What are white, tan, and jet-black all over? That would be the Bernese Mountain Dog, a large dog breed that originated from the Alps of Switzerland. This hard-working breed was kept originally as farm dogs and companions of alpine herders and dairymen. To further understand this loyal dog breed, here are some tidbits of information of the Bernese Mountain Dog.
Fact #1
These breed are also called Berner Sennenhund. “Berner” is Bernese in English and is derived from the area of the breed’s origin, Canton of Bern in Switzerland. “Senne” is a German term for alpine pasture while “Hund” is German for dog. Another name of these dogs is Dürrbachhunde, derived from a small town where they were frequently seen.
Fact #2
Bernese Mountain Dogs are famous for pulling carts for kids and parade purposes. The fondness of the dogs for this activity was that they were originally bred to pull wagons for farmers. Their calm temperament and large structure also made them suitable for cart pulling.
Fact #3
Unlike large working dog breeds such as the Newfoundland and Saint Bernard, Bernese Mountain Dogs do not usually like water. Many owners mistake that their similarities to the aforementioned breeds make them good water dogs. The Bernese dogs actually do not even allow their legs to be wet, as they just do not like the feeling of it.
Fact #4
An alarming information regarding the Bernese Mountain Dog is that this breed have a short life span compared to other large and pure bred dogs similar to it. According to studies, the average life span of these dogs recently is between 7-8 years, far from their previous life span of 10-11 years. Cancer is thought to be the main cause of the breed’s shortened longevity and have higher rates of cancer fatality than other breeds.
