Gentle giants! That’s how we would describe both, the Bernese Mountain dog and the Great Pyrenees. Both were originally guarding sheep in the Alpine mountains but evolved into being incredibly loving family dogs. But what about their crossbreed? Will it be equally as amazing? To learn more about the Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog mix, we have to take a closer look at the parent breeds.
Bernese Mountain Dog Origin
Berners’ origins are from the mountainous regions of Switzerland. These dogs herd cattle and protect them from predators, but they have also worked hard. Berners are known worldwide due to their ability to pull many time their weight.
Berners played a crucial role in the two most important Switzerland’s products: cheese and chocolate.
Bernese Mountain Dog arrived in the USA in 1926, when a farmer from Kansas brought a pair of Berners to work on a farm. The first Bernese Mountain Dog was AKC registered in 1937.
Great Pyrenees Origin
The Great Pyrenees most likely origins from mountain sheepdogs in Central Asia that date back thousands of years. It’s believed that the Great Pyrenees was then brought to the Pyrenees mountains in southern France sometime between 1800 to 1000 BC. They are a working dog breed with their main purpose then being guarding sheep. But later, during the 17th century, the Great Pyrenees was adopted by French royalty.
The Great Pyrenees was brought to the US by General Lafayette in 1824. But, the breed was not recognized by the AKC until over 100 years later in 1933.
Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog Origin
We can’t really say when the first cross of these two breeds was produced. As these two dogs were primarily used as guard dogs in the Alpine mountains, it is possible that their hybrid dog reaches far back into history. However, most of that is still nothing more than speculations.
Personality of the Bernese Mountain dog
Berners are gentle giants of the dogs’ world. They are affectionate, tolerant, calm, and intelligent. Typical Bernese Mountain Dog is protective, but not aggressive. Berners can be shy and reserved around strangers, other dogs, and animals. Therefore, it’s important to work on early socialization and introduce your puppy to new people, dogs, and animals.
Personality of the Great Pyrenees
This breed is very calm and gentle, despite being big in size. You could call them too gentle giants! This dog will amaze you by how loyal and devoted they are to their humans. Trust us when we say, you will have a best friend in this dog.
Besides this, they are highly intelligent and they are independent thinkers who love figuring things out by themselves. Although, they are as stubborn as they are smart. Which could potentially be a problem for some people.
Personality of the Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog mix
Just like the parent breeds, this hybrid dog will be a gentle giant as well. They are loving, affectionate, devoted, but still protective over their family. Similarly to both breeds, this is going to be a smart dog that’s easy to train. However, you will have to start the training and socialization process early on.
And don’t forget that he needs a lot of exercise and mental stimulation as well. When these dogs feel bored, they will fall into their destructive behaviors and become anxious.
Appearance of the Bernese Mountain dog
Berners are strong, large, sturdy, and powerful dogs.
Male Berners stand at 25 to 27.5 inches tall and weigh between 80 and 115 pounds. On the other hand, females stand at 23 to 26 inches tall and weigh between 70 and 95 pounds.
Bernese Mountain Dog has a thick double coat. The outer coat is long and dense, while the undercoat is wooly. The coat typically comes in tricolor (jet-black, white, and rust).
Appearance of the Great Pyrenees
The Great Pyrenees is a very large breed, you could even say they are real giants! The male dogs are between 27 and 32 inches tall, while the females are from 25 to 29 inches tall. When it comes to their weight, the males can weigh between 100 and 160 pounds, and females between 85 and 115 pounds.
They have a thick, fluffy, double coat. It’s mostly straight and medium long. Their coat is mostly white, but it can also have patches of grey or brown, especially around the ears.
Appearance of the Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog mix
Needless to say that this is going to be a huge dog! You can expect their height and weight to be somewhere between his parent breeds. So needless to say that this isn’t the dog for you if you live in a tiny apartment.
When it comes to their coat, it’s going to a medium long, straight to wavy double coat. Their crossbreed can inherit any color combination from either one of his parent breed. Or it can also be a mix from both sides.
Health of the Bernese Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dog is a strong and healthy dog. However, due to irresponsible breeding, Berners have a higher risk of developing these health issues:
- Hip Dysplasia
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Von Willebrand’s Disease
- Cancer
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Gastric Torsion
- Panosteitis
Health of the Great Pyrenees
The Great Pyrenees is a healthy and sturdy dog. These dogs generally don’t have many health issues during their life. However, we do need to state that, just with any other dog, there are a few illnesses that might come up. But this doesn’t mean that your dog will get any of these. It’s just important that you’re aware of them.
- Gastric Torsion
- Hip Dysplasia
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Patellar Luxation
- Addison’s Disease
- Cataracts
- Anesthesia Sensitivity
Health of the Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog mix
Like you can already tell, their health concerns are pretty similar. Larger dog breeds are often prone to health conditions concerning the bones and joints of their body, and this crossbreed is no exception. Luckily, in most cases mixed breeds are healthier than their purebred parents.
But there are still come diseases that the Great Bernese is prone to. The most common ones are:
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Gastric torsion
- Cancer
- Patellar luxation
- Von Willebrand’s Disease
- Addison’s Disease