Bernese Mountain Dog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet

By Julia M. Crawford

Holding fast to his place at #62 in AKC registrations, the Bernese Mountain Dog is a big, beautiful Swiss breed who's admired for this gregariousness and charm.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: Apr 21, 2008
• ISBN: 9780470332214

Book preview

part one

External Features of the Bernese Mountain Dog

chapter 1

What Is a Bernese Mountain Dog?

The Bernese Mountain Dog attracts attention wherever he goes. A stroll with one of these dogs is often a stop and go session. Everyone you meet will inquire about what kind of dog he is or will jubilantly recognize the breed. With a wagging tail and quick glance for his owner’s approval of timeout, a typical Bernese Mountain Dog will greet each person as eagerly as a new star signing autographs. His greatest joy, however, is when a child wants to meet him. There is an almost magical bond between children and Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Absolutely striking in his appearance, the Bernese Mountain Dog is unforgettably beautiful. The vivid, rich black, rust, and white coloration in a pattern of classic markings is the hallmark of the breed. Those unfamiliar with Bernese often venture to guess on seeing their first, Is it a black St. Bernard? When told no and given the name, Bernese Mountain Dog, they frequently repeat it as Burmese, confusing the name with that of the cat which originated in Burma. Bernese Mountain Dogs trace their roots to the Alpine setting of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. There, they developed as versatile farm dogs, capable of driving livestock, pulling carts, protecting property, and providing companionship. Centuries of such service have produced a remarkable working dog with a keen desire to please and to be with people as the family dog.

It is easy to see why Berners have such a devoted following.

Discovering Bernese Mountain Dogs

The captivating beauty and marvelous temperament of the Bernese Mountain Dog endear him to today’s owners, who upon getting to know the breed, wonder why it took them so long to discover it. Proud owners talk enthusiastically about their Berners, a direct reference to the breed’s Swiss name, Berner Sennenhunde. Newcomers to the breed find the search for information and chances to meet Berners and their Bernerfolk a rewarding challenge.

Dependent upon geographic location, opportunities to actually see a Bernese Mountain Dog are not always readily available, even at dog shows. For this reason sightings are sometimes as exciting as bird watching. Being highly photogenic, Bernese Mountain Dogs have become quite visible in a variety of advertising media, thus piquing the public’s curiousity even further.

Standard of Excellence

To understand any breed, it is essential to become acquainted with the breed’s standard as accepted by the American Kennel Club. The definitive profile of the breed standard details the specifications of an ideal specimen and describes the characteristics unique to each breed.

The first Bernese Mountain Dog standard in America was taken from the Swiss standard current at that time. It was adopted in 1937 when the breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club and placed in the Working Group. Each breed’s standard is under the guardianship of its parent club thereby enabling those most familiar with a particular breed to make revisions. In 1980 and again in 1990, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, acting in that capacity, proposed revisions to the standard which were voted upon and approved by its nationwide membership prior to submission to the AKC for its approval.

THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB

Familiarly referred to as the AKC, the American Kennel Club is a nonprofit organization devoted to the advancement of purebred dogs. The AKC maintains a registry of recognized breeds and adopts and enforces rules for dog events including shows, obedience trials, field trials, hunting tests, lure coursing, herding, earthdog trials, agility and the Canine Good Citizen program. It is a club of clubs, established in 1884 and composed, today, of over 500 autonomous dog breed clubs throughout the United States. Each club is represented by a delegate; the delegates make up the legislative body of the AKC, voting on rules and electing directors. The AKC maintains the Stud Book—the record of every dog ever registered with the AKC—and publishes a variety of materials on purebred dogs, including a monthly magazine, books and numerous educational pamphlets. For more information, contact the AKC at the address listed in Chapter 13, Resources, and look for the names of their publications in Chapter 12, Recommended Reading.

A brief exploration of some of the expectations described in the present standard will serve for better understanding the Bernese Mountain Dog. Quotations from the standard are italicized, and the author’s comments follow. To obtain a copy of the official standard, write to the American Kennel Club, 5580 Centerview Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606.

General Appearance

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a striking, tri-colored, large dog. He is sturdy and balanced. He is intelligent, strong and agile enough to do the draft and droving work for which he was used in the mountainous regions of his origin.

This passage describes the total dog. The components creating the Bernese Mountain Dog’s striking beauty are his coat and markings in combination with a harmonious blend of strength, size, substantial structure, and impressive demeanor. He must look physically capable of fulfilling the breed’s original purpose of pulling loaded carts and driving livestock in the rugged terrain of Switzerland.

Dogs appear masculine, while bitches are distinctly feminine.

While both males and females have the striking characteristics of the breed, males are quite commanding in appearance, having a more massive body, broader head, and heavier coat than females. The majesty of the male is softly mirrored in the female, making it relatively easy to distinguish the sexes. When comparing the overall impression of males and females, it is important to consider age and relative maturity.

SIZE, PROPORTION, SUBSTANCE

Measured at the withers, dogs are 25 to 27½ inches; bitches are 23 to 26 inches. Though appearing square, Bernese Mountain Dogs are slightly longer in body than they are tall. Sturdy bone is of great importance. The body is full.

Height is based upon measurement at the highest point of the shoulders. With the overall range of height being 23 to 27½ inches, it is not unusual to see a significant difference in size in a group of male and female Bernese Mountain Dogs. The proportional ratio of height to length is approximately 9:10 which creates the balance referred to in the general appearance section. Again, the word sturdy is used, emphasizing the importance of solid, structural strength. Weight range for males is approximately 80 to 120 pounds and for females, 75 to 100 pounds.

The official standard describes the Bernese Mountain Dog’s expression as intelligent, animated, and gentle.

HEAD

Expression is intelligent, animated and gentle.

As with people, the expressions of Bernese Mountain Dogs change with mood, situation and whether alert or at ease. Expressions are best assessed when the dog is at attention, with ears swiveled forward.

The eyes are dark brown and slightly oval in shape with close-fitting eyelids. Inverted or everted eyelids are serious faults. Blue eye color is a disqualification.

The darker the brown eye color, the more desirable it is. Eyelids that turn inward or outward may lead to health problems with the affected eye or eyes. Blue eye color is light, sky blue and easily recognized. It should not be confused with the deep, dark, bluish brown of some young puppies. While blue eyes are not a health concern, they do not portray correct type. Dogs having one or both blue eyes are disqualified in the show ring and should not be used for breeding. Instead, they are fully able to function as pets and may participate in obedience and other events, such as agility.

The ears are medium sized, set high, triangular in shape, gently rounded at the tip, and hang close to the head when in repose. When the Bernese Mountain Dog is alert, the ears are brought forward and raised at the base; the top of the ear is level with the top of the skull.

The ears contribute a great deal to expression. In full-coated, mature adults, long ear-fringe hairs may give the appearance of a fairly long ear. Actually, the bottom of the ear leather is approximately level with the corner of the mouth. Hound-like ears are undesirable.

The skull is flat on top and broad, with a slight furrow and well-defined, but not exaggerated stop. The muzzle is strong and straight.

The slight furrow of the skull is less noticeable in puppies than in adults. This slight, side to side indentation begins above the stop, proceeding upward over the top of the skull, gradually diminishing at the approximate middle of the head.

The muzzle is slightly longer than the skull. Viewed from above, the head is shaped like a blunt-ended wedge. Setter or St. Bernard-like heads do not correctly represent head type.

The nose is always black.

When Bernese Mountain Dog puppies are born, their noses are pink, gradually becoming mottled with gray that darkens to black. It is not unusual to see a puppy having a tiny pink spot or two as late as 5 or 6 months of age.

The lips are clean and, as the Bernese Mountain Dog is a dry-mouthed breed, the flews are only slightly developed.

The greatly valued dry mouth of Bernese Mountain Dogs is the result of the lips being free of excessive, fleshy development. The flews, that portion of the upper lip, particularly toward the corners of the mouth, should be sufficiently tight to be free of droopiness as they curve into the lower jaw.

The teeth meet in a scissors bite. An overshot or undershot bite is a serious fault. Dentition is complete.

The upper front teeth should fit neatly over the lower teeth to form a scissors bite that is preferred. A level bite with upper and lower teeth resting on each other is acceptable. A serious fault occurs when the upper, front teeth extend over the lower front teeth forming a gap (overshot), or when the reverse occurs with the lower teeth extending beyond the upper front teeth (undershot).

Full dentition is represented in the adult dog by 42 teeth, 22 in the lower and 20 in the upper jaws. Missing teeth are only identifiable after the second teeth have come in. Such absence would be one or more premolars, those teeth directly behind the canines on each side of the upper and lower jaws.

NECK, TOPLINE, BODY

The neck is strong, muscular and of medium length. The topline is level from the withers to the croup. The chest is deep and capacious with well-sprung, but not barrel shaped, ribs and brisket reaching at least to the elbows. The back is broad and firm. The loin is strong. The croup is broad and firmly rounded to the tail insertion. The tail is bushy. It should be carried low when in repose. An upward swirl is permissible when the dog is alert, but the tail may never curl or be carried over the back. The bones in the tail should feel straight and should reach to the hock joint or below. A kink in the tail is a fault.

The overall impression should be sturdiness and balance represented by a straight back supporting a powerful body with a well-developed chest capable of being harnessed for draft work. Completing the picture is a beautiful, bushy tail, the barometer of a dog’s feelings. With the dog in motion, the tail is raised at a slightly upward angle. Sickle and curled tails detract from the free flowing balance that is conveyed in the moving dog. The tail tip should not touch the back.

Forequarters

The shoulders are moderately laid back, flat-lying, well-muscled and never loose. The legs are straight and strong and the elbows are well under the shoulder when the dog is standing. The pasterns slope very slightly, but are never weak.

The forequarters provide the pulling assemblage of a draft dog. The structure of the front is greatly dependent upon a properly developed chest. Well-boned legs should be parallel. Feet turning outward or inward create weakness.

Dewclaws may be removed. The feet are round with well-arched toes.

The removal of front dewclaws at about 3 days of age gives a tidy appearance and eliminates the need for frequent trimming, but not all breeders have them removed.

Hindquarters

The thighs are broad, strong and muscular. The stifles are moderately bent and taper smoothly into the hocks. The hocks are