Origin of the Breed

The name "Bernese Mountain Dog" is a rough translation of the German "Berner Sennenhund" which literally means Bernese Alpine Herdsman’s Dog. The original Berner Sennenhund was an all-round farm dog used to guard the farm, drive cows to and from their mountain pastures, and pull carts loaded with milk cans to the dairy or market.

Today’s Berner is a working dog with a black coat set off by the characteristic markings – white blaze, muzzle, feet, and tail tip, and rich rust eyebrows, cheeks, and bands between the black and white on the legs. The general appearance of the Berner is a striking, tri-coloured large dog. He is sturdy and balanced. He is intelligent, strong and agile enough to do draft and droving work for which he was used in the mountainous regions of his origin. Males appear masculine, while females are distinctly feminine.
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