Breed Feature – Bernese Mountain Dog

BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG

Bernese mountain dogs, known as “Berners” to their fans, are beloved for their sweet, calm, easy going nature and their devotion to their families, including small children and other pets.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is otherwise known as the Sennenhund – pronounced se-nen-hund: Sennen being the alpine herdsmen and dairymen.

The breed dates back to the Celtic times. It’s believed they originated in Switzerland in the mountainous regions of Central Europe. The Bernese Mountain Dog is one of the four different types of Sennenhund established for the purpose of farming, herding and drafting. The four types are:

• The greater Swiss Mountain Dog; • Bernese Mountain Dog; • Appenzeller Mountain Dog and the smallest the; • Entlebucher Mountain Dog.

The Bernese Mountain Dog work closely with their owners, whether driving cattle to and from the Alpine pastures, guarding the farm or pulling small wagons or carts. The Bernese makes an ideal family dog with their beautiful gentle nature, only wanting to be with its owners and to take part in every activity. They are the complete companion dog – your best friend.

Affectionately called the Berner they are instantly recognizable with their flashy, tricolor coat consisting of Black/Tan/White and white “Swiss cross” on the chest, dark brown eyes, four white feet and a white tip on the tail.

During World War I, dog shows and breeding took a backseat to war efforts. But after the war, the first Bernese Mountain Dogs were exported, firstly to Holland and then to the United States — although the breed was not yet recognized by the American Kennel Club.

In 1936, two British breeders began importing Berners, and the first litter of Berner pups was born in England. Also in 1936, the Glen Shadow kennel in Louisiana imported a female and a male Berner from Switzerland. By early 1937, the AKC sent Glen Shadow a letter saying that the Bernese Mountain Dog had been accepted as a new breed in the Working Class.

World War II again interrupted the progress of the breed outside its native land, but after 1945, importation and registration resumed in the United States.

In 1968, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America was founded, with 62 members and 43 registered Berners. Three years later, there were more than 100 members in the club. Meanwhile, the breed, which had died out in England during World War II, was reintroduced in Great Britain.

The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America became a member club of the AKC in 1981. In 1990, the AKC adopted its current Bernese Mountain Dog standard.

TEMPERAMENT:

In addition to being strikingly good-looking, the Berner has a wonderful temperament. They’re known for being an exceptionally faithful dog, affectionate, eager to please, and highly intelligent. They’re easy to train if you allow them time to analyze what you want them to do. Most of all, they have a happy-go-lucky attitude about life. They will greet you with the biggest smile which melts hearts making them a very popular family pet.

The Berner is calm but gregarious, and sometimes even a little goofy when they play with family. They do well with children of all ages and with adults, but they aren’t a good choice for people who live in apartments or don’t have a large, fenced yard for them to play in. The Berner needs to live with their family, rather than be relegated to an outdoor kennel. They’re happiest when they can participate in all family activities.

Since they are very large—usually about 50kg— when mature, early obedience training and socialisation are recommended. Prospective owners should know that the Berner is slow to mature, both physically and mentally; they may remain puppyish for some time. Additionally, the Berner is known to have a “soft” personality; their feelings are easily hurt and they don’t respond well to harsh corrections.

Considering their large size and intimidating bark they make good watch dogs. However, with their

They are an Alpine dog so care must be taken in summer months as they are prone to heat stroke if not monitored. They should be in airconditioning or in the shade with a fan and plenty of fresh water on hot humid days.

Sadly the lifespan is only around 7-10 years. This is mainly due to cancer. They are susceptible to Histiocytosis and this is the one word that all Bernese Mountain dog owners dread to hear.

Bernese mountain dogs are also prone to a few conditions commonly associated with large dogs, such as elbow and hip dysplasia, blood disorders, and eye conditions. Owners also need to be wary of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) complex, or bloat, which is a stomach condition that happens when air accumulates in the stomach, causing it to twist. Bloat can be life-threatening and requires emergency surgery. There are some steps owners can take that may diminish the risk of bloat, according to VCA Hospitals, such as feeding the dog smaller, more frequent meals during the day and no exercise 30 minutes before or after feeding. As with all breeds, a Berner’s ears should be checked regularly for signs of infection, and the teeth should be brushed often, using a toothpaste designed for dogs. COAT AND GROOMING:

Bernese have long coats; a long topcoat and an undercoat. The male will usually shed once a year, generally as it is getting warmer, whilst the female will shed twice a year before they are in season and also after a litter. The shedding is the change of the old coat for a new one. If the dog sheds its coat more than once or twice a year it may be caused by poor nutrition, too much grooming or bathing too often. It may also be a physical problem in which case you should seek veterinarian advice. Bernese shed a lot of coat but frequent brushing will help reduce the amount of dog hair on left on your floor.

To keep your dog’s coat healthy it needs to be brushed regularly. The brushing will assist in keeping the coat clean.

There are numerous other tools, which may assist you in keeping the coat clean and attractive, and you should ask your puppy’s breeder for advice about what they use. Whatever you use should

be introduced carefully. If it takes a long time to groom your puppy you should allow them to have a break. When selecting grooming tools it is important to make sure the length of the teeth are reaching through the coat. You will do no good if you only brush the surface of the fur. When brushing the coat, brush with the lie of the hair. Begin at the head, brush behind the ears where the fur is silky soft and prone to matt. Then brush the body of the dog. The undercoat should be brushed carefully. The longer hairs on the front legs are better combed than brushed, but the long hairs on the hind legs need to brushed and combed carefully too as knots do easily occur in these places. Finally, the tail should be brushed. You may like to put a bit of conditioning spray in the tail to make this a more pleasurable experience.

Trimming the fur on the bottom of the foot can assist with traction on a slippery floor and also less dirt will be carried inside. This fur growing between the pads can be trimmed so that it is flush with the pads. You can also trim the fur so that the shape of the foot is neat. You may also like to trim the long streamers, which grow on the ears to give a neater appearance and accentuate the triangular shape of the ear. Just cut small amounts so that you don’t overdo the trimming. WHAT ARE THEY GOOD AT?:

As they are a highly intelligent dog they can be trained for just about anything. Bernese have been commonly used as service dogs helping those with special needs. They are also seen very regularly in the Conformation ring and pleasingly with great numbers that previously. Bernese are strong swimmers and can be used as water rescue dogs and well as in the alpine regions in avalanche conditions. Dances With Dogs, Agility and Obedience – they are certainly an all-rounder. Just as long as they are with you and pleasing their owners they can apply themselves to just about anything. ANNUAL FESTIVAL – RETOUR DES ALPAGES:

On the second Saturday of October the streets of Annecy in France are filled with coloured herdsman, craftsmen, old manual trades, folklore

One of the key elements of this parade are the Bernese Mountain Dogs pulling beautifully decorated carts filled with flowers and produce. They of course adore all of the attention and fanfare. This is a very important day to the town of Annecy and is symbolised as a day of feast to the valley. Visitors from all over the world come to watch the parade.

SUMMARY:

Bernese mountain dogs, known as “Berners” to their fans, are beloved for their sweet, calm, easy going nature and their devotion to their families, including small children and other pets. Bernese mountain dog puppies even resemble plush dog toys but as they grow they have no concept of personal space and think they are a lap dog instead of 50kg of bear.

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