Bernese Mountain Dogs are cute, lovely, sweet, very smart dogs and a large breed. They love to keep companionship, as they were bred to work on a farm and were surrounded by a lot of people and other animals.
Werther, you are working from home, relaxing, or sleeping, your Bernese Mountain Dog will love to stick around you. Bernese Mountain Dogs were not bred to sit in the sun the whole day.
Keeping in mind that they love cold weather and love to dig into the mud, they also would love to swim.
If you are taking a vacation to a sandy beach, or you have a swimming pool at your place, your Bernese Mountain Dog is great company and they want to cool off in the water. The Bernese Mountain Dog will jump and start swimming whenever he feels hot.
However, you will need to keep in mind that exercise is what matters the most. If you had the Bernese Mountain Dog for a couple of years and he is facing the water for the first time, he won’t be conformable and jump right away.
So eager to find out whether Werther the Bernese Mountain Dog can swim or not, please check my detailed research and knowledge below:
Can Bernese Mountain Dogs Swim?
Can Bernese Mountain Dogs Swim? Yes, Bernese Mountain Dogs can swim. Swimming is a great exercise for a Bernese Mountain Dog. Swimming is a great low-impact activity for Bernese Mountain Dogs, as they flex the body and make stronger muscles and joints.
Bernese Mountain Dogs want to cool off, so that’s one of the reasons they love to swim. If you are living in a warm weather location, keep in mind to get at least a mini pool for your lovely Bernese Mountain Dog giant.
However, as humans, the Bernese Mountain Dogs were not born with swimming ability. They need to go through a lot of training and the best route to go is to start teaching your Bernese Mountain Dog puppy to feel the water and to swim.
The funniest part is that once you let your Bernese Mountain Dog in your swimming pool, you are automatically putting yourself into a situation where you need to maintain the swimming pool more. Clean the fur, and mud, because they will love to get dirty and jump into your lovely clean pool.
But if you are going on vacation, you will love your Bernese Mountain Dog to swim with you and make you great company.
Every year, I’m taking at least 3-4 weeks of vacation, and I love spending time with my Bernese Mountain Dog on the beach. He is great company, he is swimming, and fishes with me. However, he doesn’t want to sit in the sun as I do the whole day long, that’s why you need to bring a tent for him.
If your Bernese Mountain Dog is not swimming, do not wait, start the training from this moment. Make this huge change and impact on his life. Show him the good side and let him enjoy the cold water.
Supplies That You Will Need To Teach Your Bernese Mountain Dog How To Swim
- Swimming Pool;
- Life Vest for a older Bernese Mountain Dogs;
- Treats;
- Floating Toys;
How To Teach Your Bernese Mountain Dog To Swim
Bernese Mountain Dogs are very intelligent dogs and they are quick learners. Taking some of your time and investing it in your Bernese Mountain Dog will help you and him to overcome a lot of issues throughout his life.
As an owner of a Bernese Mountain Dog for over 5 years, I’m so eager to share my experience and knowledge oh how to teach your Bernese Mountain Dog to swim below:
1. Water Introduction
Teaching a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy how to swim is challenging and requires attention. The very first and most important step is to gradually introduce your Bernese Mountain Dog to the water. It’s recommended not to force your dog and push him to do things faster.
Keep in mind that the water introduction is the key part and can affect the swimming positively or negatively. The earlier you introduce your Bernese Mountain Dog to water the better. Keep the water introduction fun and as pleasant as you can for your Bernese Mountain Dog.
2. Small Pool
While Bernese Mountain Dog is a small puppy, you can buy one of the small kid’s pools and place it in your garden. This way your Bernese Mountain Dog can be more confident and can practice a contact with water and become more comfortable while swimming.
You can add small treats in the pool, so your Bernese Mountain Dog can get in faster, feel that the water is good and they can cool off while the summer days by swimming. Keep adding treats in the pool until your Bernese Mountain Dog feels completely free to enter the pool alone without treats.
Once your Bernese Mountain Dog overcomes the small kid’s pool, you can freely move to the next level and deeper water, and take him to the beach with you.
3. Friend Bernese Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dogs love to hang out with a lot of people and dogs, they are so friendly. One of the tricks that I can recommend and that can help you to teach your Bernese Mountain Dog to swim is to invite some of his dog friends to a pool party.
Place smaller pools so he can feel confident, already trained Bernese Mountain Dog, and will easily go in without any issues, so your Bernese Mountain Dog will acknowledge the situation and will get the feeling that’s normal and most important part safe.
Once your Bernese Mountain Dog overcomes this kind of issue, you can take his buddies and go for a boat trip and have them swim in the deep.
4. Do Not Rush The Swimming Process
Let your Bernese Mountain Dog take his time, make him feel the water, feel the safety, and the fun. Rushing something or some process only lead to negative outcome and failure.
If your Bernese Mountain Dog needs 1 month to learn the process, be patient, and provide him with the necessary toys, a life vest, or something that we make him more comfortable.
Rushing can lead to permanent fear of water, and your Bernese Mountain Dog will never swim again.
What Is The Best Age To Teach Bernese Mountain Dog Swimming?
What Is The Best Age To Teach Bernese Mountain Dog Swimming? The best age to teach your Bernese Mountain Dog swimming is between two to five months old. At this period of their life, they have the understanding and strength to learn to swim.
Bernese Mountain Dogs don’t like or stand the warm weather. If you live in an area that has warm weather, teaching your Bernese Mountain Dog to swim younger is a huge benefit. It will take you some time to pass the whole process but it’s worth it.
My Bernese Mountain Dog learned to swim around four months of his age. It took him around two weeks to get fully comfortable and go into deeper waters with me. Now we are best swimming buddies, and whenever we go on a boat trip, we love to jump together and explore the sea or the lake.
