To begin with, they are BIG.  When you sit in your chair with your cup of hot drink...they look you in the eyes, and promptly "bump" your elbow.  You pet for a few minutes, tell them you adore them, and softly send them to their special spot.  They don't move.  Next comes the Berner "hug."  They assume that the first message was certainly not clear.  They bump again, they wrap one of their HEAVY paws around your leg, and look adoringly into your eyes...Have you figured it out yet?  they seem to say.  So, again you pet their big heads, you assure them that you love them, and firmly insist that they must go to their special spot.  No go.  Next they are in you lap (if you are quick, you put that hot drink down!).  They moan and verbally tell you what they have been trying to say all along.  They adore you!  They can't live without you! And the distance you are asking of them is simply beyond what they can take.  So, you work them off your lap, and you get down on the floor with them.   You pet, roll, wrestle, and finally settle back for your drink, book, or what ever was planned.  They sleep with their head on your foot, and are finally content.  You on the other hand, realize you must change your clothes, vacuum the chair and carpeting, and pick up any disrupted item that happened during the routine greeting.   This is pretty much a daily occurrence at our home.

 They have long, strong, bushy tails.  These are wonderful for dusting the furniture of dust and any knick-knack that may be cluttering your table surfaces. Those tails are also good for sending small children sprawling, Christmas tree ornaments flying, and well, you probably get the picture.  But on the good side; there is nothing like those happy tails when you come home!

 They are loud!  When a visitor approaches the house, the neighbors and all surrounding know that someone new is about.  We personally like the warning system, but when the dogs are indoors, their bark rivals any high-tech LOUD security system.  We can appreciate, however, that these are not dogs that just love to hear their own voices.  If they bark, there is a purpose.  Out of doors is loved by the Berner...but they prefer if you are there with them, otherwise they choose to stay indoors basking in your love and always finding a spot on or behind your feet (This is especially annoying when attempting to move around your kitchen while cooking!)

Grooming is a must with this breed.  Weekly brushing, clipping of nails, and occasional bathing.  This can be looked upon negatively or positively depending on your likes/dislikes.  Our dogs get brushed daily, because it helps me (Shelly) relax and spend some one on one time with my dogs.  We also choose to allow our dogs on our light carpeting, and this helps maintain LESS hair and LESS dirt than otherwise.

Exercise is another must with these dogs.  They are not high energy dogs, but are working dogs.  If their minds and bodies are not occupied they become depressed, unhealthy, and sometimes destructive.  Although my dogs have ample room to roam, they love their daily walk.  Shyla especially loves to trot beside us when we bicycle.  Exercise must be monitored though.  Until the dogs are two years of age, their joints are not solid.  So, if you are looking for that jogging partner, you MUST wait.  Not everyone wants to do that.  Their exercise must also be judged by weather.  Cold weather...go for it.  Hot weather?  WATCH OUT!  These dogs have heavy coats, lots of body, and thus can be a prime target for heat stroke.  In the summer, we do EARLY morning walks (not jogs) or very late evenings.  Sound judgment is a must when exercising Berners.

The other issue to consider when looking at a purebred dog is their health.  All living beings have health issues, but purebred dogs seem to have a few more.  My personal belief on this matter is that it is due to the small gene pool that pure breeds come from.  Bernese Mountain Dogs are no different.  They have issues with Hip & Elbow Dysplasia, Cruciate ligament rupture, Bloat, Entropion/ectropion, Kidney failure, & Cancers (and any other physical ailment that can be found in the canine world). Any reputable breeder will only breed dogs that are free of these conditions, but not even that guarantees that one or more of these disorders will not show up in their offspring.  Treating these diseases can be costly.  When entering into a relationship with a Berner, it would be unheard of to say that caring for their medical needs was more than planned, so simply put him/her down.  These are members of your family and when adopting a Berner you are taking on the same obligation as if you had adopted another member of your family.  Some conditions do require that for the dogs benefit, that he/she will be humanely put to rest to relieve suffering, but this is not usually the first option.  Reputable breeders are working diligently to try to eliminate these diseases and expand the longevity of our breed. The hard part for all of us is that these dogs live only on the average of 7 years!  This is not long enough for such a wonderful breed.  We feel blessed that Shyla comes from lines that have a greater life expectancy, and we are committed to only breed with other lines that have excellent longevity.   At this point in our kennel we are simply out crossing to try to build the immune systems, and develop a stronger breed.  We have been asked how we plan to develop our "type."  And, at this point we are breeding dogs that possess the "type" we are looking for.  We are looking for strong Berner heads, strong bone, excellent movement, dependable temperaments, excellent health history, and of course traditional markings.  Our foundation bitch, Shyla, is all that we hoped for and more, so we look for a stud that will compliment her and strengthen the areas that she is weak in (There is no such Berner that is strong in all areas...Or we would begin to believe in cloning verses breeding).

There are social issues in this breed as well.  This breed is devoted to you.  Friendly, but aloof to strangers (if you are present, otherwise the stranger is firmly warned off), and can't stand to be alone.  Some breeds do very well with a walk once a day, a little play time, and back in their run.  This would undo a Berner.  Although a few hours apart from you is fine, when you are home they are miserable if they are not with you. And misery for a Berner will be turned into your misery (Did we mention that these dogs are SMART? They know when you are home or not, and they know how to get even if they have too!).  So, do you want a constant companion?  Although we love to have our dogs riding in the car with us, not everyone wants a hundred pound (more or less) dog sitting in the front seat with them (don't forget that they leave LARGE nose prints on your windows, not petit ones:-)

But, if you are looking for a dog that hangs on your every mood and breath, that adopts your family as his own, that loves the out doors, is wonderful around other animals, that alerts you to danger, and gives the impression that your dog is of royal blood, maybe you DO need to look at the Berner a little more. One of our puppy owners mentioned that they felt as though they now had a celebrity with them where ever they went!

As we reflect upon the "cons" we have mentioned, we can't help but think that many of the items are what endear us to our Berners.  But this is not so with everyone...So please, click on some of our links, read more books, visit our kennel or another, and make an educated decision as to what type of breed would truly compliment you and your family.

For us, we love those BIG, HAIRY, LOVING dogs!  I love watching my children roll around on the floor with a huge dog and KNOW they are in safe paws.