At first glance, the friendly Bernese Mountain Dog seems to be more of a relaxed, somewhat sedate nature. He likes to move around and thrives on the right dog sport. You can find out here which dog marks are particularly suitable for the gentle giant.
Due to its stature, the Bernese Mountain Dog has to take a little care of its joints. Therefore, dog sports, primarily agility and jumps, are unsuitable for him. The risk of injuring yourself by agility, flyball, and the like is too significant. Instead, however, all dog sports that require endurance, strength, and intelligence are great for the Bernese Mountain Dog.
Draft dog sport with the Bernese Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dogs originally come from Switzerland, bred as farm dogs. Their duties included being a watchdog and herding dog, keeping the herds of cattle together. In addition, the farmers liked to harness the large, powerful four-legged friends to a cart so that they could help transport goods. You can still do draft dog sport with your Bernese Mountain Dog today.
There are various disciplines, for example, pulling a dog or handcart, which most closely corresponds to the original task of the Berner. But the Bernese Mountain Dog is also enthusiastic about dog trekking – long hikes with four-legged friends.
It is essential to fit perfectly and is made specifically for the respective dog sport. If it pinches or pinches in the wrong places and the stress isn’t evenly distributed, your dog can get injured and be in much pain.
Bernese Mountain Dog as a rescue dog
The Bernese Mountain Dog is also ideal for training as a rescue dog. This dog sport also includes several disciplines, for example, tracking and area search, nose work, man trailing, and exercises to train the dog’s sense of balance and body control.
It is essential to overcome bridges, tunnels, and hurdles. However, unlike agility, these obstacles are less about speed and more about skill, accuracy, and concentration.
Intelligence games with the Bernese Mountain Dog
In addition, the Bernese Mountain Dog also enjoys dog sports, where he can use his intelligence. For example, hide toys or treats that he has to track down. Or you try to teach your four-legged friend tricks, such as tidying up, hanging out the laundry, or carrying shopping bags into the house. Make a change now and then, and think of new exciting tasks as soon as your Bernese Mountain Dog has mastered a trick well. That way, it never gets boring.
Strengthen the bond with the dog with obedience
Obedience training is used to practice obedience with the dog. However, it is not about subservience and drill, but – quite the opposite – about strengthening the bond between humans and animals and improving communication between them. This dog sport challenges your Bernese Mountain Dog mentally and physically and is particularly fulfilling for him because it allows him to be very close to his favorite human.
Over time, your fur nose will learn to understand you better, and you will learn to interpret dog language better. This also applies to the Rally Obedience variant. Dog sports don’t always have to be wild and fast, but exercises that require strength and strengthen the mental abilities of the four-legged friend are also fun for dogs, especially when it comes to lovable, good-natured breeds like the Bernese Mountain Dog.
