Bernese History & Working Roots: Swiss Farm Dog, Drafter - and Hunter?

By the Riverside Berner Guide editorial team
Last updated November 7, 2026

Bernese Mountain Dog history begins on the farms of Switzerland, in the region around Bern that gives the breed its name. Berners were all-purpose farm dogs: they watched the farm, moved cows short distances and pulled carts of milk to the dairy. They came to the United States in the 1920s, won AKC recognition in 1937, and are a working breed, not a hunting breed.

This guide traces that story using the breed’s parent club, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America (BMDCA), and the American Kennel Club (AKC). Where the sources disagree or say nothing, we tell you. For the breed as a whole, see our complete Bernese Mountain Dog breed guide.

Where are Bernese Mountain Dogs from?

Berners come from Switzerland. The BMDCA’s About Bernese Mountain Dogs sheet says the breed is named for the Canton of Bern and has its origins in the country’s farm areas.

The club’s history page narrows it down further. It describes the Berner as a farm dog of Switzerland’s midland regions, mostly around Bern. The BMDCA’s draft work sheet adds that Berners worked for generations in the Bernese Oberland.

The Bernese Mountain Dog’s origin story

How far back the breed goes is harder to pin down. AKC’s breed history page traces it to Roman times, about 2,000 years ago. It says Roman soldiers brought mastiff-type dogs over the Alps, along with large black and tan dogs with white markings, and that crosses between these types eventually led to the Berner.

The BMDCA pages we checked don’t discuss a Roman link; they focus on the Swiss farm dog. So treat the Roman story as AKC’s account rather than something both sources confirm.

The Swiss mountain dog breeds

The Berner isn’t Switzerland’s only farm dog. AKC’s history page says it is one of four Sennenhund breeds, a word loosely meaning “dairy farmer’s dog”:

• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
• Appenzeller Sennenhund
• Entlebucher

AKC notes that the Berner is the only one of the four with a moderately long, silky coat. The BMDCA’s history page adds that in the alpine regions, smaller, quicker dogs like the Appenzeller and Entlebucher did the herding. Our comparison of the Bernese and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog covers how the two biggest Swiss breeds differ today.

What were Bernese Mountain Dogs bred for?

The short answer is general farm work. The BMDCA’s FAQ credits the breed’s large, sturdy frame and calm, people-oriented nature. It says those traits made Berners ideal for driving cattle, pulling carts to market, watching the farm and keeping the farmer company.

Watchdog and companion

The BMDCA’s history page puts this role first. It describes the Berner as mainly a companion and watchdog that warned the farmer when strangers came by. It also stresses that the breed was never meant to be sharp or shy.

Moving cattle, but not far

Berners did go with the cows, but the BMDCA’s history page says it wasn’t over long distances. Most Swiss farmers kept only a few cows, so the dog didn’t manage large herds. The page also says Berners weren’t sheep or goat herders, since farms around Bern rarely kept those animals in large numbers.

Pulling carts

Draft work is the job Berners are best known for. The BMDCA’s draft sheet says they hauled milk and cream from farms to the dairy, often with children walking alongside. AKC’s history page adds wagons of textiles for valley farms and basket weavers, as well as loads for Alpine dairies.

The breed standard still reflects this past. The AKC standard describes a dog strong and agile enough for the draft and droving work it did in the mountains. It gives a slow trot as the natural working gait.

Decline and revival in Switzerland

AKC’s history page says Berner numbers fell as industrial farming replaced animal labor. In 1892, a Swiss dog fancier went looking for a good example of the breed and couldn’t find one, and other enthusiasts joined the search.

By 1907, that group had formed a specialty club to rebuild the breed, AKC says. Their work restored the Berner as a favored farm dog and made it more popular with Swiss owners.

Bernese Mountain Dog history in America

First imports

According to AKC, a Kansas farmer is believed to have been the first to bring Berners to the United States, in 1926. AKC adds that another pair was imported to Louisiana in 1936.

AKC recognition and the breed standard

The AKC recognized the Bernese Mountain Dog in 1937. AKC’s breed facts article notes that the Komondor was recognized the same year.

The BMDCA’s history page says the first AKC standard was a direct translation of the FCI standard of the time. The BMDCA later revised it twice, in 1980 and 1990. The changes included raising the lower end of the height range and adding a section on movement.

The current standard was approved on February 10, 1990 and took effect on March 28, 1990.

The BMDCA

The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America was founded in 1968, according to the club’s About page. It is the breed’s national parent club and a member of the AKC.

From farm dog to popular pet

AKC places the Berner in its Working Group. Its breed facts article says the breed now ranks in the top 20 of more than 200 AKC breeds. Our Bernese pros and cons can help you decide whether that popularity should include your family.

A quick timeline

These are the dates the BMDCA and AKC sources give, all covered in more detail above.

Was the Bernese Mountain Dog a hunting dog?

If you searched for Bernese Mountain Dog hunting, here’s a straight answer. None of the BMDCA or AKC sources we checked describes Berners as hunting dogs. Every source describes a farm dog: watchdog, cattle drover, cart puller and companion.

Where hunting breeds sit

AKC sorts breeds into groups. Its guide to the seven groups says the Sporting Group was bred to help hunters find and retrieve birds. It says the Hound Group was bred to chase other animals by sight or scent.

The Berner sits in the Working Group instead. AKC describes those breeds as developed for jobs like pulling carts and sleds, guarding homes and flocks, and protecting families.

Prey drive and the deer story

That doesn’t mean every Berner ignores small animals. The BMDCA’s FAQ says some Berners have a stronger prey drive than others, while most fall somewhere in the middle. Supervise your dog around cats and other small pets, and see our guide to Berners with kids and other pets.

You may also run across a story on AKC’s history page about two early American Berners and a deer. A 350-pound buck attacked their owner, and the dogs drove it off. That was a dog protecting its person, which fits the breed’s watchdog past, not a hunt.

Tracking and scent work

Some owners enjoy nose-based sports with their Berners. The BMDCA’s versatility sheet lists tracking and scent work among the breed’s activities, alongside herding, obedience and agility. These are sports built around following a scent, not hunting game.

Draft work today

The Berner’s cart-pulling past has become a modern sport. The BMDCA introduced its Draft Test Program in 1991 to help preserve the breed’s working heritage, according to its versatility sheet.

The club’s draft sheet fills in the details:

• Start: The BMDCA approved draft test rules in January 1991, and the first test was held in New England that fall.
• Growth: Regional clubs hold tests every year, and every BMDCA National Specialty since 1992 has offered them.
• Awards: The BMDCA Versatility Award, set up in 1995, requires a draft title, a championship and one other working title.
• The test: Teams show basic control, steer an empty cart through a course, and finish with a half-mile freight haul.
• Age: A Berner can’t enter a draft test until age 2, and heavy loads should wait until the dog is fully mature.

The first title is Novice Draft Dog (NDD), where the dog pulls 20 pounds over the haul. Our guide to carting and drafting with a Bernese explains how to get started safely.

What the working past means for your Berner

Knowing the breed’s history helps you understand the dog in your living room. The BMDCA’s About Bernese Mountain Dogs sheet says Berners are farm dogs by heritage and need exercise to stay fit in body and mind. A daily minimum of 30 minutes of moderately vigorous exercise is enough for some, while others need much more.

They were also bred to stay close to their people. The BMDCA says Berners don’t do well as kennel dogs and should live inside with the family. That fits a dog whose first job was keeping the farmer company.

The same sheet warns that their size and heavy black coats make them prone to heat stroke. Our guide to keeping a Berner cool in hot weather covers that, and our Bernese care guide covers exercise, grooming and training. To see how the breed’s past shows up in its personality, read our guide to Bernese temperament.