Kennels for Bernese Mountain Dogs in Moscow

• Bernese Mountain Dog

Bernese Mountain Dogs are emotional, friendly and loyal dogs. In the past, dogs were used as herders, to carry heavy loads, and to protect yards. They are now ideal companion dogs and family dogs.

1. Country of origin : Switzerland
2. Height at withers : male: 64–70 cm, female: 58–66 cm
3. Weight : male: 38–50 kg, female: 36–48 kg
4. Lifespan : 6-8 years
5. Use : Companion Dog
6. Other names : Bernese Mountain Dog, Greater Bernese Mountain Dog, Bernese Cattle Dog, Bernese Shepherd Dog

Buying a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy is a responsible and important step that you need to think carefully about before you do it. This is especially true for those people who are going to become truly responsible dog breeders. The question of choice should be approached carefully and without haste, comparing your own habits, daily routine and the nature of the chosen breed. When the future owner has decided on the breed, a new dilemma arises: how to find a bona fide breeder? Here you need to be extremely careful not to become a prematurely disappointed dog owner.

Buying a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy is a very exciting event, because you can say that a new family member will appear. To ensure that the event does not overshadow anything, it is worth taking a responsible approach to choosing a breeder. There are no bad dog breeds; you can simply run into an unscrupulous breeder for whom money comes first. The future owner is at great risk of buying an animal that has a lot of health problems. It is for this reason that you need, first of all, to get to know the breeder well, read reviews about him and the like.

Dog kennel BERNIE LOVE JOY. Bernese Mountain Dog

Breed standard

Bernese Mountain Dogs are well-proportioned and medium-sized dogs. Males are larger than females. The weight of adults is 36-50 kg. , height 58-70 cm .

A large head with a wide forehead rests on a not too long, muscular neck. The scruff is very pronounced. Hanging, not very large ears are triangular in shape. Semi-erect and erect ears are not acceptable. Small dark brown eyes. The look is kind and calm. The muzzle is voluminous. The jaws are powerful and wide. The canines are large and have a scissor bite.

The croup is strong, the loin is slightly convex, the chest is wide. Limbs are straight. The paws are round. The fluffy tail is long, when the dog is excited, it raises it to the line of the back; if the dog is calm, the tail is held down.

The coat is long. The hair is straight, slight waviness is allowed. Tricolor color:

1. The base color is anthracite black. 2. Bright brown tan marks are present on the chest, on the limbs, above the eyes, on the cheeks, and under the tail. The area fell no more than 10%. 3. White markings on the head, on the paws, on the tip of the tail, and there is also a white shirtfront.

Dog kennel Magri-Olifer. Bernese Mountain Dog

Health and illness

On average, Bernese Mountain Dogs live 7-10 years. Unfortunately, this breed does not differ in good health and longevity. In order for the dog to live as long as possible, the owner needs to very carefully monitor his health, conduct preventive examinations at a veterinary clinic, get vaccinated on time, and treat him against external and internal parasites. It is also worth familiarizing yourself with the list of diseases to which representatives of the breed are predisposed:

• Bloating, intestinal volvulus - if measures are not taken in time, the animal can die in a matter of hours.
• Joint dysplasia is accompanied by unbearable pain, lameness, and at the last stage of the disease, immobility may occur.

Read more about joint dysplasia in our article: Joint dysplasia in dogs: a weak point of large breeds

• Eye diseases - cataracts, entropion, retinal atrophy, ectropion, conjunctivitis.
• Heatstroke – occurs when an animal is exposed to too high an ambient temperature.
• Alopecia of weakened colors is a disease that leads to hair loss.
• Oncological diseases - malignant hysteocytosis is most often observed.
• Autoimmune diseases.
• Kidney diseases.
• Weeping eczema - happens as a result of improper care of the dog, after stressful situations and after insect bites; ticks are especially dangerous in this regard.

It is important that your pet has the opportunity to be in the fresh air every day. It is contraindicated for the Bernese Mountain Dog to stay in hot rooms or outside in direct sunlight for a long time. In summer, it is recommended to walk him in the morning or evening. Being closed in an enclosure, the dog should be able to hide from the sun in the shade.

Dog kennel Symphony of the mountains. Bernese Mountain Dog Bernese Mountain Dog

Training and education

The Bernese Mountain Dog always tries to please its owner. But, despite such obedience, it is quite difficult to train him; the dog does not remember commands well, so the process of training and education is usually delayed.

The owner must show patience, confidence and calm during the training course. The Bern will not tolerate aggression and rudeness; the response to strong pressure from the trainer may be a complete refusal to follow commands. It is important to reward your pet with a kind word, stroking and treats for each successfully completed task.

The puppy can learn the simplest commands with his owner at home. Then you need to go through a training course with the Bern. It is recommended that such training be carried out on a special site under the guidance of an experienced dog handler, who will help overcome the innate stubbornness of the Mountain Dog.

Before adopting a dog from the kennel

Any pet with character and emotions. Call a friend who already has an animal if you have not interacted with animals. Relatives may have a negative attitude towards the decision to adopt a dog - convince them and get their consent. Walk the dog yourself, or arrange with relatives. Remember, the dog is usually walked 3 times a day. If you have children, they should be able to get along with animals. Teach them not to hurt your pet. The child should not touch the pet when she is eating or sleeping. You cannot scare or shout at the animal.

Character

Among all large breeds, the Bernese Mountain Dog holds the lead in friendliness and cheerfulness. Love is shown not only to the owner, family members, pets, but also to the entire surrounding world. This dog will not attack a stranger without an obvious reason; he will rather try to immediately make friends with him and start some kind of game. They always have a “smile” on their face, and not a baring of fangs. Berner is suitable for living in any family; it easily gets along even where there are many children, both small children and teenagers.

The Sennenhund becomes very attached to all members of the household. He always strives to be close to people. It is extremely difficult for them to tolerate separation from their owners. It is not recommended to leave such dogs for foster care or permanently give them to another family. Such changes can have a detrimental effect on both the character and health of the pet. Depression and apathy often occur, and the dog can become irritable and disobedient.

The shepherd instinct is in the Bern's blood, so he always tries to keep all family members and pets in sight. The dog looks after and cares for everyone, without offending anyone. Sennenhunds have a special attitude towards children. The dog, despite its large dimensions, will never push or otherwise harm even the smallest children. The Bernese Mountain Dog can easily be called an ideal nanny. The dog not only plays games with children, but also protects them.

The Sennenhund is a working breed, but it does not like prolonged, heavy physical activity. It is enough for such a dog to run a little, play, for example, with a ball. After this, she will with great pleasure settle down to take a nap in a cozy place or will walk at a leisurely pace next to the owner, if we are talking about walking.

The first thing to do

Plan when you will take your dog for vaccinations. Bring toys for him to play with. Prepare a place and train your pet to this place. Necessary things:

• Dry food,
• clothes,
• Shampoo,
• Oral hygiene product,
• Brush (comb),
• Claw clipper.

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Interesting Facts

A few interesting facts:

1. The Bernese Mountain Dog is the most popular breed in Switzerland.
2. The ancient Romans put collars with metal spikes on the ancestors of these dogs and used them to attack their opponents.
3. In the 15th century, the Bernese Shepherd could have been destroyed. The burgomaster of Zurich decided to exterminate all large dogs from the peasants, but the people resisted and killed the burgomaster.
4. In its modern form, the breed appeared thanks to the accidental mating of a Mountain Dog with a Newfoundland, which gave the breed a longer coat and a calm character.
5. Alpine peasants believed that they could talk to the gods through berns, since dogs have additional eyes - brown spots above the upper eyelids.
6. Rottweilers and Mountain Dogs are descended from the same ancient dog species.

Care and maintenance

Bernese Shepherds are clean and easily adapt to different living conditions. This breed is better suited for a private home, but you can keep a Bernese Mountain Dog in an apartment.

In the first case, a fenced enclosure with a booth is suitable for a comfortable life for a shepherd dog, in the second - a dedicated place on a glazed balcony, where a small kennel is organized during the winter.

Before moving on to considering the main features of nutrition, walking and grooming, it should be noted that, in addition to them, dogs:

• wipe the ears weekly using a special product;
• brush your teeth if necessary;
• carry out eye examination and treatment;
• trim the claws if they do not grind down on their own;
• inspect after walks for the presence of ticks in the fur.

Following these simple rules will help your Bernese Shepherd stay healthy.

Expert opinion

Leonid Rodin

Experienced dog breeder

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The Bernese Mountain Dog is an outstanding dog in all respects. She is beautiful, good-natured, devoted and quickly grasps her owner’s wishes. Even inexperienced owners can easily cope with raising this large dog. The only thing you don’t need to force him to do is perform protective functions. Bern is not disposed to such tasks; he lacks natural malice. Some moments in the life of Bernese Mountain Dogs are more or less characteristic of the entire breed. They love to sleep on their backs, comically stretched out to their full height. In a small apartment you will have to constantly step over a serene dog. By the way, after a while they stop paying attention to such a trifle as stepping on a tail or paw - most often the dog does not even react to such tactlessness. Berns also control their own weight. There are many cases where dogs that are gaining weight stop eating, lose extra pounds and return to a normal diet. This fasting fast can last up to 2 weeks. The most unpleasant thing is that such a comfortable pet and friend does not please with longevity. Most often, an outwardly healthy dog ​​very quickly loses its health due to its natural predisposition to cancerous tumors. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly do tests and ultrasounds in order to promptly identify foci of the disease and prevent it from killing your wonderful four-legged companion.

Nutritional Features

Adult dogs are fed twice a day. If desired, they switch to a single meal, but most breeders adhere to a two-time diet - morning and evening.

Since dogs of this breed are not particularly energetic and tend to be overweight, it is better not to overfeed them and control the portion size.

If the main diet of a shepherd dog is dry food, then preference is given to special hypoallergenic food with a fat content of no more than 16% and a high protein content.

If the Bernese eats natural products, the basis of its diet should be lean meat (about 350 g per day per 10 kg of dog weight). Several times a week, meat is replaced with boiled sea fish.

Shepherd dogs should not be fed fatty meats or starchy vegetables, but vegetables and cereals are required in the diet. The total share of cereals per day is no more than 10%.

Remember. You should not give your dog sausages and processed foods, foods with a lot of sugar and baked goods.

It is recommended to give cottage cheese and fermented milk products to puppies daily, and less often to adults. Berna is treated to an egg 1–2 times a week.

For dessert, shepherd dogs will happily crunch on an apple, pear or banana.

Important. After eating, the dog needs rest; you should not involve it in running or active movement, as this can lead to bloating, digestive problems and even volvulus.

Walking and physical activity

It can be said about the Bernese Mountain Dog breed that it is not particularly energetic and does not require much physical activity.

If the dog is kept in an apartment, then to maintain health it should be walked twice a day for at least two hours. At the same time, the Bernese would rather prefer an easy walk with the owner than a long-distance race.

A shepherd dog can be trained to pull a sled or cart, and he will happily take children on them.

Important. Active games are recommended daily, but not for long periods of time. There is no need to make your dog tired, especially if it is a puppy. Otherwise, you may discourage the desire to go for a walk at all.

Training and education

Bernese Shepherds are intelligent, but training them requires patience and persistence. Training of the Mountain Dog breed begins at an early age.

Bernese Mountain Dogs mature late - around 2 years old. It is better to leave complex training for this time, but from the age of 2 months the puppy begins to learn the commands “No!”, “Ugh!”, “Place!”, “Come to me!”.

To do this, just stock up on goodies for encouragement and devote about 10–15 minutes a day to training. The main thing is that these activities take place in the form of a game and that the puppy enjoys it.

On a note. Bernese Shepherds respond better to training based on the example of other dogs. Having an adult, trained dog around will help the puppy learn all the commands much faster.

At the age of 4 months, the dog begins to cut teeth. To stop a puppy from biting, you need to lightly squeeze the nose and sternly shout. A little pain and tone will help the puppy understand that human hands are not a toy and you shouldn’t sharpen your teeth on them.

Remember. The dog should not be allowed to jump on people: when the puppy grows up and weighs about 50 kg, this can lead to injuries.

Due to the friendliness and sociability of the breed, the puppy must be weaned from taking treats from the hands of strangers (even relatives and friends).

Grooming

Grooming for the Bernese Mountain Dog is combing, which is of great importance for the beauty and health of the dog. The coat of this breed is long and dense and requires brushing at least once a week.

During periods of shedding, you need to brush your shepherd almost every day.

On a note. Girl puppies shed more than boys.

For this procedure, a wide-tooth comb and a special brush are used to comb the undercoat.

Grooming also includes trimming the fur on the paws between the toes. Bernese Shepherds are not given haircuts.

Bernese Mountain Dogs also have a drop of Newfoundland blood in their veins. This is probably why Bernese love to swim and don’t mind taking a bath. Although their coat does not require frequent washing.

Wash your dog no more than once every 3 months. The use of human shampoos is prohibited. Detergents must be carefully selected, since Berns are often allergic to them.

Important. When bathing, do not allow water to get into your dog's ears.

In winter, you should avoid baths - the thick coat makes it difficult to dry a shepherd dog, and wet undercoat often leads to fungus or dermatitis.