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Bernese Mountain Dogs

Bernese Mountain Dog board and train in Gloucester, MA

Berners drove cattle and pulled carts in Switzerland, and the AKC credits them with pulling many times their own weight. Put that power on a leash before it has manners and every walk follows the dog. The good news is that the AKC also calls the breed eager to please and easily hurt by harshness, which suits gentle, reward-based training.

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Trainer and puppy working on a long line at the beach

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · reviewed by Gabriella Pope, Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist

Swiss farm dog

Draft-dog strength, a soft temperament and a long road to adulthood define the Bernese

The AKC lists Bernese males at 25 to 27.5 inches and 80 to 115 pounds, females at 23 to 26 inches and 70 to 95. It describes a big, powerful dog with a sweet, affectionate nature, generally placid but always up for a romp with the owner it lives to please. Berners drove cattle and guarded farmyards in the canton of Bern, and their broad hindquarters gave them the strength to work as drafting dogs.

On training, the AKC is specific. Berners are intelligent and eager to please, so usually easy to train, but their feelings are easily hurt and they do not respond well to harsh corrections. Many attach to one person, keep an aloof dignity with strangers and, the breed page adds, can develop undesirable behaviors if regularly left alone for long periods. Energy and trainability both score four out of five, and getting along with other dogs scores five.

Then maturity. The Royal Kennel Club's breed standard lists the Bernese as slow to mature, and the AKC's Bernese puppy timeline advises avoiding strenuous exercise before about fifteen months, when growth plates close. In practice you live with an adult's weight and an adolescent's judgment for a long stretch, and every training plan for the breed has to allow for that.

  • Bred to drive cattle and pull carts
  • Eager to please, with feelings easily hurt
  • Slow to mature, per the breed standard
  • No strenuous exercise before about fifteen months

Choosing a stay

Leash manners come before full size in Foundation; Advanced builds confidence in a slow-maturing teenager

For a young Berner, the leash is the first item on the Foundation list that earns its keep, because a puppy that learns pulling works becomes an adult that tows you down the hill. Greetings with four paws on the floor come next; the AKC's Bernese timeline warns that an exuberant puppy or adolescent might accidentally knock over a child or an elderly person. Gentle handling, a place cue and calm crate time complete a week that suits a dog still putting on weight.

Advanced earns its second week with this breed through confidence building. The AKC timeline notes that adolescent Berners tend to forget their training and may become fearful of new and familiar objects, so the extra days introduce new surfaces, sounds and places gently, with plenty of food and a way to retreat. Distraction proofing, outings at a walk and two coaching lessons give you a plan for the months of adolescence still ahead.

Cart pulling is part of the breed's history, but draft work waits for a mature frame, and loose-leash walking is a separate skill in any case. Gabby can talk through both at the consult. If your Bernese is worried by strangers or other dogs rather than simply exuberant, Brave & Balanced for younger pups or Calm & Connected, with you present, may come before any stay. Both programs are described in full on our board and train page.

Heat

In warm weather a Bernese trains early, indoors and in short blocks

The AKC calls the Bernese a hardy dog that thrives in cold weather, and the heavy coat that loves January works against the dog in July. VCA Animal Hospitals warns that vigorous exercise in hot temperatures can cause heat stroke, and that excited or heavily exercised dogs are sometimes at risk even when the day does not feel very hot. Training is exercise for body and brain, so the same caution applies to every session.

A summer stay for a Berner is planned with that in mind. Leash and recall work belongs on the turf yard in the cool early hours, while place, stay and handling move indoors in the afternoon. A panting Bernese gets shade, water and rest instead of another repetition. We do not publish a fixed heat protocol; Gabby sets the plan for your dog's stay and explains it at the consult, and a cooler month can simply be the better time to book.

  1. 01

    Early morning: leash walking and recall on the turf while the air is coolest

  2. 02

    Midmorning: rest in a quiet room, with water close by

  3. 03

    Midday: short indoor blocks of place, stay and gentle handling

  4. 04

    Afternoon: a puzzle feeder or lick mat instead of hard play

  5. 05

    Evening: a brief outdoor session once the yard has cooled

  6. 06

    At any heavy panting or slowing: stop, cool down and note it in the daily update

Pitfalls

Harsh corrections, early mileage and expecting an adult at one year set Berners back

Harsh handling is the costliest mistake with this breed. Both the AKC's breed page and its puppy timeline flag Berners as sensitive to harsh correction. A leash pop or a raised voice may stop one pull and leave a soft dog worried about the whole walk. Rewards for a slack leash, patience and a simple stop when the leash tightens build a heavy dog that chooses to stay near you, which is the only kind of loose leash that lasts.

Early mileage is the second. Long runs, stair marathons and leaping from the car feel like normal puppy life, but the AKC timeline suggests skipping strenuous exercise before about fifteen months and lifting puppies to the ground for their first year. Sniff walks, short games and gentle play suit a growing dog better. The third mistake is expecting adult judgment at one year; a slow-maturing Berner can look grown and still act like a teenager for many months.

  • Reward slack leash; skip leash pops and scolding
  • No running, jumping drills or stair marathons before about fifteen months
  • Lift a young Berner in and out of the car
  • Plan for adolescence to last longer than you expect
  • Cover long days with daycare or a walk rather than hours alone

Seasons at home

Keep leash practice short at home and save the big outings for cool weather

The go-home lesson shows you how the trainer rewarded slack and what equipment suited your dog. Use it on every walk for the first month, even short ones, because a strong dog that wins one pull in ten is still being paid to pull. Keep summer walks to early mornings and evenings on grass, and hold the longer training outings for the cooler months, when a Berner is at its best.

Winter is the Bernese season on Cape Ann. Good Harbor Beach takes dogs off leash on even-numbered days from October 1 to March 31, and Ravenswood Park in West Gloucester welcomes dogs under the Trustees' guidelines, both good places for a slow-maturing dog to meet new sights calmly. A bath for an extra-large long coat is $95 in our grooming studio. Private sessions, from $94, or Calm & Connected can carry the training on.

At Dogtown

Around a Bernese stay

The training program, the overnight suite, and a bath for that heavy coat before the go-home lesson.

Australian shepherd sitting attentively during training Dog TrainingFrom $94 per session · Explore Golden retriever resting on a cozy bed in a Dogtown boarding suite Overnight StaysFrom $78 · Explore Groomer blow-drying a red goldendoodle in front of the Dogtown Grooming sign Dog GroomingFrom $55 · Explore

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

My Bernese pulls so hard I can barely hold on. Can a stay fix that?
A stay can make loose-leash walking familiar and give you the method, and Advanced tests it on real outings. The result depends on you using the same rewards and stops on every walk at home. The AKC's own Bernese timeline suggests working with a trainer on strategies for pulling, because a dog this size can win on strength alone.
Why does my one-year-old Bernese still act like a puppy?
Because, by the breed standard, it is slow to mature. The Royal Kennel Club lists that as a characteristic of the breed, and the AKC's puppy timeline describes adolescent Berners forgetting their training and growing wary of new objects. Patience, short sessions and confidence building suit this stage far better than stricter rules or heavier equipment.
Is summer a bad time for a Bernese board and train?
Not necessarily, but it changes the plan. Outdoor work moves to the cool hours, the afternoon moves indoors, and a panting dog rests. The AKC describes the breed as thriving in cold weather, so if your dates are flexible, a fall or winter stay gives the outings in Advanced more room. Ask about timing when you inquire.
Will my Bernese be upset by a week or two away?
Berners attach strongly to their people, and the AKC notes they do not do well when regularly left alone for long periods. A stay is not time alone, though: the dog spends its day with trainers, handlers and, when ready, other dogs, and the daily updates tell you how it settled. Pack a familiar blanket. If your dog struggles badly apart from you, ask about Canine Campus.
Can my Bernese join playgroups during the stay?
Yes, once Gabriella Pope judges the dog ready. Daycare integration is part of both programs, and playgroups are 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, so a heavy, gentle Bernese plays with dogs that suit its style. On hot days, expect more of its time to be spent indoors and resting.

More questions? Read the full FAQ

Sources

Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.

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