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The Bernese Mountain Dog, also known as the Berner Sennenhund, The Bouvier Bernois or the Durrbachler is a large working dog of Swiss origin.    The modern Bernese was developed from dogs found in the countryside around Bern, Switzerland.  The original Bernese was an all-around farm dog, used to guard the farm, drive the cows to and from their mountain pastures and pull carts loaded with milk cans to the dairy.  Bernese today retain some, although not all, of these instincts.  The guarding ability is greatly diminished but the Bernese retains the ability to be good watch dog.  The droving and carting instincts remain intact among today’s Berners, but Bernese are known and valued mostly as loyal, loving companions and wonderful family dogs.

 

The breed was rescued from near extinction by professor Albert Heim around the turn of the 20th century, and has developed slowly since then.  The Bernese first came to America around 1926, or possibly earlier, but the breed was not recognized by the AKC until 1937, and the CKC until 1977.

 

There is an old Swiss saying …..3 years a young dog, ….3 years a good dog, ….3 years an old dog,…. anything else is a gift from God

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