Bernese Mountain Dog

Bernese Mountain Dog History

The Bernese Mountain Dog (aka Berner Sennenhund) is one of the four breeds of Sennenhund-type dogs that originated in the Swiss Alps.

The name Sennenhund is derived from the German "Senne" (alpine pasture) and "hund" (dog), as they accompanied the alpine herders and dairymen.

These dogs worked as multipurpose farm dogs and were used as herders, guard dogs and for pulling carts.

The breed was officially established in 1907. In 1937, the American Kennel Club recognised it as a member of the Working Dog Group.

This large breed dog has a long haired tri-coloured coat that needs weekly brushing.

These active dogs require regular exercise which includes daily walks.

Despite their imposing size these dogs are friendly and have a sweet gentle nature and are good with children.

These dogs are prone to gaining weight hence a healthy diet is critical to avoid obesity related illness

Average lifespan is 8 – 10 years.

Common Illnesses include;

Hip and Elbow Dysplasia - Genetic conditions that cause abnormal development of the elbow and hip joints in young dogs. This can lead to early onset degenerative joint disease.
Bloat (Gastric Dilatation Volvulus, GDV) – Twisting of the stomach resulting in rapid swelling of the abdomen causing pain and eventual death if not treated.
Hypomyelination (Shaky Puppy Syndrome)—Inherited disease of the central nervous system causing puppies as young as nine weeks old to shake. The defective gene causing the disease is recessive. Affected pups tend to grow out of the tremors in approximately one year.
Osteochondosis dissecans (OCD) Developmental disorder where flaps of cartilage run against tissue causing irritation, pain, lameness and eventual degenerative joint disease. If severe enough, this can require surgery.
Entropion – Excess eyelid tissue causing the eyelashes to turn inward and rub against the surface of the eye resulting in corneal ulceration. Ectropion –The lower eyelids turn outwards.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) – Progressive degeneration of the retina eventually causing blindness
Malignant Histiocytosis –This breed are predisposed to this type a cancer, a rapidly fatal form of lymphoma characterized by fever, jaundice and enlargement of the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.
Cancer –They can be affected by mast cell tumors, lymphosarcoma, fibrosarcoma and osteosarcoma.