Browsing: Activities & Sports

Bernese Mountain Dogs were bred as working farm dogs in the Swiss canton of Bern – drovers, drafters and general-purpose farm help. That history is still visible in a modern Berner, and it is the reason a bored one is a destructive one.

This section covers the activities that suit the breed’s build and temperament: carting and drafting, rally, tracking, and lower-impact enrichment for dogs whose joints will not tolerate high-impact sport. It also covers the limits honestly – a heavy, double-coated, dysplasia-prone breed is not a distance-running partner, and adolescent Berners need their exercise load managed while the growth plates close.

Mental work counts as much as physical work here. A Berner that gets a job tends to be a calmer dog in the house.