Bernese Mountain Dog Grooming and Care

Apartment Living

Active Lifestyle

Watchdog Ability

Child Friendly

Dog Friendly

Cat Friendly

Shedding Level

Exercise Needs

Social Needs

Grooming needs

Stranger Friendly

Health Issues

Trainability

Adaptability

Bernese Mountain Dog has a hard topcoat and thick undercoat that sheds. Shedding is abundant, seasonal spring - autumn. Thick coat protects the dog from the cold, but makes it very susceptible to hot climates. Do not allow your pet for a long time to be in the open area in the summer. This can cause heat stroke, and prolonged exposure to heat causes skin problems.

It is not recommended to overload the Bernese Mountain Dog with sports games in hot weather. This breed is contraindicated any exercise immediately after feeding. It threatens with serious problems with digestion and intestines. The dog should rest for a while after eating.

To care for hair of Bernese Mountain Dog, you will need:

• Natural bristle brush
• Metal comb with sparse teeth (for long hair)
• Furminator (it is an indispensable tool during moulting )
• Rubber glove (during bathing it removes dead hair perfectly)

Comb hair of Bernese 3-4 times a week with a metal comb or natural bristle brush. Regular combing removes dead hair, massages the skin and improves circulation of the blood. Always spray hair with air conditioner diluted with water to facilitate combing. Tangles will appear with rare combing or improper care for hair. You should carefully disentangle them with your fingers than gently comb them using a conditioner.

Bernese Mountain Puppy must be taught to comb from the first days of appearance in your home. You cannot ignore the combing as it will cause skin problems.  It is necessary comb hair every day during the molting.

Bathe once in 2 months or if it is necessary with a special shampoo for dogs. After bathing, always treat dog hair with conditioner to give shine and elasticity. Long-haired Bernese Mountain dog needs this procedure more than short-haired.

Eyes: Check eyes of Bernese Mountain Dog every day. Healthy eyes are clean without tears. Once a week, wipe the eyes with a soft cloth soaked in chamomile tea to prevent souring. Each eye is wiped with a different clean cloth. Small grey lumps in the corners of the eyes in the morning are acceptable. Lumps should be removed with a soft cloth or washed with chamomile tea.

If you notice a profuse reddening of the eyes, yellowing (which after rinsing is collected again), a swollen eyelid, abundant tears it is necessary contact the veterinarian. It can be an allergic reaction, an insect bite, etc.

Ears of Bernese Mountain Dog are hanging and poorly ventilated, so check they regularly to prevent illness, redness or allergy. You have to wave ears for a few minutes like the butterfly wings to ventilate them. Healthy ears are pink and odorless. Ear shells are washed with a wet cloth soaked in warm water once a week. Ears need to be plugged with cotton wool or simply put a bathing cap on dog head while bathing to prevent water ingress. After bathing, put dry cotton wool in dog ears to remove excess moisture and protect the dog from inflammation of the ears.

When you notice too much sulfur, unpleasant odor, fluid leaks from the ear, the ends of the ears are swollen, pimples or wounds appear, the dog shakes its head and rubs its ears on the floor, contact the veterinarian.

Teeth must be cleaned with special toothpaste for dogs 3-4 times a week. It is very important to brush your pet`s teeth regularly to prevent the tartar.

Claws are cut with a nail clipper 1 time per month. It is necessary to smooth the ends of the claws with nail file. Usually dogs do not like this procedure so if the pet is very nervous cut off a few claws a day and always treat and praise your pet.

Paw pads are wiped with a damp cloth after a walk.