Bernese Mountain Dog
Home Page & Introduction

Welcome to the Bernese Mountain Dog Web Site. This introductory page should answer the most commonly asked questions about Berners while the links to the rest of the site can provide more in depth information.

Copyright 1994, Philip Shaffer, last update May 8, 1998, pshaffer@bmd.org.

Quick Links

• [BMD Clubs Page] Breeder referral and other Bernese Mountain Dog club contacts
• [BMDCR Page] Homepage of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the Rockies
• [BMDCA Page] Homepage of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America
• [Purchasing a Berner] An in depth guide for potential buyers
• [Progressive Retinal Atrophy] A detailed look at PRA in Bernese Mountain Dogs from the PRA task force
• [Berner-Garde] The international Bernese Mountain Dog health database
• [Standard] The American Bernese Mountain Dog Standard
• [Swiss Breeds Page] A great look at all the Swiss breeds with lots of pictures
• [Mailing List] Home of the Berner mailing list

Table of Contents

• Summary
• Temperament and Behavior
• Expenses
• Health and Fitness
• Miscellaneous
• Origins of the Breed
• Hips and Elbows
• Cancer
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy
• Working
• Clubs
• References and Links
• Purchasing a Berner
• Breed Standard

Summary

Temperament and behavior

• needs lots of human companionship; must be a full member of the family; a dog that must be allowed inside the house
• gentle, calm, affectionate, and faithful to their owners
• very good with children and other animals
• intelligent, but needs patient, consistent training
• seldom nuisance barkers
• good watch dogs but not guard dogs
• reserved around strangers but not shy or fearful if given proper socialization when young
• moderate activity level, a fine walking companion but lacking the endurance of lighter boned breeds
• a working breed that was originally used for draft work and light duty cattle herding

Expenses

• purchase cost varies widely around the country, but $1,000 is typical
• males and females should cost the same
• $150 for first year routine vet care
• $50 per year for routine adult vet care
• $150 per year for miscellaneous vet care
• $20 to $30 per month in food
• $180 for 20 hours of basic puppy and obedience classes
• home and yard improvements such as fencing or a run

Health and fitness

• the typical life span is between 6 and 9 years
• cancers are a serious problem and common cause of early death
• joint problems are common
• blindness from progressive retinal atrophy is becoming a concern
• serious autoimmune problems and kidney problems are known
• the Berner-Garde data base tracks many health problems and can be accessed by breeders and potential owners.

Miscellaneous

• 65 to 95 pounds for females; 80 to 115 pounds for males
• males 25-27-1/2 inches at the withers, bitches 23-26 inches
• heavy shedding once or twice a year and for some dogs throughout the year
• coat naturally repels dirt; regular brushing but only occasional bathing is required.
• a few are prone to drooling
• not a natural retriever
• not naturally inclined to hunting, though some chase squirrels, etc.
• not naturally a water dog but some take to swimming for fun

Origins of the Breed

The name Bernese Mountain Dog is a rough translation of the German "Berner Sennenhund," which literally means Bernese Alpine Herdsman's Dog. The breed's original name was Durrbachler, after an inn where these farm dogs were bought and sold. The modern breed was developed from dogs found in the countryside around Bern, Switzerland and is only one of several Swiss breeds. The original Berner Sennenhund was an all-around farm dog, used to guard the farm, drive the cows to and from their mountain pastures, and pull carts loaded with milk cans to the dairy; modern Berners retain some, although not necessarily all, of these instincts. The breed was rescued from near extinction by Professor Albert Heim around the turn of the century and has developed slowly since then. In 1948 there was a significant outcrossing to a Newfoundland dog, with a resulting improvement in temperament and increase in size.

Berners are known to have first come to America in 1926, and possibly even earlier, but the breed was not recognized by the AKC even after intervention by the Swiss Kennel Club. A decade later, two more were imported from Switzerland; these dogs became the first of the breed to be registered with the AKC, in 1937. By the 1960s, a small group of loyal Berner owners and breeders was developing in the United States. During 1994 there were 1594 Berners registered with the AKC, making the breed the 68th most popular out of 137 AKC-recognized breeds. The breed's popularity has been rising steadily and is now at the point where "backyard breeding" is a problem.

Hips and Elbows

Hip and elbow dysplasias are common conditions in Bernese Mountain Dogs. These are structural defects in the joints that can cause mild to crippling arthritis.

• Dysplasia is inherited, but many genes are involved.
• It is possible for normal parents to produce dysplastic puppies; however, the chance of a particular puppy's having dysplasia is reduced if both parents are normal, and even more greatly reduced if other close relatives (parents' parents, parents' littermates, and other puppies produced by the parents) are also free from dysplasia.
• environmental factors--overly rapid puppy growth, improper diet, and strenuous exercise--do not cause dysplasia but may act to worsen it.
• X-rays of mature dogs are the definitive way to diagnose dysplasia. X-rays may be done of younger dogs who are exhibiting clinical symptoms (e.g., lameness), but they may not accurately predict how bad the final effects will be. Because both hip and elbow dysplasias often are not apparent at birth but develop over time, mild or moderate dysplasia often cannot be diagnosed in young dogs.
• The Institute for Genetic Disease Control in Animals (GDC) evaluates dogs at 1 year of age by X-ray. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) evaluates dogs at 2 years of age by X-ray. Dogs found to be free of dysplasia are issued a certificate and a registration number.
• Of all the breeds evaluated by the OFA, Bernese have the eighth highest incidence of hip dysplasia. 28% of the Berners whose hip X-rays are submitted are rated as dysplastic, but in reality the overall incidence in the breed is probably considerably higher, since many owners do not submit the X-rays if dysplasia is suspected.
• Surgery to correct dysplasia in puppies can be helpful but costs $400.00 to $1,800.00 per joint. Hip surgery is usually more successful than elbow surgery.
• Recommendations
  Both the GDC and OFA recommend that:

1. breeding dogs be free of dysplasia
2. breeding dogs' parents and grandparents be free of dysplasia
3. 75% or more of any siblings or half siblings of breeding dogs be free of dysplasia

Cancer

Cancers are a serious problem in the Bernese. An ongoing study of these diseases in the breed, sponsored by the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, indicates the following:

• Approximately 9.7% of Berners get cancer.
• The average age at which cancer is diagnosed is 6.21 years; however, this varies widely.
• The most common types of cancer found in Berners are:
• histiocytosis (24.0% of cases): these tumors are inherited, but probably through the action of many genes (polygenic) acting together
• mastocytoma: also inherited
• lymphosarcoma: not inherited
• fibrosarcoma: not inherited
• osteosarcoma: no conclusions yet as to heritability.

A tumor registry has been established which is continuing to collect and analyze tissue samples from affected dogs. It is hoped that additional data will enable researchers to reach further conclusions about the incidence and heritability of other types of cancer in the Bernese Mountain Dog. In addition The (GDC) has established a registry for histiocytosis and mastocytoma since these are known to be inherited.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a hereditary eye disease that causes blindness. PRA is a relatively new problem for Bernese and a cause of great concern among breeders and owners.  The BMDCA established a PRA task force in 1997 to guide the club's efforts in eliminating this disease.  For now only the contentious efforts of knowledgeable breeders can PRA from spreading throughout the population.   The following facts are known:

• There are early and late onset forms of the disease with symptoms being detected between a few months and five years.
• Blindness can occur between 1 year and old age.
• Annual eye examinations (commonly called CERF exams) can detect symptoms of the disease and lead to a definitive diagnosis. Dogs that pass this exam may be registered with either CERF or the GDC  but the exam must be repeated yearly.
• The usual inheritance mode of PRA is autosomal recessive which is fairly simple compared to dysplasia and histiocytosis.
  • In genetic terms a dog is either normal, a carrier, or affected.
  • Normal dogs and carriers do not get PRA - only affected dogs get the disease.
  • At present, there is no way to distinguish normal dogs from carriers. Research is underway to develop a test for carriers so that they can be eliminated as breeding stock, however, this will take a lot of time and money. 
  • Experts advise against using any affected dog, any known carrier, or any dog with a 25% or greater probability of being a carrier.
  • Two popular stud dogs have recently been identified as carriers.  All breeders should be aware of these dogs and follow the recommended breeding practices.
  • The outcomes of all the possible matings are shown in the table below

Working

Coming from a working background, Berners enjoy the challenges of learning new things. Most Berners are eager to please their owners and can be trained quite readily in a variety of areas. Because of the breed's eventual large size, it is to the owner's advantage to begin obedience training (household manners and basic obedience commands) at a young age. However, since Berners as a breed are slow to mature, both physically and mentally, owners should not push puppies in training too rapidly; these dogs are definitely not obedience "child prodigies." The training of a Berner puppy requires firmness, consistency, and lots of patience, and is most successfully accomplished with many brief, fun training sessions. Despite their large size, the majority of Berners are "soft" dogs and do not do well with harsh corrections. To avoid the possibility of orthopedic injury, a Berner should not be asked to jump or pull loads before the age of two.

A hundred years ago, Bernese Mountain Dogs worked at guarding the farm, herding cattle, and hauling milk cans to the dairy. The guarding ability is greatly diminished these days (although Berners still make good watch dogs), but the herding instinct and draft capabilities remain intact in many dogs. Although at this time Berners are not permitted to compete in AKC herding events, the majority of Bernese will pass a herding instinct certification test, and some owners actively train their dogs in this area. Berners are eligible to compete in trials offered by the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) and the American Herding Breed Association. However, it is draft work that receives the most attention The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, the national breed club, offers two titles in draft work: NDD (Novice Draft Dog) and DD (Draft Dog). The trials for these titles require a dog to demonstrate both control of the cart and strength and endurance to pull a load. Many Berners participate in AKC obedience and tracking tests, as well as agility competition. They have also been quite successful as therapy dogs and, to a limited extent, as search and rescue dogs.

Clubs

The national breed club in the United States is the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America (BMDCA). There are also clubs in Canada, many European nations, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other countries. On the local level, there are over 20 regional breed clubs located in various parts of the United States. These clubs sponsor a variety of social and educational activities for Berner fanciers. New Berner owners, as well as people considering the purchase of a Berner, are welcome to attend these events. See the clubs page for a list.

References

There are currently four informative breed books available in English. The Cochrane and Simonds books focus on the breed in England; the Russ and Rogers book along with the Smith book deal primarily with the breed in the United States. The Ludwig book provides a brief introduction to all four of the Swiss mountain dogs. The German language book is the most complete reference available. For those interested in draft work the Powell book is excellent. Many dog books and videos are available from the Direct Book Service at P.O. Box 2778 Wenatchee, WA 98807-2778, 800-776-2665, dgctbook@cascade.net

Baertschi, M.& Spengler, H: Hunde sehen, zuechten, erleben - Das Buch vom Berner Sennenhund, Haupt, Bern und Stuttgart, 1992

Cochrane, Diana. The Bernese Mountain Dog, Diana Cochrane, Westgrove House, Haselor Hill Nr. Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6ND, Great Britain (1987)

Ludwig, Gerd. The Bernese and Other Mountain Dogs, Barrons (1995)

Powell, Consie. Newfoundland Draft Work - a Guide for Training. Consie and Roger Powell, Ottawa Newfoundlands, 5208 Olive Road, Raleigh, NC 27606

Russ, Diane, and Rogers, Shirle. The Beautiful Bernese Mountain Dogs, Alpine Publications, P.O. Box 7027, Loveland, CO 80537 (1993)

Simonds, Jude. The Complete Bernese Mountain Dog, Howell Book House, 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022 (1989)

Smith, Sharon. The New Bernese Mountain Dog, Howell Book House, 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022 (1995)

The Alpenhorn and The Bulletin are each published six times a year, in alternate months, by the BMDCA The Alpenhorn is a magazine containing articles on all aspects of the breed: showing, breeding, training, health issues, etc. The Bulletin is a companion newsletter to the The Alpenhorn containing national and regional club news reports, correspondence, recent titles earned, club minutes, etc.

The Illustrated Standard of the Bernese Mountain Dog. This version of the official standard includes pictures, illustrations and commentary to help both novice and expert better understand and interpret the AKC standard. It is available from the BMDCA.

The Bernese Mountain Dog video is part of the AKC video series. Like the illustrated standard it includes graphics and commentary to make the standard more understandable. It is available from the AKC store.

Purchasing a Berner

Deciding that you want a Berner and have what it takes to be a responsible owner is only the first step in a lifelong commitment. Finding a good pup is hard work and can take many months or even years, however, the effort is worth it when you find a healthy, sound , good natured dog. Link to the Purchasing a Berner page for more detailed information on what to look for and how to go about your search.

Breed Standard

For every breed recognized by the AKC, there is a breed standard which defines the ideal dog of that breed, physically and temperamentally. The standard is written by the parent club for the breed - in this case, the BMDCA. Because the breed club in each country where Berners are recognized--Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland, Germany, etc.-- formulates its own standard, there may be some minor difference between the AKC standard and the standard in other countries.