Bernese Mountain Dog Breed
Switzerland
The Bernese Mountain Dog is a Swiss dog used to drag small wagons and it has a long history that may be followed during centuries through art and literature. It was described for the first time in the 11th century and there is irrefutable evidence of its existence in documents and paintings of the 15th and 16th century.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the interest for indigenous breeds of draught dogs decreased both in Switzerland and Germany, when dogs from other breeds were imported. However, thanks to the enthusiasm of some breeds, the autochthonous breeds were saved from extinction.
There are eight varieties of Swiss draught dogs, the Bernese, the Jura and the Lucerna, the typical Swiss and the miniature varieties, all of them known as miniature draught dogs.
The Bernese is a medium-sized dog with and angulated complexion. The hair is short, smooth and thick; the coloration is tricolor, for example: white with black patches and cinnamon spots on the head. Sometimes white is intermixed with a profusion of small black patches. The height at withers may be 50 to 56 cm in males, while females do not exceed 47 to 53 cm. The miniature varieties that measure only 30 to 38 cm were selected when the Swiss imposed the prohibition of using dogs which height at withers was more than 42 cm when hunting for tracking or harassing.
