Bernese Mountain Dog

Bernese Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dog
Other namesBerner Sennenhund
Bernese Cattle Dog
Bouvier Bernois
OriginSwitzerland
Traits
Height Males 25–27.5 in (64–70 cm)
Females 23–26 in (58–66 cm)
Weight Males 81–120 lb (35–55 kg)
Females 70–100 lb (30–45 kg)
Coat Double
Color Tricolor (black, rust, and white)
Litter size average 5–7, up to 15[1][2]
Life span 8-10 years
Kennel club standards
Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (domestic dog)

The Bernese Mountain Dog (German: Berner Sennenhund) is a large dog breed from Bern, Switzerland and the Swiss Alps, being one of the four breeds of Sennenhund-type dogs, with roots in the Roman mastiffs. The name Berner (or Bernese in English) refers to the breed's area of origin in the canton of Bern, and Sennenhund is derived from the German Senne ("alpine pasture") and Hund ("hound/dog"), as they accompanied the alpine herders and dairymen called Senn. This breed was originally kept as a general farm dog and large Sennenhunde in the past were also used as draft animals pulling carts. The breed was officially established in 1912.[3]

  1. ^ Borge, K. S.; Tønnessen, R.; Nødtvedt, A.; Indrebø, A. (2011). "Litter size at birth in purebred dogs—A retrospective study of 224 breeds". Theriogenology. 75 (5): 911–919. doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2010.10.034. PMID 21196028. "n=137 litter size=6.4 range 1-15"
  2. ^ Leroy, G. G.; Phocas, F.; Hedan, B.; Verrier, E.; Rognon, X. (2015). "Inbreeding impact on litter size and survival in selected canine breeds" (PDF). The Veterinary Journal. 203 (1): 74–8. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.11.008. PMID 25475165. S2CID 27631883. litter size=5.51 ± 2.7, longevity mean=7.74 ± 3.03 median=8.15
  3. ^ "100th Anniversary". Swiss Club for Bernese Mountain Dogs. 2007. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2020.