F.C.I. Standard No. 45/05. 05. 2003 /
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Switzerland
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE VALID ORIGINAL OF THE STANDARD: 25.03.2003
USES: Originally a guard, herding and pulling dog in the farmyards in the canton of Bern, today also a family and multi-purpose working dog.
FCI RESERVATION: Group II: Pinschers and Beardies, Molossi, Swiss Mountain Dogs and other breeds, Section 3 Swiss Mountain Dogs. Without a working test.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE ORIGIN:
The Bernese Mountain Dog is a peasant dog of ancient origin, which was found in the foothills and central parts of the country around Bern, as a guard, working and draft dog. After the Dürrbach inn near Riggisberg in the canton of Bern, where this long-haired, tri-coloured peasant dog was particularly frequent, he got his original name “Dürrbächler”.
When in 1902, 1904 and 1907 such dogs already started to appear at dog shows, the Burgdorf dog breeders got together in November 1907 and started breeding the breed. They founded the “Swiss Dürrbäch Club” and a breed standard was created. In 1910, at the Burgdorf exhibition, which was attended by many peasants from the surrounding area, as many as 107 dogs of this breed were shown. Later, the breed was classified among other Swiss Shepherd Dogs with the name “Bernese Mountain Dog”. It quickly won friends throughout Switzerland and soon also in neighbouring Germany. Nowadays, the Bernese Mountain Dog is known and popular worldwide as a family dog thanks to its attractive tri-colour and adaptability.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Long-haired, tri-coloured, more than medium sized, strong and mobile utility dog with powerful limbs, harmonious and balanced.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
The ratio of height at withers to body length from the tip of the sternum to the ischial tuberosity is about 9:10, compact rather than elongate. Tap height to chest depth is ideally like 2:1.
CHARACTER AND NATURE:
Confident, attentive, alert and fearless in everyday situations, good-natured and dependent on friendship with a familiar person, confident and friendly with strangers; moderately temperamental and well-mannered.
HEAD:
Strong; size harmonious to overall expression, not too heavy.
TOP OF HEAD:Skull: Slightly rounded in profile and in front. Poorly marked central groove.Stop: Clear, yet not very prominent.
COVER PART:Black.Slipper: Thick, medium length. Jaw, teeth: Complete, strong, scissor bite (M3 not taken into account). Eyes: Dark brown, almond-shaped, with well-fitting lids, not too deeply set or protruding. Ears: Medium sized, high set, triangular, slightly rounded, flat-fitting when at rest; when attentive, the ear erects posteriorly, with the anterior margin remaining inclined towards the head.
KRK:
Strong, muscular, medium length.
BODY:topline: from the neck it goes slightly down to the withers, then runs straight and horizontal.Back: firm, straight and horizontal.Lumbar region: wide and strong. Slightly drawn in when viewed from above.Crosses: Slightly rounded.Chest: Broad and deep, extending to the elbow joints, with a pronounced forechest; rib cage preferably long, with a broad-oval cross-section.Bottom line and belly: From rib cage to hind legs slightly drawn in.
CHVOST:
Bushy, extending at least to the heel joint, freely drooping at rest, fluttering in motion, carried in the plane of the back or slightly above it.
FINALS:
A strong skeleton.
THORACIC LIMBS:
Front legs straight and parallel when viewed from the front, stance rather wide.Shoulder: Shoulder blade strong, long, obliquely placed, forming a not too obtuse angle with the shoulder, flat fitting and well muscled.Shoulder: Long, obliquely placed.Shoulder: Well fitting, neither turned in nor turned out.Forearm: Strong, straight.Thumb: Almost perpendicular when viewed from the side, firm, when viewed from the front it is a straight extension of the forearm.Forepaws: Short, round, close fitting, well arched fingers, must not be turned in or turned out.
PELVIC LIMBS:
Posture when viewed from behind straight and parallel, not too narrowStehno: Long, broad, strong and well muscled.Knee: Clearly angulatedCalf: Long, well angled and recumbent.Heel joint: Strong and well angulated.Forehead: Almost perpendicular. Wolf claws must be removed (except in countries where surgical removal of wolf claws is prohibited by law).Hind paws: Slightly less rounded than the front paws, must not be turned inwards or outwards.
MOVEMENT:
In all types of movement, spacious, even mechanics, strong free forward movement with good pelvic reflection, in the trot when viewed from the front and rear, straight line of the limbs.
SETTING:
SECTION:
Long and shiny, smooth or slightly wavy coat.
SFARBENIE:
Dark black ground colour with deep, brownish-red tan on cheeks, above eyes, on all four legs and on chest, and the following white markings:pure white symmetrical head drawing: hairline extending bilaterally on nose to muzzle drawing. The hairline must not extend beyond the tan markings above the eyes and the white marking on the muzzle extends to the corners of the lips at most.A white medium wide band running across the throat and chest.
Desirable: white paws, white tail tip.
Tolerated: small white spot on neck, small white spot under tail.
GREATNESS:
Tap height:Dogs: 64 -70 cm, ideal size: 66 – 68 cmDogs: 58 – 66 cm, ideal size: 60 – 63 cm
ERRORS:
Any deviation from these points shall be assessed as an error, its assessment to be in proportion to the degree of deviation and having regard to its severity.
- insecure behaviour
- fine skeleton
- irregular position of the incisors, despite the fact that the bite is maintained.
- missing teeth other than at most 2 x PM1 (premolars 1), missing M3 is not taken into account
- coat: distinctly curly
- errors in drawing and colour:
- missing white head drawing
- overly wide cheek and/or white muzzle pattern which clearly extends beyond the corners of the lips
- white collar
- large white spot on the neck (larger than 6 cm in diameter)
- white spot under the tail (larger than 6 cm in diameter)
- white on the forelegs extending well beyond the middle of the tarsus
- disturbing asymmetry of head and/or chest colouration
- black spots and stripes in the drawing on the chest
- impure white (strong pigment spots)
- brown or red tinge to the basic black colour
EXCLUDING DEFECTS:aggressiveness, timidity, expressive shynessbroken foreface, underbite, crossed biteone or both blue eyes, (birch eye)entropion, ectropionbroken tail, curled tailshort or rough coatabsence of tricolour other than black base colour
Dogs that exhibit obvious physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
COMMENT:
Dogs must have two apparently normally developed testicles that are descended into the scrotum.
