Bernese Mountain Dog Breed Quiz

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Question of
The Bernese Mountain Dog originated in
- Italy
- Switzerland
- Germany
- The Netherlands
<div class="snax-quiz-answer-explanation"> Bernese Mountain Dogs are believed to descend from Roman molosser dogs or Mastiffs brought to Switzerland by Roman legions during their invasion of Helvetia (modern-day Switzerland) in the 1st century BCE. </div>
Question of
Bernese Mountain Dogs average just 6–9 years. What is the main reason Bernese Mountain Dogs have such a short lifespan?
- Limited genetic diversity and high inbreeding rates
- They are prone to heart disease and dental problems
- They are naturally short-lived due to their large size
- They suffer mainly from skin and thyroid issues
<div class="snax-quiz-answer-explanation"> Bernese Mountain Dogs average just 6–9 years—much shorter than most large breeds—mainly because of severely limited genetic diversity and historically high inbreeding. This leaves them highly vulnerable to aggressive cancers like histiocytic sarcoma, bleeding disorders like Von Willebrand's Disease, and debilitating joint issues like hip and elbow dysplasia. </div>
Question of
According to the AKC, acceptable breed standard coats are either tri-colored or two-colored. No other patterns are accepted.
- TRUE
- FALSE
<div class="snax-quiz-answer-explanation"> The AKC breed standard requires Bernese Mountain Dogs to be strictly tri-colored—meaning a solid jet black ground coat with rich rust and clear white markings in precise locations. A dog with the wrong ground color (anything other than jet black) or only two colors (like black-and-white or black-and-rust without the third color) is disqualified in the show ring. </div>
Question of
In landmark research on modern dog breed development, the Bernese Mountain Dog has been shown to share the most DNA with which of the following breeds?
- Newfoundland
- Leonberger
- English Mastiff
- Rottweiler
<div class="snax-quiz-answer-explanation"> In landmark research on modern dog breed development, the Bernese Mountain Dog has been shown to share the most DNA with an ancestor of the following breeds: Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Saint Bernard Leonberger </div>
Question of
Bernese Mountain Dogs are slow to mature and generally exhibit puppy-like behaviors later than most breeds.
- TRUE
- FALSE
<div class="snax-quiz-answer-explanation"> Bernese Mountain Dogs mature slowly and act like goofy, oversized puppies much longer than smaller breeds. They grow fast physically in the first year but stay mentally puppy-like—distractible, jumpy, and sometimes stubborn—through about 12 to 24 months. Most finally start to mellow out somewhere between 18 and 36 months, reaching full mental and physical maturity around 2 to 3 years of age. </div>
Question of
According to a landmark U.S. study of 75,000 dogs, what percentage of Bernese Mountain Dogs die from cancer?
- 55%
- 73%
- 24%
- 37%
<div class="snax-quiz-answer-explanation"> A major U.S. study that looked at mortality in 75,000 dogs found that 55% of Bernese Mountain Dogs die from cancer—the highest rate of any breed. For comparison, Golden Retrievers are at 50%, Scottish Terriers at 48%, Bouvier des Flandres at 47%, and Boxers at 44%. This extremely high cancer risk is the main reason the breed's average lifespan is so short, and it highlights the need for more research and early health screening. </div>
Question of
According to the C-BARQ Dog Temperament Research study, where does the Bernese Mountain Dog (BMD) rank among 124 breeds for aggression toward their owners?
- 118
- 102
- 94
- 77
<div class="snax-quiz-answer-explanation"> The CBARQ Dog Temperament Research study, conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, is a giant study of over 300 dog breeds and 60,000 individual dogs. In this study, the BMD ranked very low (102 out of 124 dog breeds) in showing aggression towards strangers. They also rank very low in showing aggression towards other dogs (113th) and their owners (102). They generally have a very gentle nature. Aggression is characterized by growing, bearing teeth, snapping or in extreme cases lunging or biting. </div>
Question of
What is the average running speed of BMD’s as timed in the AKC Fast Cat running trials?
- 21 mph
- 14.2 mph
- 17 mph
- 24.7 mph
<div class="snax-quiz-answer-explanation"> The AKC conducts dog racing trials each December in Orlando, FL. called the Fast CAT Invitational. This is a 100 yard race where dogs run individually chasing a lure. The average speed for Bernese Mountain Dogs was about 21 mph. The fastest recorded speed was by a BMD named Anastasia Summers' Charleston Chew at 25.74 mph. That's fast for this large breed! </div>
Question of
At one time the Bernese Mountain Dogs were used to pull carts. Their pulling weight capacity is estimated at between 1,000 and 2,200 pounds.
- TRUE
- FALSE
Question of
The Swiss Mountain Dog and the Bernese Mountain Dog are considered the same breed by the AKC. The Swiss Mountain Dog is just the short-haired version of the Bernese.
- TRUE
- FALSE
Question of
In the book, “The Intelligence of Dogs”, by Stanley Coren, where does Bernese Mountain dog rank?
- 22
- 37
- 50
- 66
<div class="snax-quiz-answer-explanation"> In the Landmark Book entitled, "The Intelligence of Dogs", professor Stanley Coren researched and documented the intelligence of over 130 different dog breeds. In his book, the Bernese Mountain Dog ranks 22nd out of 130 breeds in working/obedience intelligence. Essentially this means they will learn new commands in 5 to 15 repetitions and obey first commands more than 85% of the time. This puts them in the "excellent working dogs intelligence" category. In contrast, the lest intelligent breeds will require 80-100 repetitions to learn and follow the same commands and the most intelligent, 5 repetitions or less! </div>
Question of
The Bernese Mountain dogs is one of 4 “Sennenhunds” or “Swiss cattle dogs”. Which of the following is NOT one of the 4 “Sennenhunds”?
- Saint Bernard
- Appenzeller
- Entlebucher
- Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

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Bernese Mountain Dog Breed Quiz

The Bernese Mountain Dog originated in

Bernese Mountain Dogs average just 6–9 years. What is the main reason Bernese Mountain Dogs have such a short lifespan?

According to the AKC, acceptable breed standard coats are either tri-colored or two-colored. No other patterns are accepted.

In landmark research on modern dog breed development, the Bernese Mountain Dog has been shown to share the most DNA with which of the following breeds?

Bernese Mountain Dogs are slow to mature and generally exhibit puppy-like behaviors later than most breeds.

According to a landmark U.S. study of 75,000 dogs, what percentage of Bernese Mountain Dogs die from cancer?

According to the C-BARQ Dog Temperament Research study, where does the Bernese Mountain Dog (BMD) rank among 124 breeds for aggression toward their owners?

What is the average running speed of BMD’s as timed in the AKC Fast Cat running trials?

At one time the Bernese Mountain Dogs were used to pull carts. Their pulling weight capacity is estimated at between 1,000 and 2,200 pounds.

The Swiss Mountain Dog and the Bernese Mountain Dog are considered the same breed by the AKC. The Swiss Mountain Dog is just the short-haired version of the Bernese.

In the book, “The Intelligence of Dogs”, by Stanley Coren, where does Bernese Mountain dog rank?

The Bernese Mountain dogs is one of 4 “Sennenhunds” or “Swiss cattle dogs”. Which of the following is NOT one of the 4 “Sennenhunds”?

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