Thursday, July 21, 2011

Introducing the Bernese Mountain Dog

By Martin Doyle


The bernese mountain dog has also a nickname and this is the gentle giant, related to the very large size of the dogs of this breed, which have a very gentle and even-tempered behavior. Although these were initially working dogs, nowadays you may encounter them in the homes of many families with children, as they are well adapting to any type of environment. The Bernese mountain breed of dogs needs a lot of room to move around as they are very large and will find difficult to live in small apartments, except for the cases their owner provides them with a lot of walking and exercising every day.

In its original region of the Swiss Alps, the breed of the Bernese mountain dog is called "Berner Sennenhund", so you may hear many owners calling them "berners". Designed to be a working breed, these dogs are accustomed to daily exercise and require it to keep healthy and in shape. While a female of Bernese weighs between 70 and 100 pounds when she is fully grown, the male of Bernese can weigh from 90 up to 120 pounds. While the Bernese female stands between 23 and 26 inches tall, the male's height measures between 25 and 27 inches at its shoulder. Though the male is just a bit taller, he can weigh up to 20 pounds more than the female.

Since the bernese mountain dog is a working dog, it means they will require exercise every day because without it, they can turn to destructive ways, so it is vital to ensure your dog gets the right amount of exercise because this also makes them easier to train and helps them to focus. Moreover, the Bernese gets along well with other animals and species, especially when they are raised together.

Most people are drawn to the bernese mountain dog because of their good-nature and do well with children since they are so gentle. These are very social dogs and therefore, they need to be with the family as much as possible, these dogs do well cuddled up next to you while watching television. The more they are with the family, the more they become part of the group and the more they are a valuable family member.

Their main health issue is arthritis in their hips and elbows, and their life span is only 6 to 8 years. They need proper exercise and a good diet, so they are kept away from overweighing, thus ensuring them a longer life span.

The breed of the bernese mountain dog has a long and thick coat that usually sheds in the summer months, when you need to daily brush your dog in order to remove the shedding hair and keep it out of falling all over you house. You will get your dog used with brushing starting from its puppy stage and you'll see it loves being brushed and will ask for this, not only during its shedding period. While usually you can use a regular brush, during the shedding period you'll need a special shedding tool to clean its thick coat from the dead hair. Families with children and having enough space in and around their houses for a large breed will find the Bernese mountain dog the most suitable to be their family pet, to accompany and protect their children.




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