Cute And Attractive St. Bernese- The Mountain Dog

St. Bernese

Confused about which dog breed to pet, then st. Bernese (mountain dog) can be the best choice. St. Bernese is a big and powerful dog built for hard work. St. Bernese dogs are strikingly beautiful and blessed with a sweet, affectionate nature. 

Other names- berner sennenhund

                        Bernese cattle dog

                        Bouvier bernois

Height- 25-27.5 inches (male)

             23-26 inches (female)

Weight- 80-115 pounds (male)

              70-95 pounds (female)

Coat- double

Color- tricolor (black, rust, and white)

Life expectancy- 7-10 years

Origin- Switzerland

Features- Floppy ears

Characteristic- Thick and Straight

St. Bernese is found on the farmland of Switzerland. They were bred to herd cattle, pull carts, and watchdogs. They are very big and sturdy dogs but are very friendly and also well suited to confirmation, obedience, tracking, herding, and carting competitions. 

These dogs are very intelligent and highly trained, and friendly by nature. St. Bernese is a mountain dog; Thus, it needs a cold environment to survive. For people living in hot areas, if you want to pet st. Bernese, make sure to have air conditioners in your house. 

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History

The original Bernese dog was an all-wonder dog generally used for works like pulling milk carts, herding cattle, etc. The name Bernese roughly translates from “Berner Sennenhund”. 

The original name for the Bernese breed was “durr bachelor”, it was named so after the inn in which they were bought and solid in earlier days.

Around the turn of the century, St. Bernese was on the edge of extinction; Professor Albert Heim preserved the breed by crossing with a Newfoundland to improve its size and temperament. 

Appearance

St. Bernese is a strong and muscular dog, as it was bred for work. Below we have mentioned some of the appearance configurations.

Color

Like the other mountain dog, the Berner dog is also a heavy, large dog with a tricolor coat. It has black color on the back and half hands, brown on half legs and hands, white on stomach and face.

With small black eyes, a small nose, and a big mouth. St. Bernese looks like a gentleman with a cute face and fluffy body.

Height and weight

Height- Males 25-27.5 (64-70 cm)

            Females 23-26 (58-66 cm) 

Weight- males 80-120 lb (35-55 kg)

             Females 75-100 lb (35-45 kg)

Physical traits

St. Bernese dogs are long, highly muscular, with strong, wide backs. The heads of these dogs are flat, ears are medium-sized, teeth have scissors bite, and legs are straight, strong with arched toes.

Personality

St. Bernese is a very alert and intelligent dog with a good nature. They enjoy challenges and learning new things. Since they were bred for work, St. Bernese is a very obedient and sincere dog.

Temperament

St. Bernese dogs are not aggressive, anxious, or shy. They are good-natured. These dogs only attack if really needed. 

According to the professional dog trainers, big dogs should be well socialized when they are puppies and should be given regular training. 

This breed of dog is very loyal towards its owners and towards the family. These dogs are very fast, so make sure to keep an eye on them while being trained so that they do not run out of the house.

Berner dogs are very affectionate towards children; they do not bite or harm anybody. They are patient dogs that take well to children climbing them. 

Health

Medical problems

According to the u.s./Canada and UK surveys, st. Brenes mostly dies due to cancer. Types of cancer found in st. Brenes are malignant, histiocytosis, mast cell tumor, lymphosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, and osteosarcoma. They also face health issues like malignant histiocytosis, hypomyelinogenesis, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, and hypoadrenocorticism.

These dogs are also prone to histiocytic sarcoma, cancer of muscle tissue. 

Life expectancy

The average life expectancy of a Bernese mountain dog is approximately 7 to 8 years, and sometimes they also live for 9-10 years.

In a 2004 UK survey, the longest-lived of 394 deceased Bernese mountain dogs died at the age of 15.2 years.

Care

Since St. Bernese are mountain dogs, it’s important to keep them in the colder environment.

Activities

The nature of Bernese dogs is friendly and hardworking. Also, with proper training, they enjoy giving rides to small children. Regional Bernese clubs often offer carting workshops. Karting competitions were held for this breed.

They need a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise daily.

Grooming

Bernese dogs require brushing in a week, baths two times in a week, and a daily ear cleaning process.

Mountain dogs shed year-round and heaviest shedding during seasonal changes. 

Food and diet requirements

Giant breeds have big appetites and need between 3 and 4 cups of good quality dog food every day. 

You should feed these dogs two times a day to avoid bloating. Avoid putting the dog through any physical exercise or work right after eating.

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Fun facts about St. Bernese

  • St. Bernese can pull up ten times their own weight, or nearly 1000 pounds
  • Also known as delivery dogs
  • Highly energetic
  • Friendly with children
  • Aggressive with other breeds
  • Needs cold temperature
  • Poop 5 times in a day
  • Need 5-6 hours walk
  • Lazy to bark
  • Longest tail as compared to other breeds
  • Touches human shoulder
  • Habit of chewing 
  • Habit of licking
  • Best dogs for social events

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Final Words

Bernese dogs are big black dogs with beautiful appearances. They are very cute, disciplined, and friendly. They are very good-natured and friendly with the kids. The price for a St. Bernese generally starts from $1500.

St. Bernese dogs are always ready to please and become part of your family, as they are very affectionate and are full of love for their families.

Poorvika sharma