Big, elegant, harmoniously built dog with a symetric tricolor
long-haired shining coat. Friendly and cheerful.
For many - an ideal dog and the most beautiful breed in the world.
A Bernese Mountain Dog.
The history of the breed is hidden in the past, although there are some hyphotheses concerning its origin. One of them states that the Bernese Mountain Dog is a descendant of mastiff-type dogs that arrived with the Romans two thousands years ago to Helvetia (Switzerland today) which was under Roman rule at that time. They were used in farm work – as guarding and herding dogs. Mated with the local dogs they are supposed to be the ancestors of the contemporary Bernese. Another theory, based on archaeological explorations from the beginning of the 20th century, places the origin of the breed in the local environment. The remains of dog skulls of the same type as the Bernese have been discovered in the arreas of Switzerland which were not settled by the Romans . The archaelogists also discovered the remains of medium size dogs of the type similar to the Bernese which are dated before the Roman invasion. These discoveries could confirm the Swiss origin of the breed .
The character of the breed is a result of generations of dogs performing specific roles in daily lives of the inhabitants of Alpine valleys. Bernese Mountain Dog is a breed of rural type. Before it has become a winner of show rings and the “decoration” of houses and gardens its role was was to guard farms and houses against thieves and vagabonds, while staying friendly in relation to farm animals - cattle, chickens, ducks and geese or cats. This feature has remained in its genes – the Bernese is a good companion of domestic animals, can make friends with cats, doesn’t have a disposition to chase the poultry or animals and birds met while having a walk in the meadows and forests. The relation of the Bernese and people is legendary - without a close contact with its owner the Bernese Mountain Dog will not develop its unique and adorable features of character: tenderness, devotion, and cheerfulness manifested with a happy wagging tail. These features are inherited from its ancestors who used to be companions of shepherds during long lonely months of guarding grazing herds which contributed to establishing close relations between man and dog. Another duty of Bernese Mountain Dogs was once helping in cattle drive and watching so that not a single cow was seperated from the herd. Today they are also the happiest when all their “human herd” – their family is gathered in one place.
The character of the breed is a result of generations of dogs performing specific roles in daily lives of the inhabitants of Alpine valleys. Bernese Mountain Dog is a breed of rural type. Before it has become a winner of show rings and the “decoration” of houses and gardens its role was was to guard farms and houses against thieves and vagabonds, while staying friendly in relation to farm animals - cattle, chickens, ducks and geese or cats. This feature has remained in its genes – the Bernese is a good companion of domestic animals, can make friends with cats, doesn’t have a disposition to chase the poultry or animals and birds met while having a walk in the meadows and forests. The relation of the Bernese and people is legendary - without a close contact with its owner the Bernese Mountain Dog will not develop its unique and adorable features of character: tenderness, devotion, and cheerfulness manifested with a happy wagging tail. These features are inherited from its ancestors who used to be companions of shepherds during long lonely months of guarding grazing herds which contributed to establishing close relations between man and dog. Another duty of Bernese Mountain Dogs was once helping in cattle drive and watching so that not a single cow was seperated from the herd. Today they are also the happiest when all their “human herd” – their family is gathered in one place.
Name of the breed
A Bernese Mountain Dog is often portrayed harnessed to a small cart. In those carts the Bernese used to transport milk, wool, and cheese, which explains one of the historical names of the breed - the cheesemaker dog. The name of the breed that we use now – Bernese Mountain Dog ( Berner Sennenhund in original) has been existing since 1907. It was created by Professor Albert Heim, one of the represenatives of the Swiss cynological scene to whom a Bernese owes its survival, development, and consequently the worldwide popularity of today. Previously, the dogs of this type were also commonly called Vierangler (the four-eyed) - because of the brown tan markings above the eyes, or Geldbachler (the golden-cheeked) - as you can guess, this name is associated with the reddish tan on the cheeks. The first official name of the breed - Durrbachler, changed later to Berner Sennenhund, is connected with the village of Durrbach, where one enterprising innkeeper bred and sold to his guests beautiful, big, tricolor dogs of similar balanced type. Along with other carefully selected individuals, they were used for professional breeding of purebred Bernese.
A Bernese Mountain Dog is often portrayed harnessed to a small cart. In those carts the Bernese used to transport milk, wool, and cheese, which explains one of the historical names of the breed - the cheesemaker dog. The name of the breed that we use now – Bernese Mountain Dog ( Berner Sennenhund in original) has been existing since 1907. It was created by Professor Albert Heim, one of the represenatives of the Swiss cynological scene to whom a Bernese owes its survival, development, and consequently the worldwide popularity of today. Previously, the dogs of this type were also commonly called Vierangler (the four-eyed) - because of the brown tan markings above the eyes, or Geldbachler (the golden-cheeked) - as you can guess, this name is associated with the reddish tan on the cheeks. The first official name of the breed - Durrbachler, changed later to Berner Sennenhund, is connected with the village of Durrbach, where one enterprising innkeeper bred and sold to his guests beautiful, big, tricolor dogs of similar balanced type. Along with other carefully selected individuals, they were used for professional breeding of purebred Bernese.
Appearance
The contemporary appearance of Bernese Mountain Dog is also contributed to a... Newfoundland. At the end of the 40's of the last century, it was decided to add some blood of this breed to the Bernese, which resulted in strengthening the bones and the elimination of excessive curly hair.
When you compare the images of Bernese Mountain Dogs from the official beginning of the breed, that is the beginning of the twentieth century, to the dogs bred nowadays, you can see clearly how much its appearance changed. Now it is bigger, stronger built, heavier. And although the breed standard describes the Bernese as a dog "of above medium size", the current Bernese is just imposing, well muscled, but not too heavy, bear. Adorable beauty – of deep black colour, with rust markings on the cheeks, above the eyes, on all four legs and chest, with white markings - a white blaze on the head extending to the muzzle, with white cross on the chest (obligatory features), white "socks" and white tip of the tail (desirable features). A real dog beauty.
Bernese is a wonderful family dog . But it should not be treated only as a companion dog – it can trained for a good guard dog, or rescue dog working in avalanche or rubble heap areas. Many dogs of this breed are fantastic therapy dogs. A Bernese should be trained with tact: instead of using force it is better to show patience and kindness, and instead of scolding it, just to ignore its mischief. Bernese Mountain Dogs enjoy walking, like running, but they are not long-distance runners – they shouldn’t be forced to run accompanying a bike. Bernese needs to have a job to do, left to itself it will find something to do - to dig a hole, put away shoes, chew bushes in the garden ... A Bernese is an excellent guard of the property – watchful, alarming with a loud barking, but not aggressive.
The contemporary appearance of Bernese Mountain Dog is also contributed to a... Newfoundland. At the end of the 40's of the last century, it was decided to add some blood of this breed to the Bernese, which resulted in strengthening the bones and the elimination of excessive curly hair.
When you compare the images of Bernese Mountain Dogs from the official beginning of the breed, that is the beginning of the twentieth century, to the dogs bred nowadays, you can see clearly how much its appearance changed. Now it is bigger, stronger built, heavier. And although the breed standard describes the Bernese as a dog "of above medium size", the current Bernese is just imposing, well muscled, but not too heavy, bear. Adorable beauty – of deep black colour, with rust markings on the cheeks, above the eyes, on all four legs and chest, with white markings - a white blaze on the head extending to the muzzle, with white cross on the chest (obligatory features), white "socks" and white tip of the tail (desirable features). A real dog beauty.
Bernese is a wonderful family dog . But it should not be treated only as a companion dog – it can trained for a good guard dog, or rescue dog working in avalanche or rubble heap areas. Many dogs of this breed are fantastic therapy dogs. A Bernese should be trained with tact: instead of using force it is better to show patience and kindness, and instead of scolding it, just to ignore its mischief. Bernese Mountain Dogs enjoy walking, like running, but they are not long-distance runners – they shouldn’t be forced to run accompanying a bike. Bernese needs to have a job to do, left to itself it will find something to do - to dig a hole, put away shoes, chew bushes in the garden ... A Bernese is an excellent guard of the property – watchful, alarming with a loud barking, but not aggressive.
Health
Because of their size and weight the Bernese Mountain Dogs are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. Individuals suffering from this disease are excluded from breeding. Bernese are also prone to bloat (Gastric-Dilation Volvulus), entropion, ectropion, and cancer, especially histiocytosis. You can not forget that buying a small, charming puppy. In professional kennels dogs are screened for the diseases plaguing the breed, and properly socialized which is very important in this breed as puppies deprived of proper contact with the environment may exhibit excessive timidity.
Due to the stringent requirements of coat markings in the breed standard, in many kennels there can be found puppies not suitable for shows and breeding, for example with too much white or with insufficient size of white markings. When you don’t plan a show dog career for your pet, you just can choose such a puppy and enjoy a purebred dog with a character typical of the breed – a loving, cheerul, wonderful Bernese.
Bernese Mountain Dogs are in fashion nowadays, with all its consequences. Many "kennels" breed dogs in type of the breed, with incorrect markings, not X-rayed for dysplasia, without tests of character to eliminate the fearful or aggressive dogs from breeding. This "production" of puppies resembling only, more or less, Bernese Mountain Dogs leads to the degeneration of the breed. And we would like the Bernese to remain the way it was described by Professor Albert Heim: "In my opinion, a good Bernese Mountain Dog is by its proportions, by symmetry, by it's elegant colours lovely layed out on its silhouette the most beautifull dog you could ever imagine. There are other breeds that by their specificity are interesting, lovely or nice, but Bernese Mountain Dog is - maybe by its normality - perfect in every way." |