Living With Bernese Mountain Dogs: Easygoing Family Dogs Who Drool

Ever wonder what it's like living with Bernese Mountian Dogs?

The Bernese Mountain Dog, affectionately called Berner, is a large dog breed. Even though they are quite large, they have the sweetest, easygoing personalities, which draws potential owners in. Many Berner dog parents have more than one of these sweet lovable pets in their lives. They also make excellent family dogs, which is a popular option for many dog owners.

Bernese Mountain Dog Breed

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Traditionally, Bernese Mountain dogs or Berner Sennenhund were working dogs. According to the American Kennel Club, they came from the canton of Bern in Switzerland, where they worked as Alpine farm dogs. These large breed pups are incredibly intelligent and are built for the cold weather. They also were smart enough to be able to multi-task on their Swiss farms. The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America states that they were not used as a herding dog on their farms, though. Instead, they were there as a watchdog to ensure that the livestock was safe from any predators or those who did not belong.

They have thick, long fur that comes in a signature tri-color of jet black, clear white, and rust. Their thick coat keeps them warm in cooler climates. The males are strong and muscular looking, while the females tend to be a little softer with feminine features.

The breed does have some health conditions to watch out for. According to the AKC, the National Breed Club recommends that Berner owners should look out for dog health issues like:

• Bloat
• Heart Disease
• Elbow Dysplasia
• ?Histiocytosis
• Progressive retinal atrophy
• gastric torsion
• hip dysplasia
• ?mast cell tumors

Another health problem to look out for is Von Willebrand's disease which can cause bleeding in your dog that can lead to a short lifespan. The Berner is also susceptible to many different types of cancer.  Breeders will often track the bloodlines for their purebred dogs to avoid many of these diseases, but there is only so much they can do, and no one can ensure that a dog will stay healthy forever. Generally, Bernese Mountain dogs have an average lifespan of about 6-8 years of age, which is the typical life expectancy for large dog breeds.

Living With A Bernese Mountain Dog

READ MORE: The 411 on Bernese Mountain Dogs