Bernese Mountain Dog
A Swiss draft dog that pulled carts to market, and it will still lean its whole weight against you. Big and gentle, and its years are fewer than its size suggests.
Overview
The Bernese is the long coated Swiss mountain dog, used on farms around Bern to drive cattle, guard the property and pull carts of milk and cheese to market. It is a striking tricolour dog and a genuinely gentle one.
It is also short lived, and that is the single most important thing to know before buying one. Seven to ten years is the realistic expectation, and cancer is the reason: histiocytic sarcoma occurs in this breed at rates far above the general dog population.
Temperament
Gentle, affectionate and eager to be near people. Berners are good with children, tolerant of other dogs, and they bond deeply to their households.
They are sensitive and slow to mature, taking two to three years, and they do not cope well with being left alone. They are calmer than most working dogs of the size, and they are not guard dogs despite the bulk.
Care and grooming
A long thick double coat that needs brushing two or three times a week and daily during the two heavy moults. They shed a great deal all year.
Beyond cancer, hip and elbow dysplasia are common, and degenerative myelopathy occurs and has a DNA test. This is a deep chested breed, so bloat is a real risk and a prophylactic gastropexy is worth discussing with a vet.
Living and exercise
An hour a day of moderate exercise, and considerably less while growing, because a heavy puppy's joints are damaged by too much too early.
They overheat easily under that coat and need shade and cool in summer. Going into this breed means going in knowing the lifespan, because the commonest complaint about Berners is that they die young.
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