The Bernese Mountain Dog is a well-known breed that originated in Switzerland. It is also referred to as the Bernese Sennenhund or Bernese Cattle Dog. This breed has a distinctive tri-color coat of black, white, and tan. Initially, the Bernese Mountain Dog was developed in the Bern region of Switzerland for purposes such as pulling carts, cheese making, and transporting goods to textile mills.
- English Name: Bernese Mountain Dog
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
- Class: Mammalia
- Subclass: Eutheria
- Order: Carnivora
- Suborder: Caniformia
- Family: Canidae
- Genus: Canis
- Species: Dog
- Subspecies: Bernese Mountain Dog
- Origin: Switzerland
- Preferred Food: Beneful Dog Food
- Lifespan: 9-12 years (average)
3. Morphological Characteristics:
- Size: Ideal shoulder height for males is 24.0-28.0 inches (61.0-71.0 cm), and for females, it’s 22.9-27.2 inches (58.0-69.0 cm). Ideal weight for males is 38.0-50.0 kg, and for females, it’s 36.0-48.0 kg.
- Head: The head is expressive, intelligent, lively, and elegant. Eyes are deep brown, slightly oval-shaped. Ears are medium-sized, high-set, and triangular. Muzzle is strong and straight, with a black nose. They have a scissor bite.
- Body: The body is strong and well-muscled, with a moderate-length neck. They have a level back from the withers to the tail and a deep and wide chest that reaches the elbows. Their hindquarters are broad and sturdy, and their tail has dense fur.
- Legs: The Bernese Mountain Dog has wide thighs, well-muscled legs, and hocks that are well-angled and connect smoothly to the feet. They have compact, rounded feet with arched toes.
- Coat: The coat is thick, medium-length, slightly shiny, and neat. It is tri-color with a basic black color, rich rust markings, and clear white.
4. Temperament:
Bernese Mountain Dogs are known for being brave, quiet, and friendly companions. They were originally used as herding and transport dogs, displaying good work ethic. They are generally calm, obedient, confident, and not aggressive. They mature mentally around two years of age, and their strengths include strength, high obedience, confidence, fearlessness, and a lack of wildness.
5. Care Knowledge:
Caring for Bernese Mountain Dogs involves regular grooming, nail trimming, and attention to coat health. They should be bathed and dried carefully, avoiding exposure to dirt until completely dry. Daily water supply is crucial due to their high water intake. Avoid prolonged sun exposure, and for grooming, use a blow dryer or allow natural drying, but avoid excessive sun exposure.
6. Feeding Tips:
Bernese Mountain Dogs are not picky eaters and can be fed high-quality dog food with added nutritional supplements like calcium powder, coat enhancers, and nutritional pastes. However, certain human foods like onions, garlic, sharp bones, expired food, salty items, certain seafood, milk, sugar, chocolate, caffeine-containing beverages, grapes, spicy foods, and others should be avoided. Regular boiled eggs can be beneficial for their coat.
