Bernese Mountain Dogs come from the canton of Berne in Switzerland where the dogs were used as all purpose farm dogs.

Berners should be:

l about 90-120 lbs. for males, about 70-100 lbs for females.

l 25-27.5 inches tall for males, about 23-26 inches tall for females.

l agile enough to help bring the cows in for milking or to move them to a new pasture

l strong enough to pull a cart full of milk or cheese into town or to the dairy.

l gentle enough to allow a child to lead them.

l tough enough to stand their ground against danger

l smart enough to learn quickly and to be able to tell an everyday situation from an unusual occurrence.

Berners should not be:

l shy (stand-offish is OK, but a berner should never hide behind its owner or be easily spooked)

l aggressive (puppies may be exuberant and play using their mouths, but should never be aggressive)

Why berners are great dogs:

l as adults, they tend to be good with children, other animals and fragile people

l Although they have a long coat, it is relatively easy to care for. A good brushing every week or two and a bath every other month is about all that is needed.

l they are very bright and are willing learners.

l they are good watch dogs and seem to be very good judges of character.

l they seem to have a very wise and gentle soul.

Why a berner may not be for you:

l They are inside dogs. They need to be with their people. Dogs left outside when their people are home, or left unattended for extended amounts of time, will develop behavior problems.

l They shed a lot. In most berner households berner fur is considered a condiment.

l They need a lot of training as puppies. They grow quickly, and before you know it you will have a 60 lb. puppy that you have no control over, if training isn't started early.

l Berners don't take well to harsh training methods. The old jerk and praise methods will usually cause your dog to "shut down". Positive methods using treats and/or clickers tend to work best.

l Even though they may seem like couch potatoes sometimes, they are working dogs and will do much better if they are kept active mentally and physically.

l Although berners make good watch dogs, they don't make very good guard dogs. They will bark but usually don't bite.