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Bernese Mountain Dog Coat

The moderately long and dense coat of the Bernese Mountain Dog is distinguished by a bright natural sheen that emphasizes the beauty of the dog. The hair is straight or slightly wavy, the undercoat is soft. The texture of the hair is rather soft than coarse, the hair does not fade. The coat provides protection from adverse weather conditions.

Bernese Mountain Dog Color

Only one color is recognized as a standard – tricolor. The main color of the coat is deep charcoal black. Marks in the area of ​​the eyebrows, on the cheeks, chest, on all four legs in the lower part, and under the tail are of a bright reddish-brown color, which is also called rusty. There are white patches on the muzzle, throat, and chest, white hair is desirable on the feet, but not extending above the carpal joint, and a white tip of the tail is desirable. The excessive spread of white is discouraged. There may be a small white spot on the nape and under the tail, as allowed by the Standard. When judging color, mark symmetry is preferred.

Rarely, but puppies of non-standard color are born. In some cases, the color of the Bernese Mountain Dog is not fully manifested: the markings are brown, the absence of rusty marks, the main color is not black, but beige. In such cases, a recessive gene appears that prevents the hair from dyeing black or red. For example, in England, there is a half-white female named Zoe.

Bernese Mountain Dog Grooming

The coat of the representatives of the breed is dirt and moisture repellent, not prone to tangling, but you should not neglect the care of the pet’s coat. To maintain the proper appearance, it is necessary to comb out the coat twice a week with a brush, a long-toothed comb. It is important that the comb grips the undercoat. Start at the head, paying special attention to the area behind the ears, around the neck, where hair is prone to tangling. Then on the body, go to the legs and tail.

During the period of seasonal molting, more careful care is needed, especially if the pet lives in the house. Males usually molt once a year and females twice a year. If the molt is profuse and occurs more than twice a year, it is possible that poor nutrition, frequent bathing, affects it. By the way, the breed sheds moderately wool all year round. Therefore, regular combing will reduce the amount of dead hair and avoid sticking to furniture, floor coverings, clothing. It is important to remove the undercoat in the spring since the representatives of the breed can hardly stand hot weather, you need to help them get rid of excess hair.

The natural appearance of the coat is appreciated, so trimming is not necessary. But if the pet does not participate in exhibitions, then it will not be superfluous to shorten the hair on the paws and lower legs so that thorns do not cling to the hair, snow and dirt do not stick.

It is recommended to bathe the Bernese Mountain Dog as it gets dirty and if an unpleasant odor appears. Bathing too often leads to a number of problems, in particular to excessive shedding, skin diseases. The hair is first combed out, then moistened with warm water, washing off the visible dirt with a jet, then a special shampoo is applied.

If your dog is prone to allergies, then it is important to choose a hypoallergenic shampoo, for example, with aloe vera, tea tree oil. It is better to make a shampoo solution, in this form it is easier to apply it to a thick coat.

Thoroughly lathering the hair, the shampoo is washed off with plenty of water. At the end of the bath, apply the conditioner. It is important to thoroughly dry the coat of the Bernese Mountain Dog, otherwise, there is a high likelihood of developing a fungus, due to which the white areas turn pink. This phenomenon is often observed in the chest area. In this case, antifungal shampoos should be used, and for prevention, make sure that the coat remains dry, use a powerful hairdryer with cold air for drying after bathing, allow the pet to be in the sun since ultraviolet light destroys pathogenic bacteria, fungi, viruses.

Alice White

Written by Alice White

Alice White, a devoted pet lover and writer, has turned her boundless affection for animals into a fulfilling career. Originally dreaming of wildlife, her limited scientific background led her to specialize in animal literature. Now she happily spends her days researching and writing about various creatures, living her dream.

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