Golden Mountain Dog: Mixed Breed Info, Pictures, Facts, & Traits
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Height:
24 – 26 inches
Weight:
75 – 110 pounds
Lifespan:
10 – 12 years
Colors:
Black, Brindle, Brown, White
Suitable for:
Active families with small children, Novice owners, Families with other pets
Temperament:
Loving & loyal, Easy to train, Devoted
Are you seeking a larger-than-life dog with a loving and committed personality? Then look no further than the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog! A gentle giant and the result of breeding a Golden Retriever with a Bernese Mountain Dog, the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog is intelligent, affectionate, and a lover of everyone he meets!
Before you go and scoop a pup up, it’s important to thoroughly educate yourself about this breed. So, without further adieu, here’s an in-depth look at the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog.
Bernese Golden Mountain Dog Puppies
With floppy ears and a fluffy face, it’s easy to fall in love with a Bernese Golden Mountain Dog puppy at first sight. However, with the rise in popularity among mix-breed dogs, so is the rise in backyard breeders and puppy mills. Before you decide to purchase a pup, it’s imperative to find a good, reputable, and trustworthy breeder.
Some telling signs of a bad breeder may include:
They are selling puppies for far less than they’re worth: While the majority of us love to score a great deal, you should understand that there is no such thing as a cheap, well-bred dog. If you find a breeder who is offering you an unthinkable low price on a puppy, you should shop elsewhere, no matter how tempting the offer might be.
No pedigree or health documentation: One of the main points of purchasing a dog from a breeder is to know exactly what type of animal you are getting. You should always receive registration papers, vaccine records, and care instructions with your pup.
They don’t offer any references: If the breeder you’re interested in getting a puppy from doesn’t offer any references, they may be one to be avoided.
They won’t let you meet the pup’s parents: You must meet both the puppies and the parents. This will give you a good assessment of their personality and overall health.
3 Little-Known Facts About the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog
1. They’re Not Recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC)
Since the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog is a hybrid breed, they are not recognized by the AKC. However, they are recognized by several other clubs, including The Designer Dogs Kennel Club, the American Canine Hybrid Club, the International Designer Canine Registry, and the Dog Registry of America, Inc.
2. Golden Retrievers Are One of America’s Favorite Dogs
It’s true! They are the third most popular dog breed in America, right behind the Labrador and the German Shepherd.
3. They Adore Cold Climates
The Bernese Mountain Dog and Golden Retriever mix are cold-weather pooches. If you live in a warmer weather climate, you should consider getting a different breed. However, if you live in an area with moderate temperatures, your pup will be just fine.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog 🧠
As we stated before, the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog is a gentle giant. Despite its huge stature, this dog is a lover and is fine with children of any age. With all of the looks of a family dog straight out of a fairytale, the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog will keep a watchful eye over your young kids and will be buddies with everyone in the household – even your cat!
Highly intelligent, the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog is easy to train and will learn basic commands with ease. Hailing from a working background, this designer dog needs to be given a job to do to combat boredom. Keep his mind stimulated with plenty of playtime and exercise.
Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡
The Bernese Golden Mountain Dog breed is wonderful for families! They’ll become fast friends with your children. However, socializing your new pet from an early age is a must. Your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog may not know his immense size, so it’s good to have a highly trained dog to keep him from jumping all over strangers and new house guests.
Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽
The Bernese Golden Mountain Dog will surely get along with all of his four-legged housemates. This mix-breed is truly a sweetheart and just wants to be pals with everyone. As we mentioned earlier, your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog doesn’t understand how much of a behemoth he is, so training and socialization from an early age are crucial.
Things to Know When Owning a Bernese Golden Mountain Dog
Educating yourself about the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog’s temperament during his early years is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to deciding on the right designer breed for your family. A dog is a huge investment of both time and money. Here are some other things to consider before you take the plunge.
Food & Diet Requirements 🦴
You should be ideally feeding your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog a diet specially formulated for a big dog with a medium activity level.
He should be getting four cups of high-quality, high-protein dry dog food every day. This equates to a monthly cost of about $80 to $90.
When shopping for nutritious dog food for your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog, there are some ingredients that you should try to avoid, including:
Flaxseed:
Dogs have a tough time digesting this plant-based ingredient.
Artificial Preservatives:
These ingredients will typically be listed as BHA, ethoxyquin, or BHT.
Sugars & Sweeteners:
While a sugary cookie may sound like a tasty treat to us, sugar can be harmful to Fido. However, you may see ingredients such as cane sugar or molasses in your dog’s food ingredients.
It’s best to stick to all-natural, high-protein, grain-free dog food for your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog.
Exercise 🐕
While a moderate amount of exercise is needed to keep your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog stimulated, you need to keep in mind that he comes from a background of workers. Your pup always wants a job to do. Whether it’s fetching your morning paper or evening slippers, taking a stroll through the neighborhood, or learning new tricks, keep your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog engaged. You should be aiming to exercise him for about an hour a day.
To keep your pooch mentally stimulated, you can:
Have him work for his food:
If you want to mentally stimulate your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog during mealtime, liven up his feeding routine by making a game out of it.
Explore new places:
Make it a habit to take a new walking route or hit up a new park every week. This will give your pet ample things to sniff, see, and explore.
Doggie games and puzzles:
If it’s raining outside and you can’t let your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog out to play, keep him busy with a puzzle doggie toy. There are many different ones to try to keep your dog entertained for hours!
New tricks:
Is your pup getting bored of sit, stay, come? Spice up his training by throwing a new trick, or two, into the mix! Enrolling him in an agility or obedience class is a great way to get started.
Just keep in mind that your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog is not a hot-weather tolerant pup. Always bring him inside to play when the temperatures are sizzling.
Training 🦮
Thanks to his parent breeds, the Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever Mix is highly intelligent and a breeze to train. Reward-based training works best for this breed. A good form of this kind of training is clicker training to effortlessly communicate with your pooch.
Clicker training helps your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog associate the wanted behavior with a treat or verbal reward. When he does something good, immediately click the clicker and give him a juicy morsel or a scratch on the head.
There are many perks to clicker training, including:
- It’s fun!
- It builds trust with your pet
- It makes him WANT to respond positively
- It’s extremely efficient
- Accelerates the learning process
- Builds structure that your pet can understand and easily follow
Grooming ✂️
Your Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever Mix’s coat is long and dense. You’ll even notice that this breed will shed a lot, even during the winter. This means he’ll need a lot of brushing. Groom him daily to remove any loose fur. To efficiently brush your Bernese Golden Mountain Dog, you’ll need to arm yourself with a comb and a pin brush.
Only bathe your dog as needed. When you do bathe him, use a gentle soap to preserve his lush coat perfectly. Be sure to clip his nails and clean his floppy ears every week.
Health Conditions ❤️
- Hip dysplasia
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Heart issues
- Hypothyroidism
- Von Willebrand’s Disease
Just like any other mix-breed dog, the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog is susceptible to health issues that affect its parent breeds. These can include cancer, epilepsy, bloat, eye issues, Von Willebrand’s Disease, and heart problems.
To ensure your dog stays healthy throughout his life, routine vet checkups are necessary to identify any issues before they become major problems.
Male vs Female
The last concern you may have before bringing home your new Bernese Golden Mountain Dog puppy is whether you should get a little boy or a girl.
While the male Bernese Golden Mountain Dog is much bigger than the female (about 10 pounds and four inches larger), they both are spectacular dogs to add to the family.
Final Thoughts
Though big and furry, the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog is a great addition to any household. This majestic mountain dog will be your child’s best friend, a devoted guardian of your home, and a playful companion for years to come.
If you live in a mild climate and don’t mind brushing your pooch daily, the Bernese Golden Mountain Dog could be right for you.
See also:
- Alpine Dachsbracke | Dog Breed Info: Pictures, Personality & Facts
- Foodle (Toy Poodle & Toy Fox Terrier): Info, Pictures, Characteristics & Facts
Featured Image Credit: rebeccaashworth, Shutterstock
