Do Bernese Mountain Dogs Bark a Lot? (Explained for Owners!)

We love active and friendly Bernese Mountain Dogs. If you are planning to get one, you might make yourself aware of this docile dog’s nature of barking.

It is true, that a Bernese Mountain Dogs barks, and when it does, all your neighbors can hear it!

Do Bernese Mountain Dogs bark a lot?

Bernese Mountain dogs are usually steady-tempered dogs that have a barking level of medium. This means that they would only bark loudly and continually when they want to communicate or greet someone. Sometimes, they also bark when they are threatened by something or feel protective of their owner.

Similarly, boredom, fear, and separation anxiety can also be reasons for your dog to bark more than it usually does.

Once you have figured out the reason behind their barking, with the right pieces of training and patience, you can correct your Bernese Mountain Dog to become calmer as well.

If your dog is barking excessively, you can seek help from experts and professionals.

Are Bernese Mountain Dogs usually quiet?

Bernese Mountain dogs are calm, easy-going, and significantly active when they work. These active dogs do not stay silent under any unexpected situation. Not only does this breed bark, but they also bark quite loudly.

However, Bernese Mountain dog barking level can be considered to be medium. This means that nuisance barking is not their habit and they only bark when necessary.

Why does my Bernese Mountain Dog bark a lot?

Bernese Mountain Dogs may bark a lot and it is natural. Here are a few reasons why this breed barks so much:

Breed genetics:

Originally, the ancestors of Bernese Mountain dogs used to be family farm dogs that were bred to work and protect the farms.

Since worked in a team, and guarded the family farms, the trait in them to bark and work remains till this day.

Communication and greeting:

Bernese Mountain Dogs are not ones to be sitting in a corner if properly socialized. And the way they communicate is simply by letting out loud and clear ruff ruffs.

In most cases, a Bernese could be barking loudly simply to say hello or to convey a message to you or other animals.

Alarm and fear:

One of the times when a Bernese puppy can bark is when they are alarmed or scared by a situation or event.

If your Bernese is a puppy, you may want to keep it in the watch, for they can startle themselves at strange noises and new people.

Protectiveness:

Bernese Mountain Dogs are excellent as watchdogs. They would guard and protect their family at any cost. One of the ways that they alert and signal something to back off is by barking.

Sometimes, if not socialized properly, they might bark at strangers as well simply due to their territorial genes.

Boredom:

Any dog, including a Bernese Mountain dog, detest being bored and sitting idle all day.

Since this breed, in particular, is active and docile, they would let now constant and loud barks have they become bored.

Separation Anxiety or pain:

If your Bernese Mountain dog is barking excessively, it might be suffering from separation anxiety.

It could also be underlying health issues causing pain. Excessive barking is when your dog barks constantly, sometimes all day, and much without any visible reason.

How to stop a Bernese Mountain Dog from barking?

Training your Bernese Mountain Dog would need patience, technique, and consistency. With all these, you may want to stop your canine from barking a lot by practicing the following:

Bark Collar Technique:

While shock collars are out of the question when it comes to training a Bernese Mountain Dog from barking or for other behavioral corrections, you can always trust in using a bark collar.

Unlike shock collars, bark collars are nonviolent and pose no such risk of injury to your dog. You can find remote, electronic, ultrasound, or even citronella bark collars that would emit a sound or smell that makes the dog stop barking immediately.

However, in some countries, this is still considered to be abusive to your animal and the animal right prefer a more subtle way of training.

The command trick:

For this method, what you need to do is make your pet understand that they would get rewarded each time they stop barking. Now how do you do that?

You can make up a command phrase, with two or more words to indicate that it means you’d have to stop barking. “hush” and “no more barking” all help with the command.

When your dog starts barking, you have to wait until it stops. When it stops, you applaud their action of stopping by either giving them a treat or showing them, love.

This would send a signal to them that when they stop barking, you appreciate and reward them. You may have to do this a lot of times before your canine understands the reason behind this training.

After getting used to this, you can command them whenever they start barking.

Spray bottle way:

If your dog is not responding to your commands, and you’re not in favor of using a bone collar, what you can do is use a bottle of water spray. However, this method alone cannot help solve the barking issue completely.

Coupled with command phrases and treats, once in a while when they are barking excessively, you can spray a bit of water to discourage them from barking.

Trigger object or situation:

Prevention is better than cure, right? If you and your Bernese have been around together for a while, nobody would know your pup better than you do.

You would also know what triggers them to bark excessively. In that case, if it’s an object or event or a situation, what you can do is keep your dog away from that.

Sometimes if your Bernese Mountain Dog is a puppy, it might become disturbed due to loud noises or fireworks and start barking.

Moreover, if crowded placed and social gatherings trigger your dog, you may help them stay away until you have trained them up for it slowly.

Sometimes the opposite can work. If they bark at a specific person, make them used to the person by making them play together a little on a regular basis.

What not to do with your excessive barking Bernese Mountain Dog:

If your Bernese Mountain Dog is already barking excessively, you may want to avoid doing the following to aggravate the barking further:

Don’t React Badly:

The first tip that is necessary for you to practice is staying calm. Never yell or scream or even talk loudly with your barking Bernese.

Shock Collars:

Shock collars are a red flag when it comes to containing your dog’s bark. Do not use this equipment as this might even injure your Bernese.

Inconsistent Training:

Do not train them inconsistently or irregularly. Doing so might confuse them and make them bark more.

How to get my Bernese Mountain Dog to stop barking at strangers?

If your Bernese Mountain Dog barks at strangers, it simply means they are not social enough. To solve such a problem, you have to start when they are a puppy and socialize them adequately.

Take them out to parks and street walks and introduce them to people who are close to you. Other than that, if you want them to stop barking at strangers, you may want to train them to learn the commands.

Be calm with them as you command them and appreciate when they stop barking with good treats.It might take some time, but the habit will change your dog as well. Be sure to be patient during the process.

Can Bernese Mountain Dogs be aggressive?

Generally, Bernese Mountain Dogs have an easy-going temperament and are also quite steady-headed. They are family dogs and are considered to be one of the least aggressive dogs to have at home.

These dogs can be aggressive with other male dogs but have a barking level of medium.

Because of their protective and loyal nature towards the family, they grow up in, they can become a little aggressive or bark loudly if they see a threat approaching.

Due to their farm dog originality, Bernese Mountain Dogs are also known to be team players and hence get along with other family members just fine.

At what age do Bernese Mountain Dogs calm down?

Bernese Mountain Dogs are an active breed and they have quite high energy. They can be protective and playful at the same time. Unlike many breeds, they require some time before they become mature and calmer.

You can expect your Bernese Mountain Dog to calm down after it is well past its puppy years. After 3 or 4 years, these dogs’ high energy is converted to more responsible retorts.

Yet, even when they are older, you can expect them to become excited during playtimes or exercise. During these times, you may want to give your dog a cooling period. Because they are so high in energy, a lot of owners find it difficult to cope with them.

Final thoughts:

Bernese Mountain dogs only bark when they have a reason to do so. However, their bark is loud enough for all neighborhoods to listen to. They bark when they want to communicate or greet you. They might also bark when they feel fear over something. Excessive barking can be corrected using training.