The Bernese Mountain dog breed is known as a double-coated breed with a particularly beautiful and thick coat. Knowing what maintenance your Bernese Mountain dog’s inner or outer coat requires is essential if you are considering getting a dog or a pup. So, do Bernese mountain dogs shed?
The Bernese Mountain dogs shed a moderate amount of hair throughout the whole year, and due to their double coat, they experience heavy seasonal shedding during spring and autumn.
This guide will take you through the Bernese Mountain dog shedding behaviour and needs, how to maintain their coat health and how to minimise having loose hair all over your house.
The Bernese Mountain dog sheds moderately all year round, with two increased shedding periods during the shedding season. It usually falls in spring and autumn when they change their coat from winter to summer and vice versa.
Yes, Berners’ shedding intensifies during the so-called shedding season, which usually happens twice a year during the late spring/ early summer, and then during late autumn and early winter days.
Bernese dogs are not known to shed more fur while they are puppies compared to how much they shed when they are grown up. They could feel like they are shedding a bit more as their coat matures.
If your Bernese puppies start shedding more than usual or have bald patches, immediately seek medical advice and have it checked out by your vet. Usually, shedding more than usual is related to a bad diet, lots of stress and anxiety or other health-related problems and should not be taken lightly.
Bernese dogs have a thick double coat. Originally bred to work in the wintery weather of the Swiss Alps, this soft and thick double coat is responsible for keeping them warm.
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), this breed type has a tri-coloured coat, with thick and relatively long hair which is either straight or can come in slightly wavy variations.
Here are some tips and tricks to minimise your dog’s loose fur from flying around everywhere in your home, but you should note that you can never entirely prevent a dog’s coat, such as the Bernese’s coat, from shedding completely.
Regular grooming your dog with a slicker brush, bristle brush or any other de-shedding tools will keep your dog’s top coat clean, healthy and tangle-free. Brushing sessions will help spread the natural oils from your dog’s skin across its fur and thus help it retain its beautiful shine.
On top of that, daily brushing will minimise the amount of dead hair and thus reduce shedding.
If you do not have the proper tools, taking your Bernese to a professional groomer could also be an option to keep them from losing too much fur.
Regular bathing with appropriate dog shampoo will also prevent your Bernese from shedding fur all over the place. Make sure to use pH-neutral shampoos which do not irritate your dog’s sensitive skin.
As with other dog breeds, a healthy diet equates to healthy hair, and this certainly isn’t an exception for these big dogs, either.
Ensuring your dog’s diet consists of high-quality dog food, as well as providing enough exercise to keep a healthy body weight, will keep your Bernese’s coat shiny and prevent loose dog hair from being stuck to your furniture or clothes all the time.
No, unfortunately not. Bernese Mountain dogs lose a lot of hair throughout the year, so they are not hypoallergenic. Therefore, if you are dog owners that are allergic to most dogs, your allergies would most likely be triggered by the amount of hair and dander these dogs shed.
If you are considering becoming a pet parent to the loyal Berner, you better get used to a daily brushing ritual. We recommend investing in a decent de-shedding tool before getting yourself a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy.
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