All about Bernese Herdsman

The Bernese mountain dog, also known as Bernese mountain dog or simply Bernese, is a large, robust and imposing dog, with a long and majestic coat.

Very smart and affable, in addition to having great energy, he also loves good company. Do you live in a place or farm and want to cheer up the family? Then this is the right breed for you.

Race history

Belonging to the Molosso category, a group of dogs with a strong physique, the Bernese Cattle Dog is a mountain breed originally from Switzerland, more specifically from the canton of Bern.

According to Dog Time, an American website specializing in dogs, this breed is believed to have originated from crosses between Swiss Alps farm dogs and Molosso or Mastiff-type dogs brought by the Romans during an invasion of the Alps in the 19th century. I BC

It is quite likely that the Bernese was already being used on Swiss farms for over 2000 years, keeping company for their owners, tending cattle, standing guard and even pulling carts.

With an interest in preserving its native breeds, Switzerland, in 1899, created a dog club called Bern. In 1902, this same club put on a show in Ostermundigen that drew public attention to the mountain races. And that same year, the Swiss Kennel Club recognized the Bernese dog as a breed.

Physical characteristics

A large work dog, this breed is very strong and agile. Its limbs are vigorous and well balanced. In addition to being covered by a double layer of long tricolor fur, with black, reddish-brown and white spots.

A Bernese dog has a well balanced head in relation to the body, the neck is muscular and of medium length. The back is firm, straight and level. The chest is broad and deep. The legs are long and oblique. The tail is feathered and full. It has drooping triangular ears and almond-shaped brown eyes.

The ideal weight of the male Bernese should be between 40 and 60 kg, while that of the female should be between 35 and 50 kg. The height at the withers in males can vary from 64 to 70 cm, and in females it varies between 58 to 66 cm.

Personality

The Bernese Cattle Dog is very smart. If well trained, he is docile, calm and patient. Having a background as a farm dog, he is often observant and self-confident. However, due to this heritage, he can be very suspicious of strangers. So it is ideal to socialize him from an early age.

This breed is also quite loyal and devoted to its owners, enjoying accompanying them in everything they do. If you spend a lot of time alone, the Bernese will become anxious and start to behave destructively.

It is certainly not a breed for first-time owners as they can be difficult to handle. Puppies, for example, are often quite rambunctious and grumpy, and are known to be inveterate chewers, and can even cause more damage than puppies of other breeds. So start training your Bernese at an early age!

Bernese health and care

• Feeding: An adult Bernese should eat about 5 cups of good quality dog ​​food daily, divided into two meals.
• Brushing the coat: it should be done several times a week to keep the hair clean and free of tangles. This should be done especially if you want to keep the house clean and without so much hair lying around.
• Bathing: You can bathe the Bernese every three months.
• Nail trimming: the ideal thing is to have your nails trimmed once a month. If you are hearing the clicking of nails on the floor when your dog walks, then it is because they are already too long, and if they are too long, they can injure the animal.
• Brushing teeth: to prevent your pet from having cavities, gum problems and that terrible breath, brush his teeth at least two or three times a week.
• Ears: It's also always good to take a look at your Bernese's ears. And every time you do, be sure to clean them with a piece of cotton dampened with an ear cleaning solution. If you see redness on them and you smell a bad smell coming from that area, it's a sign that you have an infection. 

In short, never forget to give your dog proper attention. Keep him active with lots of play and physical exercises. Always check everything thoroughly to make sure there are no bruises or infections. Check out their ears, eyes, mouth and skin.

Take him to get all vaccinations correctly. And remember, start training him and teaching him good manners from an early age, because you don't want a bad-mannered dog at home, do you?

With all the proper care, the Bernese can live up to 10 years.

The ideal place for the Bernese to live

The Bernese Cattle Dog needs a lot of available space to be able to spend all its energy, so a large yard or a farm is already a good size for it. Don't even think about locking him inside an apartment!

It is also necessary to remember that, as it has a lot of hair, and because it is long, the Bernese is quite sensitive to heat. So, it's always good to have plenty of shade and water available close by.