The 6 Best Dogs for Adventure: The Bernese Mountain Dog

Here’s another look at one of the best six dogs for adventures. Here we take a look at a strong, muscular, yet very good-natured pooch.

The Bernese Mountain Dog

Hearty. It’s perhaps the best word to describe the Bernese Mountain Dog. Also known as Berners, these tough but affectionate dogs were bred as working dogs, tasked to pull carts on farms. However, they can do so much more than haul farm supplies around; these are strong dogs, capable of pulling a load weighing 1,000 pounds, which can be more than 10 times their weight.

Walking a Berner can obviously be a problem, as is usually the case with dogs bred for working. In fact, one large Bernese Mountain Dog was reported to have pulled 2,200 pounds—that’s about the weight of a compact car. If you plan to hit the trails with your own Berner, be ready to train your dog so that it doesn’t tow you around.

Berners are hefty, muscular dogs, about the same size as a Labrador Retriever, but with a heck of a lot more

fur. They’re at least 30% r than a lab, weighing in at an average of 90 to 120 pounds. These canines trace their origins to the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, a cold country, and as such, they’ve been bred to keep their long silky coats to stay warm in frigid temperatures.

If you want a large dog that’s tough, but loyal and loving, Berners are for you. Their size can sometimes belie their shyness though, so be ready to train them.