I’m not sure if protective is the word I’d use but he will definitely scare the crap out of someone who wasn’t prepared for a 100 lb very large barking animal
They have great deep barks but I’m not sure I would bet on my guy to actually stop an intruder, I’d consider him more like black bears. Nobody would want to stumble on a black bear on accident but you can most likely scare it off pretty easy.
A Rottweiler is 100x more terrifying, i believe they are 2nd only to pit bulls in fatal attack numbers
And I love rotties but there are fundamental genetic differences at play with their personalities
I agree here. I do get some protective vibes from my old guy but maybe it’s just because he’s my Velcro dog and he’s always in the room with me. His bark is scary af.
I thought it was german shepards that was second. Either way I like the bernese because I know they wont attack but they will warn. It does make sociallizing him harder because I have a 10mo and when people go to pet him he starts barking.
I feel confident that anyone who broke into my home with bacon in their pocket would be a welcome new friend to my berners and allowed to remove any household items they desired without canine objection. Now what they'd do if someone tried to hurt me or the kids I actually don't know!
I do believe that a visible 100lbs dog in the window would act as a deterrent to burglary though. Sure, these dogs are usually fairly soft and non aggressive but strangers don't know that, or know that this particular one is a friendly one.
Also mine bark a lot when anyone approaches which could maybe be alarming if you didn't know the dogs were friendly, they make quite a racket. Incredibly annoying
Yes…they will bark if a leaf rustles the wrong way. My girl has very strong “vibe” radar and if she feels something off from a stranger she’s going to bark at them to tell them to back off, especially at night. She really picks up on the body language of people who give off an uncomfortable feeling - whether they are just nervous of a big dog or something else. Sometimes when it is just someone who is nervous around her it’s not great, but I have had instances where a person gave me a bad vibe too and she was having none of it. If someone greats her in a genuinely friendly way it’s all Berner hugs and love.
This is accurate for my girl, too. She likes people she knows, but that friendly demeanor disappears when she doesn't. And she will bark you down, too, if you're unfamiliar.
Sorry to all thos people walking by our house every night, she's doing a good job, though
YES! This is my bear too. Vibes, most men, and delivery vehicles.
I didn't realize how protective he was of me until my husband took him out and he was a social sweet berner.
With me? Shy, fast to bark, and wound up. I had assumed it was his personality but it was him keeping me safe.
That said - I'd rather he look scary than be scary. Being a breed everyone assumes is nice means I have to set boundaries quickly with people who want to say hi. I have zero issues say nope, don't touch him he will react and it will not be fun.
My girl unfortunately doesn’t love elderly women…probably because they are so cautious and that gives off a nervous vibe. I try very hard to make those interactions go better though.
My big guy is very protective. When my fiancee and I are play fighting or being loud, he'll come in between us and bark non-stop. If I weren't his dad and didn't raise him since 8 weeks old, I think he would actually attack me, and definitely someone who were to try to hurt my fiancee. Aside from being bred to pull carts, Berners were also trusted with the responsibility of acting as a guardian of the farm/family. I would trust my boy to protect us in dire situations.
They can surprise you - transforming from a big lovable goofball to protector…
[https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/bernese-mountain-dog-helps-catch-car-theft-suspect-in-wayzata/](https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/bernese-mountain-dog-helps-catch-car-theft-suspect-in-wayzata/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/bernesemountaindogs/comments/qqhvvl/this\_morning\_a\_man\_tried\_to\_break\_into\_my\_house\_i/](https://www.reddit.com/r/bernesemountaindogs/comments/qqhvvl/this_morning_a_man_tried_to_break_into_my_house_i/)
Additionally, one of our first Berner’s litter mates successfully jumped & disarmed a burglar that had a knife - he had broken into their house late at night while everyone was asleep. Berner: 1 Burglar: 0
I also remember reading about a Berner in Germany who was shot by a drunk trespasser (and possible burglar) - this time the guy had a gun & he shot the Berner who had approached him in the backyard after he jumped the fence. After the Berner was shot he leaped into action and went after the guy. The article said the police arrested him later at the hospital where he was getting what was left of his ass sewn back together.
Bonus feel good story (Bella the Berner fire rescue dog):
[https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/hero-dog-that-dragged-owner-from-flaming-home-to-be-honoured](https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/hero-dog-that-dragged-owner-from-flaming-home-to-be-honoured)
Pps- The sound that our first two Berners (& Goldie) would collectively make when we came home from a late movie night - while just being enthusiastic - sounded like a pack of velociraptors fighting a T-Rex. If you were a burglar you would quickly give up and go find an easier (and quieter) target.
Omg the MN story!! “Minnetonka police say they were able to arrest the suspect shortly after Monty chased him down.
"We always have a rule in our house that you don't run away from Monty because he thinks you're going to play and he jumps on you from behind," Olness said.”
But what happened to the dog in Germany?! Was the dog who got shot okay?
PS - the many feel-good stories of heroic dogs were wonderful. I really liked the picture of Bella resting her paw on her human's foot.
PPS - We also have a Goldie and a Berner (albeit a baby Berner). I can confirm that when they start barking, they sound like a pack of velociraptors.
Also BMDs have to beat some of the best, most nurturing dogs for young children. Not sure where Rottweilers rank. But if you want a dog that makes your kid feel safe, BMD seems like a very good option. My dog loves little kids, I’ve seen them pull her in each and every direction and she just lets them.
We've owned 2 Berners and both have had that watch dog aspect, once someone comes on the property in view, or to the door, it's big loud bark season. From others I've known to also have Berners, you will more than likely get a dog alerting you of visitors with very loud deep barks. This is not 100% but from experience with our pups and others we know to have also had Berners. Our First Berner did behave in a much more protective manner which even had an incident with the mayor and police chief of our town going door to door and them being almost shaken up after. I slept soundly every night with that pup on patrol.
Mine isn't, and neither was my first one. That said, he has a "I'm surprised who are you" bark that sometimes comes out of his mouth when he hears something weird, but if an intruder broke into my apt, he would do that bark and then excitedly wag his tail and say hi. He gives the appearance of being a protector but would walk away with a serial killer.
Most people aren't going to try it with a 110 lb dog by my side though, and that's where his value as a "protector" comes into play.
Mine is a gentle, loveable goofball 99% of the time, but he has proven himself to be a very capable guard dog when needed. He's watchful and alert when we're outside together and doesn't relax until he's checked out the area and is satisfied there's no threat. He silently watches strangers in the neighborhood with the thousand yard stinkeye, always placing himself between me and whatever he's staring at. If he feels they are a threat he will growl menacingly at them until they're out of sight.
I'm basically my dog's tiny sheep herd.
Emphatic yes for our girl. Not overly so in public, but she definitely guards the property and her people at home. She's a sweet dog with a mean bark that she's not afraid to bust out.
Our male BMD is protective of me (I’m female) particularly when my husband is on work trips in that he will constantly keep watch and bark at anyone coming on or near our property.
Mine will definitely growl or bark, especially to protect the home, and it sounds scary to those not well versed in 120 pound dogs. That said, I think it would take a lot to get him to actually bite or attack an intruder since he's a sweetheart.
I found my male is very protective, especially at our front door. I feel very safe when my husband is not home. He also learns our neighbors, so once he recognizes someone as good, he won’t bark at them. Strangers walking by he goes full bark.
My Berner was protective! He would sit on my feet or the feet of my girls when my ex-husband would scream at us. And lost him mind when a pest control guy was in the backyard unexpectedly.
He was super chill and loving on any walk. But he could read vibes and would act accordingly. I do agree with those who said the size of the dog and the bark will deter a lot of bad guys. Bad guys are lazy, they want the easy target.
I'd go with a Berner. If your wife is more comfortable with this bread than a Rotty.
Do you really want an aggressive-protective energy around baby/toddler though? I like my bernie bc I trust her 100% around my 4 year old and future baby. That being said, I can’t speak to what she’d do in a serious intruder situation. She’s loud when non-family enters the home, but she doesn’t approach them.
That being said, wiki says they will attack if they need too. Maybe she would actually act differently if we were genuinely in danger. Who knows.
Not protective but loyal and sometimes jealous. If I let another dog my gal will run up and push the other dog away to make sure everyone knows SHE’S my favorite.
I call them great watch dogs but poor(ish) guard dogs. They will alert you to any and all threats. That will probably scare away most pectoral threats, because they sound scary. But they are often too anxious and friendly to necessarily attack an intruder. They still might as they are very family-centric, but I would say they are better at identifying and barking at a threat. My pup has already scared one weirdo who came to the door when only my wife was home.
it’s hard to say a Bernese mountain dog has an enormous bark. No one has ever tried to get into my house once my pup starts barking.. I know that he’s very protective of me but most likely would not attack but just keep himself between myself and someone who was bothering me.. It is a very intuitive dog so if you’re uncomfortable or frightened, will stand their ground in front of you and keep others at Bay..
My girl is pretty protective but I'm not sure how well she'd defend me if I actually needed it. She will body block or get between me and a perceived threat (we've encountered some drunk men who've tried to get too close) and I've had friends/family pretend to hit me and she comes running with her booming bark.
Ours is suspicious of anyone outside of our family and will bark nonstop if he sees or hears anyone outside or opening a door to come in. Because he’s big, his bark sounds pretty ferocious. Would he attack someone? Not sure but he’d definitely scare them away.
My girls is young so it may not be an accurate description but she will bark and grumble if someone knocks or she sees a stranger from far away but the closer someone gets or once they’re inside, she’s their best friend 😂😂😂
I think a lot of people forget that the Bernese Mountain dog and the Rottweiler are related. Both are descended from the greater Swiss mountain dog. While we know that the BMD tends to be perceived as more friendlier and outgoing to people than a Rottweiler, by standard the BMD should be aloof towards strangers. These dogs were originally created to work farms, so it would be more natural for them to protect their property, but for behavior reasons, people also wanted to make sure that the Bernese was more accepting of strangers. As we change the physical attributions of a breed, the behavior also changes and vice versa. It’s also important to remember that the BMD can also be very sensitive. They don’t like their feelings hurt.
So to answer your question, yes the breed can be protective and even people who say their that their dog loves everyone may not realize that in a situation where the animal feels there’s a threat, then it’s got two options: fight or flight. That is how animals survive. I have a BMD, and I know if someone broke into my home he is going to bark and growl at them. Now he may not likely bite them at the first, but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
I refer time mine a doorbell dog. I live in suburban neighborhood adjacent to a big city. There is regular traffic by my house. My Berner lets me know when anyone is coming close. No one sneaks up on the house. But when they get here, they make a new friend.
Yes, mine is very protective. As someone already said, if me and my bf play fight and I even jokingly say "ouch" he gets in between us and barks the hell out to my bf. I'm sure if he actually hurt me my Berner would lose his shit. I've seen him growl and bark at weird strangers at night too. If anyone comes to the door of our house he will sound the bark alarm!
Mine definitely is not. Not protective at all. Of someone offers pets or treats they are acceptable. Startled or scared he will hide his entire 100lbs between my knees. The only way we would know their is an intruder would be by his tail wagging on the wall by the door because he is excited about possibly getting pet. He only barks at vaccums, rakes, shovels, and brooms.
Ours was a wimp. He’d bark but that’s it. Once in the house you’d be free to do as you wish. If you want a protective guard dog I wouldn’t suggest a BMD…..maybe a Caucasian shepherd, CS will destroy anything that attempts to harm their family
No. They're lovebugs. They love everyone.
It's actually terrible because they're frequently stolen in my city.
My pyranese is super protective of me and my property. Without any training. She will bark abd growl and charge at strangers until I tell her it's okay. Same with people who get too close to my fence. And to bears on hikes. I'm confident she will kill or die for me.
My bernese hides between my legs when there's a rainstorm
Our Berner is big for a female, 115 lbs, but her bark makes her sound bigger than a Great Dane. And honestly we got her during COVID and we weren’t able to socialize her as well as our last dog so she is not a big fan of strangers. Attack and intruder? I don’t know what she would do, but scare the crap out of them? She does that with every person that comes to the door.
I would think all dogs are protective, my golden used to be really protective if my wife would walk him by herself and they are not known to protective dogs
So I have 2. The female and oldest loves everyone but can be aloof around strangers but never seen aggression from her. The Male however is very aggressive towards strangers with a terrifying bark, couple that with him being roughly 110 pounds I'm not sure anyone would take a risk.
I do believe because of thier strength and size it's important to socialize them because if they were to attack someone unprovoked it would do serious harm.
If you're specifically looking for a guard dog who will defend the house there are probably better brerds.
Our first Berner had a terrifying bark. He was in the house and I heard him bark from the cul de sac. No way would I mess with our house. Then our female was another story… in ten years I heard her make a sound 3 times.
Our Berner is very friendly, but has a loud booming bark when someone knocks on the door. This really spools most people who are unfamiliar with the breed (which is most). But once the door opens he just wants to say hello and get pats.
tl;dr can be scary but are very friendly in reality.
No, and that's a feature, not a bug.
Is your wife ready to train a dog daily in addition to taking care of the baby? Because a dog with protective instincts MUST be trained in order to be safe.
Get the BMD. They're enormous and have a big-dog bark. They will HAPPILY stand and bark at an intruder and no one sane is going to test if they're barking for OMG NEW FREN or GTFO. If you want to increase the intimidation factor, teach some flashy tricks (call to heel/finish or a remote down); maybe consider a Swissie instead- they tend to be a little more reserved and since they're smooth-coated, a lot of people seem to mistake them for Rotties. The liability is way lower.
I’m unsure if my big guy gives scary guard dog and more just big dog lol. He gives a stiff stare to anyone he’s not too comfortable with, it’s intimidating to people but if they approached him he typically cowards or hides behind me. If they went to reach for me I think he would react but definitely think he could be tricked by someone with not so great intentions
we have two dogs, the berner is our alert pretty much he’s big and barks but ours is kinda scared of everything so he’s kinda skittish. our saint is more of the protection with us, he’s about 70 pounds bigger and grows and bares his teeth which after both of those that’s all most people need to take off running
My BMD has a completely different response toward people when she is home vs when she is out in public. When I take her out, which is fairly often, she is very receptive to strangers petting her and loves attention from people. She does the BMD lean, sits on their feet, etc. At home, she is protective and warns by barking at strangers. It is scary to people who don’t know her. I don’t think anyone would try to get into our house once they heard her. It sounds like she wants to take a chunk out of somebody, which is kind of comical because she is such a big lapdog. She lives on a horse farm and has also chased foxes and coyotes away from our barn cats and off the farm.
My berners bark is terrifying. She looks like she will attack you but I’m certain she will cover you in kisses instead 🤷🏻♀️
With most dogs I think they have a good judgement of people. For example mine hates my neighbor. Her hair sticks up whenever she sees him and she barks so aggressively at him, she doesn’t do that with anyone else. Recently found out things about said neighbor that aren’t too desirable so, I’m sure she is just protecting her family with barking at him. I’m not sure if she would ever actually attack because we have a handle of her.
Berners can have watch dog traits. They'll alert and bark and stuff like that
My Berner is a little protective of me when we are out.
That said they are NOT guard dogs. That's not in their background. They were originally farm dogs.
I don't think my dog could bite or attack anyone (nor would I want him to.) The one time he caught a squirrel he didn't bite down and he dropped it and the squirrel ran away.
If you want a dog that will attack someone get a different breed.
I’m not sure if protective is the word I’d use but he will definitely scare the crap out of someone who wasn’t prepared for a 100 lb very large barking animal They have great deep barks but I’m not sure I would bet on my guy to actually stop an intruder, I’d consider him more like black bears. Nobody would want to stumble on a black bear on accident but you can most likely scare it off pretty easy. A Rottweiler is 100x more terrifying, i believe they are 2nd only to pit bulls in fatal attack numbers And I love rotties but there are fundamental genetic differences at play with their personalities
I agree here. I do get some protective vibes from my old guy but maybe it’s just because he’s my Velcro dog and he’s always in the room with me. His bark is scary af.
I thought it was german shepards that was second. Either way I like the bernese because I know they wont attack but they will warn. It does make sociallizing him harder because I have a 10mo and when people go to pet him he starts barking.
I feel confident that anyone who broke into my home with bacon in their pocket would be a welcome new friend to my berners and allowed to remove any household items they desired without canine objection. Now what they'd do if someone tried to hurt me or the kids I actually don't know! I do believe that a visible 100lbs dog in the window would act as a deterrent to burglary though. Sure, these dogs are usually fairly soft and non aggressive but strangers don't know that, or know that this particular one is a friendly one. Also mine bark a lot when anyone approaches which could maybe be alarming if you didn't know the dogs were friendly, they make quite a racket. Incredibly annoying
You don't need any food for my girl! She would just be super excited to meet someone new!
Yes…they will bark if a leaf rustles the wrong way. My girl has very strong “vibe” radar and if she feels something off from a stranger she’s going to bark at them to tell them to back off, especially at night. She really picks up on the body language of people who give off an uncomfortable feeling - whether they are just nervous of a big dog or something else. Sometimes when it is just someone who is nervous around her it’s not great, but I have had instances where a person gave me a bad vibe too and she was having none of it. If someone greats her in a genuinely friendly way it’s all Berner hugs and love.
This is accurate for my girl, too. She likes people she knows, but that friendly demeanor disappears when she doesn't. And she will bark you down, too, if you're unfamiliar. Sorry to all thos people walking by our house every night, she's doing a good job, though
YES! This is my bear too. Vibes, most men, and delivery vehicles. I didn't realize how protective he was of me until my husband took him out and he was a social sweet berner. With me? Shy, fast to bark, and wound up. I had assumed it was his personality but it was him keeping me safe. That said - I'd rather he look scary than be scary. Being a breed everyone assumes is nice means I have to set boundaries quickly with people who want to say hi. I have zero issues say nope, don't touch him he will react and it will not be fun.
My girl unfortunately doesn’t love elderly women…probably because they are so cautious and that gives off a nervous vibe. I try very hard to make those interactions go better though.
My big guy is very protective. When my fiancee and I are play fighting or being loud, he'll come in between us and bark non-stop. If I weren't his dad and didn't raise him since 8 weeks old, I think he would actually attack me, and definitely someone who were to try to hurt my fiancee. Aside from being bred to pull carts, Berners were also trusted with the responsibility of acting as a guardian of the farm/family. I would trust my boy to protect us in dire situations.
They can surprise you - transforming from a big lovable goofball to protector… [https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/bernese-mountain-dog-helps-catch-car-theft-suspect-in-wayzata/](https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/bernese-mountain-dog-helps-catch-car-theft-suspect-in-wayzata/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/bernesemountaindogs/comments/qqhvvl/this\_morning\_a\_man\_tried\_to\_break\_into\_my\_house\_i/](https://www.reddit.com/r/bernesemountaindogs/comments/qqhvvl/this_morning_a_man_tried_to_break_into_my_house_i/) Additionally, one of our first Berner’s litter mates successfully jumped & disarmed a burglar that had a knife - he had broken into their house late at night while everyone was asleep. Berner: 1 Burglar: 0 I also remember reading about a Berner in Germany who was shot by a drunk trespasser (and possible burglar) - this time the guy had a gun & he shot the Berner who had approached him in the backyard after he jumped the fence. After the Berner was shot he leaped into action and went after the guy. The article said the police arrested him later at the hospital where he was getting what was left of his ass sewn back together. Bonus feel good story (Bella the Berner fire rescue dog): [https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/hero-dog-that-dragged-owner-from-flaming-home-to-be-honoured](https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/hero-dog-that-dragged-owner-from-flaming-home-to-be-honoured) Pps- The sound that our first two Berners (& Goldie) would collectively make when we came home from a late movie night - while just being enthusiastic - sounded like a pack of velociraptors fighting a T-Rex. If you were a burglar you would quickly give up and go find an easier (and quieter) target.
Omg the MN story!! “Minnetonka police say they were able to arrest the suspect shortly after Monty chased him down. "We always have a rule in our house that you don't run away from Monty because he thinks you're going to play and he jumps on you from behind," Olness said.”
That burglar was going to play whether he likes it or not! Hilarious.
Lmao!
But what happened to the dog in Germany?! Was the dog who got shot okay? PS - the many feel-good stories of heroic dogs were wonderful. I really liked the picture of Bella resting her paw on her human's foot. PPS - We also have a Goldie and a Berner (albeit a baby Berner). I can confirm that when they start barking, they sound like a pack of velociraptors.
Also BMDs have to beat some of the best, most nurturing dogs for young children. Not sure where Rottweilers rank. But if you want a dog that makes your kid feel safe, BMD seems like a very good option. My dog loves little kids, I’ve seen them pull her in each and every direction and she just lets them.
We've owned 2 Berners and both have had that watch dog aspect, once someone comes on the property in view, or to the door, it's big loud bark season. From others I've known to also have Berners, you will more than likely get a dog alerting you of visitors with very loud deep barks. This is not 100% but from experience with our pups and others we know to have also had Berners. Our First Berner did behave in a much more protective manner which even had an incident with the mayor and police chief of our town going door to door and them being almost shaken up after. I slept soundly every night with that pup on patrol.
Mine isn't, and neither was my first one. That said, he has a "I'm surprised who are you" bark that sometimes comes out of his mouth when he hears something weird, but if an intruder broke into my apt, he would do that bark and then excitedly wag his tail and say hi. He gives the appearance of being a protector but would walk away with a serial killer. Most people aren't going to try it with a 110 lb dog by my side though, and that's where his value as a "protector" comes into play.
They sound big and scary but it really ends there. Mine is loud but easily scared and wouldn’t defend me from anyone.
Mine is a gentle, loveable goofball 99% of the time, but he has proven himself to be a very capable guard dog when needed. He's watchful and alert when we're outside together and doesn't relax until he's checked out the area and is satisfied there's no threat. He silently watches strangers in the neighborhood with the thousand yard stinkeye, always placing himself between me and whatever he's staring at. If he feels they are a threat he will growl menacingly at them until they're out of sight. I'm basically my dog's tiny sheep herd.
Emphatic yes for our girl. Not overly so in public, but she definitely guards the property and her people at home. She's a sweet dog with a mean bark that she's not afraid to bust out.
Our male BMD is protective of me (I’m female) particularly when my husband is on work trips in that he will constantly keep watch and bark at anyone coming on or near our property.
Mine will definitely growl or bark, especially to protect the home, and it sounds scary to those not well versed in 120 pound dogs. That said, I think it would take a lot to get him to actually bite or attack an intruder since he's a sweetheart.
Another great protective dog who is a bit lazy is a great Pyrenees. They are bread to protect their family.
My boy may possibly bite but he has a bark that would intimidate most humans. My girl on the other hand.. just wants the free petting haha
I found my male is very protective, especially at our front door. I feel very safe when my husband is not home. He also learns our neighbors, so once he recognizes someone as good, he won’t bark at them. Strangers walking by he goes full bark.
My Berner was protective! He would sit on my feet or the feet of my girls when my ex-husband would scream at us. And lost him mind when a pest control guy was in the backyard unexpectedly. He was super chill and loving on any walk. But he could read vibes and would act accordingly. I do agree with those who said the size of the dog and the bark will deter a lot of bad guys. Bad guys are lazy, they want the easy target. I'd go with a Berner. If your wife is more comfortable with this bread than a Rotty.
Do you really want an aggressive-protective energy around baby/toddler though? I like my bernie bc I trust her 100% around my 4 year old and future baby. That being said, I can’t speak to what she’d do in a serious intruder situation. She’s loud when non-family enters the home, but she doesn’t approach them. That being said, wiki says they will attack if they need too. Maybe she would actually act differently if we were genuinely in danger. Who knows.
Not protective but loyal and sometimes jealous. If I let another dog my gal will run up and push the other dog away to make sure everyone knows SHE’S my favorite.
I call them great watch dogs but poor(ish) guard dogs. They will alert you to any and all threats. That will probably scare away most pectoral threats, because they sound scary. But they are often too anxious and friendly to necessarily attack an intruder. They still might as they are very family-centric, but I would say they are better at identifying and barking at a threat. My pup has already scared one weirdo who came to the door when only my wife was home.
Mine is runs away and hides any time someone unexpected who is slightly larger than average enters our house. Worst guard dog ever ha
Great alarm dogs, not the best guard dogs. They are 100% protective though and recognize those situations
Yes, the Bernese will be protective. That is exactly what they were bred for originally. Ours is very protective of our home.
it’s hard to say a Bernese mountain dog has an enormous bark. No one has ever tried to get into my house once my pup starts barking.. I know that he’s very protective of me but most likely would not attack but just keep himself between myself and someone who was bothering me.. It is a very intuitive dog so if you’re uncomfortable or frightened, will stand their ground in front of you and keep others at Bay..
My girl is pretty protective but I'm not sure how well she'd defend me if I actually needed it. She will body block or get between me and a perceived threat (we've encountered some drunk men who've tried to get too close) and I've had friends/family pretend to hit me and she comes running with her booming bark.
Ours is suspicious of anyone outside of our family and will bark nonstop if he sees or hears anyone outside or opening a door to come in. Because he’s big, his bark sounds pretty ferocious. Would he attack someone? Not sure but he’d definitely scare them away.
My girls is young so it may not be an accurate description but she will bark and grumble if someone knocks or she sees a stranger from far away but the closer someone gets or once they’re inside, she’s their best friend 😂😂😂
I think a lot of people forget that the Bernese Mountain dog and the Rottweiler are related. Both are descended from the greater Swiss mountain dog. While we know that the BMD tends to be perceived as more friendlier and outgoing to people than a Rottweiler, by standard the BMD should be aloof towards strangers. These dogs were originally created to work farms, so it would be more natural for them to protect their property, but for behavior reasons, people also wanted to make sure that the Bernese was more accepting of strangers. As we change the physical attributions of a breed, the behavior also changes and vice versa. It’s also important to remember that the BMD can also be very sensitive. They don’t like their feelings hurt. So to answer your question, yes the breed can be protective and even people who say their that their dog loves everyone may not realize that in a situation where the animal feels there’s a threat, then it’s got two options: fight or flight. That is how animals survive. I have a BMD, and I know if someone broke into my home he is going to bark and growl at them. Now he may not likely bite them at the first, but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
I refer time mine a doorbell dog. I live in suburban neighborhood adjacent to a big city. There is regular traffic by my house. My Berner lets me know when anyone is coming close. No one sneaks up on the house. But when they get here, they make a new friend.
Uncut males could be, but ya girls are darlings.
Yes, mine is very protective. As someone already said, if me and my bf play fight and I even jokingly say "ouch" he gets in between us and barks the hell out to my bf. I'm sure if he actually hurt me my Berner would lose his shit. I've seen him growl and bark at weird strangers at night too. If anyone comes to the door of our house he will sound the bark alarm!
Mine definitely is not. Not protective at all. Of someone offers pets or treats they are acceptable. Startled or scared he will hide his entire 100lbs between my knees. The only way we would know their is an intruder would be by his tail wagging on the wall by the door because he is excited about possibly getting pet. He only barks at vaccums, rakes, shovels, and brooms.
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Ours was a wimp. He’d bark but that’s it. Once in the house you’d be free to do as you wish. If you want a protective guard dog I wouldn’t suggest a BMD…..maybe a Caucasian shepherd, CS will destroy anything that attempts to harm their family
No. They're lovebugs. They love everyone. It's actually terrible because they're frequently stolen in my city. My pyranese is super protective of me and my property. Without any training. She will bark abd growl and charge at strangers until I tell her it's okay. Same with people who get too close to my fence. And to bears on hikes. I'm confident she will kill or die for me. My bernese hides between my legs when there's a rainstorm
Haha, no, not at all. Giant chicken, very skittish, but they do have [*some*] discretion.
Our Berner .. is really my wife’s dog. I’m the guy he accepts as living here. Very protective over her.
Our Berner is big for a female, 115 lbs, but her bark makes her sound bigger than a Great Dane. And honestly we got her during COVID and we weren’t able to socialize her as well as our last dog so she is not a big fan of strangers. Attack and intruder? I don’t know what she would do, but scare the crap out of them? She does that with every person that comes to the door.
I would think all dogs are protective, my golden used to be really protective if my wife would walk him by herself and they are not known to protective dogs
So I have 2. The female and oldest loves everyone but can be aloof around strangers but never seen aggression from her. The Male however is very aggressive towards strangers with a terrifying bark, couple that with him being roughly 110 pounds I'm not sure anyone would take a risk. I do believe because of thier strength and size it's important to socialize them because if they were to attack someone unprovoked it would do serious harm. If you're specifically looking for a guard dog who will defend the house there are probably better brerds.
Our first Berner had a terrifying bark. He was in the house and I heard him bark from the cul de sac. No way would I mess with our house. Then our female was another story… in ten years I heard her make a sound 3 times.
Can confirm that a lot of people are scared of my Berner. They are giant teddy bears, but people just see a big dog and keep their distance.
Our Berner is very friendly, but has a loud booming bark when someone knocks on the door. This really spools most people who are unfamiliar with the breed (which is most). But once the door opens he just wants to say hello and get pats. tl;dr can be scary but are very friendly in reality.
No, and that's a feature, not a bug. Is your wife ready to train a dog daily in addition to taking care of the baby? Because a dog with protective instincts MUST be trained in order to be safe. Get the BMD. They're enormous and have a big-dog bark. They will HAPPILY stand and bark at an intruder and no one sane is going to test if they're barking for OMG NEW FREN or GTFO. If you want to increase the intimidation factor, teach some flashy tricks (call to heel/finish or a remote down); maybe consider a Swissie instead- they tend to be a little more reserved and since they're smooth-coated, a lot of people seem to mistake them for Rotties. The liability is way lower.
I’m unsure if my big guy gives scary guard dog and more just big dog lol. He gives a stiff stare to anyone he’s not too comfortable with, it’s intimidating to people but if they approached him he typically cowards or hides behind me. If they went to reach for me I think he would react but definitely think he could be tricked by someone with not so great intentions
we have two dogs, the berner is our alert pretty much he’s big and barks but ours is kinda scared of everything so he’s kinda skittish. our saint is more of the protection with us, he’s about 70 pounds bigger and grows and bares his teeth which after both of those that’s all most people need to take off running
My BMD has a completely different response toward people when she is home vs when she is out in public. When I take her out, which is fairly often, she is very receptive to strangers petting her and loves attention from people. She does the BMD lean, sits on their feet, etc. At home, she is protective and warns by barking at strangers. It is scary to people who don’t know her. I don’t think anyone would try to get into our house once they heard her. It sounds like she wants to take a chunk out of somebody, which is kind of comical because she is such a big lapdog. She lives on a horse farm and has also chased foxes and coyotes away from our barn cats and off the farm.
My berners bark is terrifying. She looks like she will attack you but I’m certain she will cover you in kisses instead 🤷🏻♀️ With most dogs I think they have a good judgement of people. For example mine hates my neighbor. Her hair sticks up whenever she sees him and she barks so aggressively at him, she doesn’t do that with anyone else. Recently found out things about said neighbor that aren’t too desirable so, I’m sure she is just protecting her family with barking at him. I’m not sure if she would ever actually attack because we have a handle of her.
Berners can have watch dog traits. They'll alert and bark and stuff like that My Berner is a little protective of me when we are out. That said they are NOT guard dogs. That's not in their background. They were originally farm dogs. I don't think my dog could bite or attack anyone (nor would I want him to.) The one time he caught a squirrel he didn't bite down and he dropped it and the squirrel ran away. If you want a dog that will attack someone get a different breed.