You can easily spot a Bernese Mountain dog by the breed’s coat, which often comes with the infamous inverted cross on its fluffy white chest. But are there any other colours?
In this article, we’ll take you through all the different colours of the wonderful Bernese Mountain dog.
The most common colour combinations include black with rust and white, creating a distinctive and eye-catching appearance.
While the classic tri-colour is highly sought after, some variations can occur. Solid black Bernese are less common but still admired by enthusiasts. Breeders often adhere to breed standards set by kennel clubs, which influences the prevalence of these colourations. Non-traditional colour patterns are quite rare in this breed.
A purebred Bernese Mountain dog only comes in two coat colour varieties; otherwise, they are not recognised by the breed standard according to the American Kennel Club (AKC).
A purebred Bernese Mountain dog coat comes in a tri-coloured coat of black, with white and rust or tan-coloured markings on its chest, forehead and around the eyes. On top of that, there is a white blaze and a white muzzle band.
White paws are also desired as part of the Bernese Mountain dog breed standard, but they are not allowed to extend over the pasterns.
The white marking on their chest typically forms a cross, which is also called the “Swiss Kiss”.
There are other colours you can find on the Bernese mountain dog, but the following are not recognised by the AKC or ANKC as the breed standard:
According to the Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC), the coat of a true purebred Bernese is very similar to the general breed standard as described above:
The majority of the Bernese’s coat needs to be jet black. The rusted-coloured markings are also described as a rich reddish-brown or rich rust colour and are required to appear on the cheeks, all four legs, over the eyes and on the chest.
On top of that, a purebred Bernese should have symmetrical white head markings, called the ‘blaze”, and the typically Swiss cross-white chest marking. The white paws are preferred by the ANKC but not deemed as essential, whilst having some white hairs at the neck’s nape or a white anal patch are deemed undesirable but are tolerated by the ANKC.
If you would like to buy Bernese Mountain Dog puppies, the colour does matter. A Berner that doesn’t meet the breed standard is not recognised as a purebred. So, doing your research will help you avoid getting a dog that is not a true Swiss Mountain dog.
You should always consult your local Bernese Mountain Dog Club or your National Breed Club to determine the various dog breeds’ standards for this large breed of dog.
These Swiss Mountain dogs developed thick double coats, which protected them from the cold climates, notably in the Swiss Alps. The longer outer coat also works as perfect insulation during summer to keep them cool.
Similar to other dogs, Bernese puppies tend to have a finer and more puffy look to their coat, which will change as soon as they start outgrowing their puppy stage. The puppy coat is softer and fluffier than that of a fully grown Bernese Mountain dog. Their coats can also be quite curly and can later turn into waves.
Usually, between the ages of four and eight months, Bernese Mountain pups will start shedding their double coat, which gets replaced by a more sleek and shiny-looking thick double coat as they mature.
The Bernese Mountain dog is a good-natured pet with a beautiful coat. Like other breeds, taking care of their fur in a way that is appropriate and healthy for the dog is incredibly important.
If you get yourself a Bernese Mountain dog, make sure to adopt a daily brushing routine to avoid having big chunks of their beautiful yet incredibly thick coat all over your house and clothes.
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