Bernese Mountain Dog Puppies Illinois

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large, sturdy worker who can stand over 27 inches at the shoulder. The thick, silky, and moderately long coat is tri-colored: jet black, clear white, and rust. The distinctive markings on the coat and face are breed hallmarks and, combined with the intelligent gleam in the dark eyes, add to the Berner’s aura of majestic nobility. A hardy dog who thrives in cold weather, the Berner’s brain and brawn helped him multitask on the farms and pastures of Switzerland.

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Berners get along with the entire family and are particularly gentle with children, but they will often become more attached to one lucky human. Berners are imposing but not threatening, and they maintain an aloof dignity with strangers.

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Breed History

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The Bernese Mountain Dog is one of four mountain-dog breeds who were long at home in the canton of Bern, a vast agricultural region vital to the dairy production required for two of Switzerland’s most profitable exports: chocolate and cheese. Even today, Bern’s website tells us, “Over 12,000 farms are spread over the canton’s valleys, hills, and mountain areas.”

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Berners earned their keep by droving cattle, guarding farmyards from predators, and serving as gentle companions when the hard work of the day was done. Perhaps their greatest claim to working-dog fame is their ability to pull many times their own weight as drafting dogs, with their broad and muscular hindquarters generating immense strength.

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Despite the breed’s great utility in the days before mechanized farming and ranching, by the late 1800s the Berner’s numbers were dwindling and the quality of the surviving dogs left something to be desired. A painstaking effort was begun by Swiss fanciers to reverse the breed’s decline.

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In 1907, a Swiss breed club was formed under the leadership of Professor Albert Heim, perhaps the most respected European dog man of his generation. Before long, Berners were once again a favored farm dog, and they also caught on as companions with Swiss householders.

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The breed’s American history began in 1926, when a Kansas farmer imported a pair as all-around farm dogs. They caught on quickly, and the AKC registered its first Berner in 1937. Today, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America sponsors drafting and carting events that test the working ability of these majestic mountaineers.