Other Names: Berner, Berner Sennenhund, Bernese Cattle Dog
Country of origin: Switzerland
Dog Group Kennel Club: Working
General Appearance:
The Bernese Mountain Dog is known by its tri coloured appearance with thick soft silky coat.This breed is a seasonal heavy shedder. Their coats are soft and silky with a thick under-lay. Bernese Mountain Dogs are large, strong and active. They are strong, sturdy dogs with tremendous bone and power of the shoulders and long balanced strides. They reach their full adult height at about 15 months but can take another 2 or 3 years to reach full maturity. They are working dogs but are also seen as family dogs.
Colour:,
Black, tan and white.
Size:
Bitch 58-66cms
Dog 64-70cms
Weight:
Min Max
Bitch 32kg (71lbs) 46kg (101lbs)
Dog 37kg (82lbs) 54kg (119lbs)
Temperament:
In general, Bernese Mountain Dogs are kind and friendly and get on with other dogs and pets as long as they are introduced to other animals at an early age. They are kind natured dogs that are great with children as a family pet, that love to get involved in all family activities. They are also very protective if necessary and will bark to advise the arrival of visitors but will calm down soon after. They are also trainable, calm and patient but do require exercise.
Movement:
Far reaching and well balanced.
Care and Training:
Bernese Mountain Dogs will need grooming daily and may need more attention in their heavier shedding seasons, this will reduce the amount of shedding. Bathing is recommended .The hair between the pads should be trimmed regularly.
The Bernese Mountain dog is an inteligent breed and are easy to train if done so at an early age. If training is left to late then they can become a boisterous, uncontrollable dog who thinks he can do exactly as he pleases! Willing to please and relatively easy to train to an acceptable level. They are extremely sensitive and will not respond to harsh or heavy-handed training methods
Overall Exercise: 60 - 80 minutes per day.
Puppy exercise should be kept to a minimum so that the bones can form properly and can become strong.They should be trained to walk on a lead until at least 1 yr old then they can be allowed off the lead for free-running exercise.
Feeding Requirements:
As puppies, it is imperative that you stick to the breeder's recommended diet sheet in order to prevent skeletal defects and bone and joint problems.
Exercise: Med
Grooming: Med
Noise: Med
Personal Protection: High
Suitability As Guard Dog: Medium
Level of Aggression: High
Compatibility With Other Animals: Medium
Suitablity for Children: High
Often Docked? No
Average Litter size: 4-10
Life Expectancy (yrs) 7
Health issues: Due to a small genetic pool, the Bernese Mountain Dog carries the increased risk of genetic disorders, such as stillborn puppies. These problems include hip & elbow dysplasia, hereditary eye diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancers, aortic stenosis and kidney problems.
Other health issues may include von Willebrand's disease, skin and coat problems, thyroid disorders and bloat. Bloat is a health issue to most dogs, being the second largest killer of dogs other than cancer, but Bernese Mountain Dogs can be particularly susceptible to it because of their deep chests.
History: The Bernese Mountain Dog can trace their ancestry to the Roman invasion of Switzerland over 2,000 years ago. The Mastiffs of Rome were crossed with the native flock- guarding dogs which produced a breed that was able to withstand severe weather, such as in the Alps. The breed was subsequently named for the canton of Berne in the central farmlands of Switzerland, the region in which it was developed. The Bernese Sennenhund holds the resemblance of Newfoundlands, Rottweilers, and Saint Bernards, all of which are believed to have played a part in the development of the dog. These dogs are believed to have ancestry from the Molossus dog of ancient Greece and Rome. The Bernese Cattle Dogs were used as guard dogs and draft dogs in Caesar's army. After this, the breed was mainly used as an all-purpose dog for farming, herding, pulling carts and other farm jobs. In the 1800s the breed almost became extinct if it were not for Herr Franz Schertenleib and Zurich professor Albert Heim who worked with the breed to revive it. Schertenleib had heard stories of the dog from his father, and went in search of the dog that was soon to be extinct. After finding the species, Heim joined him in his efforts and the breed was brought back. The Bernese Mountain Dog was brought to the U.S. in 1926. In the 1930s, a few bloodlines of these dogs were bred to be more of a guard dog that was fierce looking rather than a happy family pet, therefore resulting in some unreliable temperament in those specific bloodlines, but not in all Bernese Mountain Dogs. This led to the common inbreeding of Berners, which resulted in many genetic disorders that still perpetuate today. Today the Bernese Mountain Dog's popularity has grown largely in Europe as well as the U.S. Bernese Mountain Dogs can still be seen pulling carts up the Switzerland mountainsides. Today in America they are used at many charity events, at shows, and as a gentle family pet.
Other Names: Chien de Berger Belge, Belgian Shepherd, Belgian Sheepdog .
Country of origin: Belgium
General Appearance:
Belgian Shepherds are well proportioned dogs of medium size. They are alert dogs who are fine and proud. They are known for their ability as a sheepdog or guard dog. Their coat differs depending on which of the four varieties within the Belgian Shepherd breed they are. The Groenendael is a medium sized, longhaired dog that appears square in its outline. Although they are often confused with the ‘long-haired German Shepherd Dog’ by the general public, they are lighter in bone and more refined in head. The Laekenois is a medium sized, rough-haired dog that appears square in its outline. Their coat is weatherproof. The Malinois is usually confused with the short haired German Shepherd Dog but the are smaller and more refined in head and lighter boned. The Tervueren Is very similar to the Groenendael but comes in all shades of red, fawn and grey with a black overlay.
Colour:
Depends on what variation of breed the dog is Groenendael: black with or without small amount of white Laekenois: Reddish fawn with black Tervueren/Malinois: All shades of red, fawn and grey with a black overlay
Size:
Bitch 56-61 cms
Dog 61-66 cms
Weight:
Min Max
Bitch 20kg (44lbs) 23kg (51lbs)
Dog 27.5kg (61lbs) 28.5kg (63lbs)
Temperament:
The Belgian shepherds are intelligent dogs with a wary outlook. That said, they are not nervous or aggressive. The Belgian shepherd is a good family dog who likes to get involved with all activities. They should not be kennel dogs as they bore easily and could become destructive.They will protect their home and family but it is not advisable to encourage their guarding instincts when young, as they can get confused and start guarding you in inappropriate situations.
Movement:
Loose and brisk
Care and Training:
The Groendael and the Tervueren has a long and lavish coat that will need brushing or/and combing daily. This will need to be done from the under coat as well as the top coat to prevent matting. The Laekenois and the Malinois have rough and shorter coats so need little grooming, so the Groendael and Tervueren does shed heavily during warmer seasons where as the Laekenois with the rough coat and the Malinois with the shorter coat shed their coat much lighter.
The Groenendael is an intelligent dog that learns very quickly. A gentle but consistent approach is the best way to train this dog. They should be socialised from a very early age. This dog is very intelligent and is eager to please his owner. This breed does exceptionally well in obedience and working sports as it was originally bred for herding.
Overall Exercise: 60 - 80 minutes per day.
This Breed are highly active and if considered for a family pet would need plenty of physical and mental stimulation, and not to be left alone for long periods of time.
Feeding Reqirement:
Belgian Shepherds generally have a good appetite, and do not need special dietry requirements.
Exercise: High
Grooming: Med
Noise: Med
Dog Group Kennel Club: Pastoral
Personal Protection: Medium
Level of Aggression: Medium
Compatibility With Other Animals: Medium
Suitablity for Children: High
Often Docked? No
Suitability As Guard Dog: Medium
Average Litter size: 6-10
Life Expectancy (yrs) 13
Health issues: The Belgian Sheepdogs are free from hereditary diseases a majority of the time, although problems such as epilepsy, hip and elbow dysplasia should be checked out. Possible health issues also include anesthesia sensitivity, cancer, PRA, thyroid problems, eye problems.
History: The Belgian Sheepdog was developed in Belgium for the guarding and herding of sheep. Belgian Sheepdogs were formally recognized as the Belgian Shepherd Dog in 1891. Present in the gene pool of this breed are alleles producing long coats, short coats, rough or wired coats and a variance of colors. This created the Belgian Shepherd Dog with four different varieties. The Groenendael (known simple as the Belgian Sheepdog), with a long, solid black coat, the Laekenois, a rough or wire-coat in fawn, red or brown, the Malinois, a short coat in fawn, red or brown and the Tervuren, a long coated fawn or dark red dog. All of these dogs originated from the variance of sheepdogs that existed in Belgium towards the end of the 19th century. In the year of 1890, a man named Monsieur Nicholas Rose of the Cafe du Groenendael found a completely black, long-haired Belgian sheepdog in a litter. After buying a dog similar to this one, Monsieur Rose used selective breeding to create the Belgian Sheepdog, or Groenendael. In 1891 the breed was decided upon to develop and separate three more versions of this dog at the Brussels Veterinary University. The American Kennel Club has recognized three of these four varieties. The United States and Belgium are the only countries to accept at least three of the four of them as distinguished from each other as four separate breeds. The British Kennel Club regards them as a single breed and the Federation Cynologique states one breed with four varieties. Because of this, the dogs are always registered on their coat type and color, not of their parents. The Belgian breeds were used as sentry dogs, messengers and even draft dogs in World War I, and continued to serve in World War II.
