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Bernese Mountain Dogs: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Bernese Mountain Dog personality and behavior. main page breed review faq health training adopting/buying links My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Bernese Mountain Dog, including these excerpts: "The Bernese Mountain Dog is steady-tempered, gentle, and easygoing. Though calm indoors, he does love getting out, especially in cool weather. Romping in the snow is a favorite form of recreation for this Alpine breed. Pulling carts and sleds is a wonderful source of exercise, especially if it involves children. Attitude toward strangers varies from friendly to aloof, but a Bernese should remain poised and hold his ground. The most common temperament fault is excessive shyness, sometimes toward everyone, sometimes focused on one group of people, such as men with beards. A Bernese Mountain Dog puppy needs lots of socialization so that his natural caution does not become timidity. Most individuals are peaceful and sociable with other animals. Some Bernese males are aggressive toward other male dogs. Responsive to obedience training in a good-natured way, this sweet, sensitive breed should be handled kindly, with much praise and encouragement. Some Bernese males may become dominant during adolescence and will require more leadership on your part." History The Bernese is one of four Swiss sennenhunds (dogs of the Alpine herdsmen). His name comes from the Swiss canton of Berne, where he guarded the farm, pulled milk carts to the dairy, and drove cows to and from pasture. Size 23-28 inches and 65-120 lbs

Bernese Mountain Dogs What's good about 'em What's bad about 'em If you want a dog who... Is heavy and powerful, with a thick furry coat Is steady-tempered with everyone Loves pulling carts and sleds and romping in cold weather Is responsive to training in a slow, good-natured way A Bernese Mountain Dog may be right for you. If you don't want to deal with... A large, bulky dog who takes up a lot of space in your house and car Rowdiness and exuberant jumping when young, or when not exercised enough "Separation anxiety" and destructiveness when left alone too much Fearfulness in some lines, or when not socialized enough Some stubbornness and/or dominance problems, especially in males Heavy shedding Slobbering and drooling High price tag -- $1000 and up Serious health problems and a short lifespan A Bernese Mountain Dog may not be right for you. If I were considering a Bernese Mountain Dog... My major concerns would be: Providing enough exercise and mental stimulation. Bernese Mountain Dogs don't need or want miles of running, but they MUST have regular opportunities to vent their energy and to do interesting things. Otherwise they will become bored -- which they usually express by destructive chewing. I strongly recommend that you get your Bernese Mountain Dog involved in obedience classes at the intermediate or advanced level, or tracking, or pulling a cart or sled, or even just hiking and swimming. This is a working dog who needs something interesting to do. Bounciness. Young Bernese Mountain Dogs (up to about two years old) romp and jump with great vigor, and things can go flying, including people. If you have small children, or if you or anyone who lives with you is elderly or infirm, I do not recommend Bernese Mountain Dog puppies. Separation anxiety. More than most other breeds, Bernese Mountain Dogs need a great deal of companionship and do not like being left alone for more than a few hours. They tend to express their unhappiness through destructive chewing. If you work all day, this is not the breed for you. Providing enough socialization. Standoffish by nature, Bernese Mountain Dogs need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural caution can become shyness or suspiciousness, which is difficult to live with. Strong temperament in some males. Some Bernese Mountain Dogs, particularly young males, are not pushovers to raise and train. Some are willful and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say. Some Bernese males are also dominant or aggressive toward other male dogs. To teach your Bernese to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Bernese Training Page discusses the program you need. Heavy shedding. Bernese Mountain Dogs shed a LOT. You'll find hair and fur all over your clothing, upholstery, carpeting, under your furniture, on your countertops -- even in your food. Frequent vacuuming will become a way of life. Make sure you're REALLY up for this. Slobbering. Some Bernese Mountain Dogs, especially those with massive heads and loose jowls, slobber and drool, especially after eating and drinking. With these individuals, you will literally be toweling saliva and slime off your clothes and furniture. Serious health problems. The lifespan of a Bernese is short and an alarming number are crippled by bone and joint diseases and/or succumb to cancer in middle age. To keep this breed healthy, I strongly recommend following all of the advice on my Bernese Mountain Dog Health Page. Not all Bernese Mountain Dogs are alike! There are energetic Bernese, and placid Bernese. Hard-headed Bernese, and sweet-natured Bernese. Serious Bernese, and good-natured goofballs. Introverted Bernese, and Bernese who love everyone. If you acquire a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." If you're considering an adult Bernese Mountain Dog... There are plenty of adult Bernese who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you. When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS. If you would like to link to this review, here is the HTML code: <a href="http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/bernesemountaindogs.html">Bernese Mountain Dogs: What's Good About 'Em, What's Bad About 'Em</a> Copyright © 2000-2008 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author.