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

Berners or commonly known as Bernese mountain dogs are sweet, easygoing, calm, and devoted. Their devotion towards their family and calm and easygoing nature is appreciated by their lovers.

The Bernese dogs are 23–27.5 inches tall at the shoulder and 70-115 pounds of weight, which makes these guard dogs look larger.

Around two thousand years ago, the Roman soldiers brought these Berner Sennenhund or Bernese mountain dogs to Switzerland to work as drovers, draft dogs and also guard dogs. These sweet and strikingly beautiful dogs are also big, powerful, and built for hard work.

They are cheerful, intelligent, playful with children, and mostly easy to train.

Do Bernese Mountain Dogs Pant a Lot?

Yes, the Bernese mountain dogs usually pant a lot. Unlike other dogs, Berners also pant to cool themselves which is considered normal behavior to ensure that the dogs are happy. But in the case of Bernese mountain dogs, panting often gets more frequent than the usual panting of dogs.

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Panting means breathing with quick, short breaths or out of breath. With the increase in temperature, most numbers of dogs are seen panting, which is generally considered to be normal.

Panting in dogs is a familiar and natural thing because they pant in most cases to release the heat generated inside their body. Now, that’s a fact because dogs do not sweat as they have almost no sweat glands like people.

Dogs have some sweat glands under their paws and also within their ears but their cooling capabilities are very minimal and can be called almost zero. So, like other dogs, our Bernese mountain dogs normally rely on panting as their only option when it comes to getting rid of the excessive heat of the body. The exhalation of heat and water across the humidity of the lungs, mouth, and tongue is allowed by painting.

Why Is My Bernese Mountain Dog Panting So Much?

Panting allows your Berner to calm down and cool down. Panting of a Bernese mountain dog is very natural but when it gets way too much than the normal times, it can be something serious. Some normal situations where your Berner might pant usually are given below –

Hot temperature, After playing, and After exercising:

In a hot temperature, it is normal for a Bernese mountain dog to pant as the heat is too much and it needs to be released. After playing and exercising, they usually get warmed up and tired. That’s why they pant to calm down.

Meeting new people or new dogs:

When your Berner meets new people or new dogs, it gets exciting. So, it begins to pant. For a Bernese mountain dog, panting is normal behavior to show excitement.

Unfamiliar events:

Another reason for panting is as a response to unfamiliar events like loud noises, getting startled, fireworks, and anything unusual.

Dogs usually build a noise phobia, excessive fear of sound, which leads them to pant and avoid the sound. Fireworks and thunderstorms are the main reasons for this noise phobia.

What Causes Excessive Panting In Bernese Mountain Dogs?

Panting is considered normal for Bernese dogs but in certain situations. Sometimes they are seen as over-painting which is considered abnormal.

Stress and anxiety, heatstroke and dehydration, allergies, and health Issues are some main reasons for causing excessive panting in your dog.

Stress and anxiety cause usual excessive panting for a Berner. These things can be caused by various things. Boredom, being alone, less exercise, changes in daily routine can put stress on your Berner.

Your dog can pant in a car with insufficient ventilation because of the possibility of heatstroke. In this situation, the dog’s body temperature can rise within minutes. Besides, when your dog doesn’t drink sufficient water, it gets dehydrated and these situations cause over-panting.

Your Berner can pant in an excessive amount because of allergies or unknown health issues. Though it is rare, few health concerns like Cushing’s disease, heart disease, pulmonary disease, and Cushing’s disease can make your Bernese mountain dog pant excessively.

Is It Bad If My Bernese Mountain Dog Is Panting a lot?

When the question arises whether it is bad or not for a Bernese mountain dog to pant a lot, the answer depends on the situation.

It’s usual for a dog to pant in situations where they are excited, hot, and energetic. Panting in this situation is very common for a Berner, but if your dog is panting more often and these situations don’t apply, then you might have a reason to be afraid.

Heavy panting is not the same as normal panting. It can be a sign that your Berner is excessively heated, which may lead to chronic health problems.

Sometimes your dog pants way too much when it is stressed and feared, and if this happens, you need to be real careful as it might traumatize your Bernese mountain dog very badly.

How to stop a Bernese mountain dog from panting?

Panting way too much can be said to be abnormal and harmful for your Bernese mountain dog. First, you have to identify the problems your Berner is facing and then you need to ensure a few things to prevent your dog from panting a lot.

Keeping it under shade and providing sufficient water:

A Bernese mountain dog gets overheated on a hot summer day and begins to pant a lot.

To prevent this situation, you need to keep them under cool shade so that they do not get much heat and you have to ensure that it is getting sufficient fresh cold water so that it doesn’t get dehydrated.

Relaxing your dog:

When you notice your dog is panting excessively, you need to help your Berner to feel relaxed and calmed down. You need to talk in a calm tone and reassuring voice so it calms down. You need to arrange fresh water and the necessary stuff it needs to refresh itself.

Keeping it away from noises:

A Bernese mountain dog has a phobia and fear for loud noises which is called noise phobia and pants a lot. During function days, you need to keep your dog inside the home so that the sound of fireworks can’t get to it and it doesn’t get feared and stressed.

How do I know if my Bernese mountain dog is panting too much?

You need to apply your normal sense and knowledge to identify whether the situation is normal or not. You have to learn and notice the case and situation of the panting. Some might think you can count the number of the pants but unfortunately, that’s not true.

When your dog is panting abnormally, you can notice the difference in breathing. The breathing gets heavier and faster than usual while it takes to rest.

You can also check the temperature of the Berner while panting and if it is higher than normal, you can understand that your dog is having difficulties.

When should I worry about Bernese mountain dog panting?

You should worry about your Bernese mountain dog when it is panting in situations that are not normal.

After exercising or playing, in hot weather or temperature, after playing, when travelling in the car, when meeting new people or new dogs, or getting excited for any reason are the normal situations for the Berner to pant.

Now you have to remember that, if your dog starts panting all of a sudden and it is in pain, you might have a reason to worry and contact your vet immediately.

How much panting is too much for a Bernese mountain dog?

It is difficult to answer how much panting is too much for a Bernese mountain dog as you can not count the amount of panting of your dog. What you can do is compare the dog’s normal panting pattern to the abnormal ones. That will tell you if the panting is too much or not.

You can say it is too much when it occurs at inappropriate times like the dog is not that warm. The effort seems more excessive than normal times. The Berner’s sound becomes louder, harsher, and thicker compared to the normal condition.

Why is my Bernese mountain dog panting while resting?

Panting during sleep is not considered a major problem for a Bernese mountain dog.

In most cases, there is no reason to worry if your dog is breathing heavily during sleep. The reason is often said to be an exciting dream while sleeping.

Normally a Berner pants a lot when it becomes excited, which also happens when the dog is having a dream. This is why your Bernese mountain dog can pant while resting.

What does it look like when a Bernese mountain dog is panting?

Bernese mountain dogs start to pant when they become overheated or stressed. The look can be seen on Berner’s face when he is in pain or panting a lot. The Bernese mountain dog becomes very uncomfortable when the pain starts.

They seem restless, focused on calming down and themselves. They become so focused that they do not respond to you. Their voice changes and becomes raspier than usual. That’s how they look when they are in pain or panting.

Final Thoughts:

So, a Bernese mountain dog does pant as a normal response to their situations, like cooling down or relaxing. But there can also be other obvious reasons when it pants more often. If the panting happens unusually, you need to take it seriously and consult your veterinarian to be sure.