Bernese Mountain Dog – The Gentle Giant of the Canine World

Bernese Mountain Dogs are the most popular breed of dogs in the world. They have been bred since ancient times to serve mankind and they still do today. Their gentle nature makes them very well suited for working with children or other animals. The breed originated from Switzerland and was brought into England during the reign of Henry VIII (1533–1603). During that time, it became known as “The King’s German Shepherd”. In 17th century, the breed was imported to America where it quickly became popular among soldiers and farmers. Today, there are many breeds of dogs that were originally bred for work. These include labradors, pugs, bulldogs and even huskies.

It is no wonder why these breeds have become so popular in recent years; they all share similar characteristics such as being friendly with humans and having a strong bond with their family members.

There are several different types of Bernese Mountain Dogs:

1) Standardbreds: These are the best-known type of Bernese Mountain Dogs.

They are the most common breed and have been used throughout history. They come in various sizes, colors and shapes. Some of the standardbreds include: Golden Retriever, Mastiff, Great Dane, Boxer and Husky.

2) Workingtype: These dogs are bred specifically for work purposes.

They are more muscular and sturdy than the standardbreds. They are used as working dogs for police and military purposes. Some of the workingtype dogs include: German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, Dutch Shepherd and Belgian Malinois.

3) Cattle Dogs: These dogs were bred specifically to herd cattle in large pastures or fields.

They have a strong instinct to protect their herds against potential predators. They make great watchdogs because of this protective instinct. The cattle dogs are bred in Australia and include: Kelpie, Blue Heeler and Australian Shepherd.

4) Companion Dogs: These are dogs that are friendly, social and easy to train.

They do not have a strong herding or watch dog instinct. They love to be around humans and thrive on human companionship. The companion dogs come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They include: Pugs, English Bulldogs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Chihuahuas.

All dogs are descended from wolves many, many years ago. As time went by, man began to domesticate wolves into different types of dogs to suit his needs. Sometime between 16-20 thousand years ago the first dog resembling the modern-day dog came into existence.

All dogs today can trace their heritage back to those original animals.

Sources & references used in this article:


… the May 1, 1937, Issue of the American Kennel Gazette there was a brief notice:” New Breed Admitted to Stud Book. Bernese Mountain Dog.” There followed the … by MR Dawson – 1987 –

Dog star rising: the canine genetic system by NB Sutter, EA Ostrander – Nature Reviews Genetics, 2004 –

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in a Bernese Mountain Dog by V Vandenberge, D Paepe, G Vercauteren… – Vlaams …, 2009 –