History and Origins
Origin
England

History
Like all molosser, descends from the Tibetan mastiff, a dog with mastiff morphology that accompanied the Roman legions on the European continent during the expansion of his empire.
As the name implies, is a breed native to the Canton of Bern in particular Dürrbach therefore also known as Dürrbächler.
Originally our breed was raised by farmers, ranchers and farmers for carrying out various jobs in the rugged mountains of Switzerland, as the conduct and defense of herds as well as dog to transport the milk carts.
His public presentation was held in 1902 in the city of Bern but was not recognized by the Cinologic Society of Switzerland until 1913 under the name of Berner Sennenhund. The first breed standard was published in 1907, thanks to the hard work of Albert Heim, a professor who was responsible for the beginning of the race.
The current characteristics of the breed date from 1983, when some details where changed like the height and coat. [top]

Physical Characteristics
Body:The trunk is slightly smaller than the measurement of height. Broad chest with rib cage rounded, oval profile. Upper line straight and solid. Loins strong and slightly rounded croup. The tail exceeds the hocks but not reaching the ground and takes the form of sable. Shoulders are straight and muscular, long descending implantation. Legs straight and strong, good joint angle and cat feet. The muscular neck is of medium size.

Head: Strong, flat skull, with a well defined stop but not too prominent, smooth half-central sulcus. The nose is powerful, but the lips are not very developed. Triangular ears of medium size and set high, are hanging close to the head. Almond shaped eyes, with eyelids tight and denture in scissors.

Height: Males can measure between 64-70 cm, but ideally the height is from 66-68 cm. The female is between 58-66 cm., ideally 60-63 cm.

Coat: Medium length hair, which can be flat or gently undulating.

Color: Black zaino mantle with tan and white marks. The tan marks are present above the eyes, cheeks, legs and chest. The white marks take the form of a symmetrical band in the head, which should be neither too broad nor too narrow; also appears white on the chest. It is preferable that the feet and tip of tail are also white, but not essential. The white on the feet should not exceed the metatarsus. It is undesirable a white mark on the front or back of the neck, but can be accepted. The eyes should be dark brown. [top]

Temperament
Character: It's quiet, balanced, happy and friendly. Although it is very vigilant and protects with determination his master and its properties, is also a pretty quiet dog inside the house and only barks when something serious happens. It is very attentive to what happens around him and has intelligence above average. It is loyal to his master and family members as well as helpful and very obedient.

Behavior: Usually it is great with kids and very protective, but also does well with cats and other pets, since it has almost no hunting instinct. In an emergency, it will stay beside his owner. It is friendly and gentle with friends and acquaintances of the family. It may be a little dominant with other dogs, but generally gets along well with dogs his kind. [top]

General Care
Brushing: They need a normal amount of care: comb and brush them weekly, especially in areas that often show tangles. During the change, it will need to be combed more often. If there is excess hair between the toes cut out the extra hair. Nails should be short.

Training: It learns quickly, is smart enough to understand what is asked and helpful and obedient. Also shows its sensitive to the inflection of the voice and responds well to treatment peaceful, loving and firm.

Exercise: It's an active dog, so you have to carry it around frequently to let it run and play without a leash. Do not forget that being puppy it needs lots of rest, for the strenuous walks and strenuous games are not beneficial for the development of their bones. It has great territorial sense and rarely explores on its own. Inside is usually quiet.

Uses: Typically used as a companion dog. It can also participate in dog sports, it is very apt for obedience trials, especially if it is well supervised.

Health: It is a breed that is prone to hip and elbow dysplasia [top]

Utilization
This type of dogs are used for various activities ranging from driving cattle to the care of the house. It is used a lot as a guide dog, civil defense tasks and defense.
It is a quiet, gentle dog, behave friendly with everyone and is perfectly adapted to their environment. For all these features is also currently used in therapies for people with disabilities. [top]