'Nellsbern Bernese relaxing

at home with a young friend'

Please think long and hard before owning any breed of dog. Bernese

Mountain Dogs or Berner Sennenhund as they are known in Switzerland,
are a native breed of that country. During the latter part of the nineteenth
century the main centre for breeding was in the Bernese Oberland, a
mountainous area. ( Today due to the widespread nature of the breed it can be found in all areas of Switzerland and the European continent,
as well as Scandinavia, Great Britain, Canada, the USA, South America,
Australia and New Zealand.) In Switzerland the breed is still used as an all
purpose farm dog and occasionally as a draught dog to pull the small milk
carts and weavers carts. Carting as a hobby is undertaken in other countries
including Britain. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the breed was
quite scarce, Thanks largely to the efforts of Professor Heim (the father
of the breed), the breed as we know it has survived.

Bernese should not be naturally aggressive towards other dogs, puppies, cats, kittens and

other livestock. However the character will depend in part upon how the owner socialises
his/her dog.Bernese are slow to mature and need limited exercise during the first twelve months.
Some are quite greedy with food and should never be allowed to become overweight and fat.
In training they will respond well to rewards of an edible nature. They should be fed a high quality
diet and during the growing stage they require plenty of rest. They are a complicated and specialist breed needing plenty of attention and companionship. They can have orthopaedic problems during their life, as well as problems with skin and ears. They are long coated and thus need regular grooming and this should be established early in life to prevent coat problems later. The breed is prone to cancer and although individuals can life to ripe old age the average length of life is around 7 years.

Here at Nellsbern we are always looking to the future with our thoughts never far away from the past. We have been involved with the breed since 1985 and we aim to breed Bernese that not only conform as closely as possible to the breed standard, but also possess the correct mental and physical attributes that enables them to mix well with humans and other animals. This involves them having the social nature which allows them to function well as ideal companions. It is also hoped that they are able not only to pull a cart if necessary, but to have the freedom of movement that allows them to perform well in the show ring as well as other disciplines. Truly a genuinely multi-purpose dog. We breed first and foremost for ourselves, so all our dogs are important and our litters are carefully thought out and planned. We occasionally have quality puppies available to sensible owners who can offer permanent, safe homes. We would be happy to discuss our breeding programme with those interested in obtaining a puppy. We are consistently trying to improve health, longevity and breed type whilst still maintaining correct temperament. Our dogs are shown occasionally but daily are our constant companions and friends and live with us in harmony with plenty of fresh air and free running. We are both experienced Championship judges and have judged both in this country and abroad many times. Dr Willis is the author of the Bernese Mountain Dog Today, published by Ringpress in l998.

 “Nellsbern Quetta with her young owner”