Does anyone have a Bernese Mountain Dog?

Question

If so are they good dogs? I am thinking about getting one, they look so cute and seem to be really friendly...is that true?

Answer 1

i have a bernie/lab x. very good natured. TONS of hair (shedding) and some drooling.

strong herding instinct. kind of a nuisance during thunderstorms. he tries to herd everyone (including 2 confused cats) into 1 room.

Answer 2

I wish I had one!

MY friend has one, and they are very friendly to people, and very loyal.

But you have to be committed. You will have to take about an hour or so a day to groom them!

Answer 3

Our friends have one. I arranged for them to adopt him through a lady here at work because it's owner had cancer. Fred is a great dog. He does bark when people come to their house, which is good. But, once he sees it's someone he knows, he's a big (and I mean BIG) teddy bear.

Answer 4

Haha, yea, I have one. I love him! Hes really friendly and obedient. Hes nice to everyone in my family. You should consider getting one because he is a very loyal friend for life =).

Answer 5

I have one and they are truly a wonderful breed.

Yes they have a good look about them but there is more to the dog than that.

They tend to be very friendly towards people they know, if they don't know you they tend to be very aloof until they have sussed you out.

There are a lot of lines which suffer from aggression so you would need to do your homework as an aggressive dog this size is asking for trouble.

Its already been said about the short life span and that they are prone to many diseases and the average life span is somewhere between 6-10yrs old, which is very low.

My boy was very very hard to train, he was very dominant and i think initially i wasn't firm enough with him, even though at the time i thought i was, but know they do need a firm hand and someone who is strong to take on this breed.

Once he cottoned onto the training and what was expected of him be is very well behaved(most of the time). I for one thought he was a very tough puppy to deal with and we have had many other breed who were nothing like this.

We have come through the other end now and i am pleased to what he has become.

He can't stand the heat and does suffer a lot with the warm weather.

They hardly need any exercise when young, so bewar you can't take this breed for a good jog or long walk before they are a year old.

They are a plodding breed.

I would agree with Animal about being territorial. He is a huge barker and won't allow anyone to come into the house that hasn't been invited, its not something i have trained in him, its what is natural to him, which can pose problems sometimes.

They do need to be very well socialised around people of all types and ages and also dogs from a very young age, otherwise again this can cause many porblems for the dog.

Its not a breed to take on lightly, they are not like the Goldie who in general love everyone and will greet everyone with their loving smile, unless they know you and have had a good experience around you and then you are greeted with so much enthusiasm and the good old Berner hug.

Answer 6

<<<I have a Bernese Mtn dog and they are wonderful dogs. You MUST get a pup from a reputable breeder! They are prone to hip problems and cancer. They DO need obedience traning. You don't want a 100 lb dog that was bred to pull not trained to listen.

I do disagree on one point that Animal made. My Berner was very easy to train and quick to learn and LOVES to get out and work in the obedience ring.

I do agree with everything else that Animal and Bernese Mtn dogs have to say.

If you are on the west coast, they are having a specialty show in Portland OR....BEST place to go and meet the breeders, their dogs and pups!

http://www.bmdca.org/specialty/2009/

Feel free to email me and I can give you a list of reputable breeders.

ADD

Bernese Mtn dogs are the best....I hope your boy pulls thru the surgery ok! I will be thinking of him...please keep us posted

ADD 2

Now Animal, don't be harsh.....they only shed once a year for 365 days:)

ADD 3

Berner Lover and Animal...Was I just lucky with my Berner???? I have not had any problems training my girl.....Are we talking about the same breed of dog???

Yes, they are territorial and she doesn't like any other dog in or around her yard......

Answer 7

I've got two beatiful boys. one Bailey 6 years (he has osteosarcoma, bone cancer, and having his leg amputated today)

And one Archie 7 months.

The are the Best breed in the world no questions asked. Just make sure you do your research and get a good breeder, if you want to know some names of good breeders let me know.

I wouldn't have any other dog.

But the awful thing is they have such a short life span make sure you have the very best insurance.

Answer 8

I have 3 - One adult b*tch, and 2 19 month olds (dog & b*tch).. plus I have 3 pups.

They are great dogs, but they are not for everyone.

They shed like crazy.. and its mostly black fur

They eat a LOT while they are growing (not so much as adults or they get FAT)- remember big food intake = lots of poo

They can be stubborn/hard-headed and you HAVE to train them as pups.  They are not the quickest learners but are good workers once they do learn.

They are incredibly heat intolerant.  Seriously.  Big time.

They were bred as farm dogs/carting dogs .. so they can be quite territorial and, if not trained, they PULL.

They are people oriented dogs ... THEIR people.  If you want them to be friendly to others you MUST socialize. (remember the farm dog comment?)

They like to be close to THEIR people... which pretty much means on you.. on your feet.. all the time.. unless trained not to.

I don't own one that isn't a darn good digger... they like freshly dug earth because it is cool... seriously a 60 degree sunny day and they are too HOT!

Thankfully they don't drool much.

Edit: Bernese Mtn Dogs Are Best- good luck to your boy today and in the future.  It really is sad the predisposition towards cancer this breed has--- but there are no other breeds like them.  A friend of mine always says "The price for love is grief".  I wish you and yours all the best.

Editx2- As a breed Bernese Mtn Dogs, in my experience (having only trained 4 so far) do not learn as quickly as many other breeds do.

My Samoyeds have learned much quicker-- but upon learning are far less dependable as they tend to be inventive when bored.

I've trained a lot of dogs and have trained a lot of people to train their dogs... I'd put Bernese somewhere in the middle to lower half for ease of training.  That being said-- each dog is different as is each handler/trainer.

I appreciate the fact that, at least in my experience, the Bernese keep trying to please and don't get frustrated or give up as long as its upbeat and positive.  I just don't find mine learning the "how to turn on the light switch" trick in mere minutes the way some of the dogs I've trained have done.  (of course, once they've learned it the Bernese also don't see a need to do it over and over when not asked either!)

Editx3- Housetraining...  The Bernese I've housetrained have learned this EASILY and fast with very very few mistakes.  You can also take my commentary regarding training with a grain of salt... by 12 weeks EVERY dog I've had sits (my 5 week old pups know that they get kibbles if they sit) lies down and can walk nicely on a leash.   I just tend to train my dogs for a lot more than that.