Bernese Mountain Dog
The Bernese Mountain Dog is one of four Swiss mountain breeds, the only one with a long coat, and it worked the farms around Bern as a draught dog pulling milk carts, a drover and…
About the Bernese Mountain Dog
The Bernese Mountain Dog is one of four Swiss mountain breeds, the only one with a long coat, and it worked the farms around Bern as a draught dog pulling milk carts, a drover and a watchdog. The tricolour markings, black with rust and white, are the same on every correct Berner and are set out precisely in the standard.
Dogs stand about 64 to 70 cm and are heavy with it, growing fast and maturing slowly, so a young Berner needs its exercise controlled while the joints are forming. The temperament should be steady and friendly, never sharp or shy, and a stud with an easy, confident nature is worth travelling for. The coat is thick and sheds heavily.
The breed's hard truth is its lifespan, which averages around seven to eight years, with cancer, and histiocytic sarcoma in particular, the usual cause. There is no test for it, so ask a stud owner directly how long the dog's parents and grandparents lived and what took them. On the scheme side ask for hip and elbow scores, a current eye certificate, and DNA results for degenerative myelopathy and von Willebrand's disease type I.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Bernese Mountain Dog
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Good Practice — the Royal Kennel Club’s minimum before breeding
The tests the Royal Kennel Club says breeders should, at a minimum, complete before breeding.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Elbow grading (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Grade 0–3. The dog is graded on the worse of the two elbows. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 9 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 688 dogs scored). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Bernese Mountain Dog stud dogs
No Bernese Mountain Dog studs are listed right now
When a Bernese Mountain Dog on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Bernese Mountain Dog litters
No Bernese Mountain Dog litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
