What is there to say about the mejestiic breed of dog that is the Bernese Mountain Dog?

My wife and I first learned that Bernese Mountain Dogs existed when we attended our first dog show back in 2008.

Ever since we first laid eyes on them we have been fascinated by the breed. When we bought our first and current home over 15 years ago we wanted to get a Bernese Mountain Dog. We got two. A pair of siblings, brother and sister.

Little did we know where this was going.

To date we have had 6 Bernese Mountain Dogs. We had our first pair of siblings. Later we adopted middle aged sibling sisters from a rescue in Ohio. That was a joyous day. Later we took ownership of a gorgeous Bernese Mountain Dog whose owners unfortunately became too ill and could no longer care for him. And we currently have a 4 year old Bernese Mountain Dog whom we adopted from the same rescue where we found our second pair of siblings.

I expect there will be more to come in our future.

For many breeds of dogs the purpose for which they are bred really impacts what kind of lifestyle they can fit into. Some dogs need a very active lifestyle. Some dogs need focused attention and training to successfully adapt to the human world. I would argue that a Bernese Mountain Dog is the exact opposite of that.

Bernese Mountain Dogs can adapt to any lifestyle. While being large dogs, they don’t actually require an enormous amount of space, because they are quite content to sit on the floor or on the couch wherever you happen to be and not move for hours on end. They can be energetic and enjoy walks if you want to take them, but they don’t seem to require them. They are strong, but don’t often use their strength unless it is to bump up against you to solicit attention or guide you to that tree they want to smell.

Bernese Mountain Dogs are beautiful and have a gorgeous fur coat. I am always so jealous of how amazing the fur of the well groomed dogs at the dog show look. But grooming is where I fall down as a dog owner. Thankfully their fur coat is relatively hassle free aside from picking up all the shed fur.

I have always loved large dogs. The unfortunate downside of many large dog breeds like Mastiffs or Saint Bernards is that they tend to be drool a lot and be very slobbery. I have many photos from dog shows where a dog shakes their head and you can see the slobber go flying.

Fortunately, of the 6 Bernese Mountain Dogs we have had most of them do not have large jowls that lead to the drool and slobber. Only our current dog tends a bit more towards the drool and slobber. But it is nothing compared to what you see in other breeds of dogs with large jowls.

Bernese Mountain Dogs are also very trainable dogs. My wife completed training as a Karen Pryor certified dog trainer and our Bernese Mountain Dog, Buck, was the dog she used in many of her training demonstrations to show the skills she had learned. Bernese Mountain Dogs also mostly seem to be well mannered and well behaved on their own. I think this is due in large part to their laid back personalities.

Over the years we have received numerous compliments about the good behavior of our Bernese Mountain Dogs. And usually we respond by telling the person that we wish we could take credit but they are just really well behaved on their own. We have not really done much training with them. We always strive to do more training, but it is one of those seemingly unattainable goals.

If you are looking for a new companion animal to join your home I would highly recommend a Bernese Mountain Dogs. But I would recommend either finding a reputable breeder or seeking one out at a shelter or rescue.

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