. I feel they appear as being large as are quite a stocky, broad breed.

They are 1 of 4 breeds of Sennenhund type dogs from Bern, Switzerland 🇨🇭 and the Swiss Alps. All 4 breeds ( Bernese,  Swiss mountain dog, Appenzeller sennenhund and Entlebucher), are tri-coloured.

The Bernese mountain dog (BMD) was originally brought to Switzerland by the Romans 2000 years ago.

They would have been worked on farms 

herding, droving, protecting the farmyard and also being family companions.

Unfortunately their life span is listed as 6-8 years, mainly because they are prone to cancer but can also have issues related to their bones and mobility. 

They are prone to both hip and elbow dysplasia due to their rapid growth rate and exercise off lead, climbing etc should ideally be limited for first 18 months of their life.

Their temperament is described as intelligent, affectionate,  loyal, faithful and calm... calm is NOT what I would describe 

our 11 month old! 

After having spaniels I would say that she has not been as easy or quick to train. Spaniels want to please whereas she is more stubborn and will do things when she is ready to do so!

They can suffer with separation anxiety and, through our own experiences, can be very nervous of new situations/noises/people. 

Ideally grooming should be completed daily , however, ours hates the brush coming out! They shed a LOT!! 

On the positive, they drool very little. 

Although Lara has been harder work than we thought she would be, she has won our hearts completely. 

I have had a few black eyes, scratched face/arms purely through her being a playful pup, but with the weight and strength that comes with her it can result in unintentional injuries! 

There is not a nasty bone in her body and the beautiful, cute, puppy eyed face makes my heart melt! 

Their tri-colour markings on their face make them animated and often look as though they are smiling. 

I am very new to being a Berner owner and continually learning, but an absolutely gorgeous example of a dog breed! Dopey balls of floof! 

Lara 8 weeks with Cody (5yr old Springer brother) and Lara and Cody at 11 months! 

Lisa Joslin and Lara

Introduction to the breed:

Keywords:

Traits: 

Exercise: 

Health:

Why you will never have another breed again: 

Comparison to other breeds: e.g. cavaliers are very different to other spaniels as they don't tend to like the water…

Average life expectancy:

Average weight:

Ups of breed:

Downs of breed:

Personal Stories 

Example: