Puppies › Bernese Mountain Dog › Lifespan and shedding
Bernese guideBernese Mountain Dogs usually live 7 to 10 years, which is short for a dog their size, and the people who love the breed are working to change that. The thick double coat sheds a fair amount all year, and more during the two shedding seasons.
A Berner usually lives 7 to 10 years. Plenty of Berners live into their teens and far too many don't, and 7 to 8 years is too short a life for a large breed dog. The breed's own club runs health surveys, supports cancer research, and keeps an open health database where owners report how their dogs fared.
We'd rather you hear that from us before you fall for a Berner puppy, because a shorter life is part of loving this breed.
A Berner's parents should have their hips and elbows x-rayed, their eyes and heart checked, and a DNA test for a disease of the spinal cord, plus one more test, such as one for a bleeding disorder, the thyroid or cancer risk. Berners can also have blood disorders, some cancers and an inherited eye disease that leads to blindness, and like every large breed they can get bloat, a sudden, life-threatening stomach condition, so ask your vet what signs to watch for.
A list of tests that were done doesn't mean a dog passed every one, so ask about the results as well. We are working toward health testing every one of our mamas and papas. As each parent's certificates come in, we post them on that parent's own page.
Berners shed a fair amount all year and more during the shedding seasons, which come twice a year. The coat is double, a longer outer coat over a woolly undercoat, and it is thick, fairly long and slightly wavy or straight, with a bright natural shine.
All that coat suits a hardy dog that is happiest in cold weather, and yours will thank you for a cool floor and some shade in an Indiana summer.
A weekly brushing does it most of the year, and a daily one during the shedding seasons. A slicker brush or a metal comb takes care of any tangles, and a Berner is kept in its natural coat with little trimming, so there's no clipping to budget for. Keep the nails short as well, because long nails can hurt a dog and cause problems with how it stands and moves.
A well-built Berner shouldn't drool much, because the breed is meant to have a dry mouth with tight, clean lips. Berners are usually somewhere in the middle for drooling, so you won't always need a towel.
Not every Berner has a dry mouth, though. Loose, hanging lips tend to go with a sloppier mouth and more drool, so look at a puppy's parents as well as the puppy to see whether the lips fit closely or hang loose. You can see both parents on each of our Bernese puppies' pages.
Sudden heavy drooling is another matter, because it can be a sign of bloat, along with retching that brings nothing up, restlessness and a swollen belly, and a dog showing those signs needs a vet right away.
A Berner is jet black, with rich rust and clear white markings in a set pattern. The rust sits over each eye, on the cheeks reaching at least to the corner of the mouth, on each side of the chest, on all four legs and under the tail. There is a white blaze and white on the muzzle, a white marking on the chest that usually forms an upside-down cross, and a white tip on the tail.
A base color other than black is ruled out of the show ring. Other color combinations can be registered, but black with rust and white is the Berner's true coloring and the one we raise.
A Berner is self-confident, alert and good-natured, and with the training any large working breed needs, grown Berners are usually gentle and easygoing. A Berner should never be sharp or shy. Berners are smart and eager to please, smart enough to wrap their owners around their paws, and so sensitive that only kind, positive training should be used.
A well-bred Berner shouldn't be aggressive. Berners are protective but not aggressive unless provoked or threatened, and they look imposing without being threatening. Shyness is the trait to watch for, because a streak of it does run in the breed, so let a young Berner meet plenty of new people, places and other animals, above all in its first year. Expect a lively teenager before the calm adult, because Berners can be slow to mature and young ones can be very active next to the often mellow grown dog.
Berners are big, with males at 25 to 27.5 inches and 80 to 115 pounds, and females at 23 to 26 inches and 70 to 95 pounds. Large dogs reach adult size at 12 to 18 months, and the biggest breeds can take closer to 18 to 24 months to be fully grown. Our Bernese puppies are expected to reach 60 to 80 lbs.
They're gentle giants with tender feelings. Berners are usually easy to train but don't respond well to harsh corrections, need at least a half hour of moderate exercise a day, and can pick up bad habits if they're often left alone for long stretches. They're especially gentle with children, though many attach themselves to one lucky person in the family. A Bernese litter comes along here only now and then, so the waiting list is the usual way to get one, and the Berners we have now are on our Bernese page.
See the Bernese puppies we have now, or join the waiting list for the next litter.
Call or text during the day, email any time, or send an application and we will get back to you, usually within 24 hours. You are welcome to visit in Syracuse, Indiana, during our hours or at another time on request.