I have a Bernese Mountain dog named Bishop and he is about 18 months old. He came from a breeder so has had most of the rampant health issues weeded out of his line. The biggest problem with these dogs are the health problems (hips, eyes, early cancers) so my recommendation is to spend the extra money to ensure that you have a healthy specimen to start. Bishop is a lovely dog with a very sweet temperament. He is great with other dogs, people and children. I have not had any problems with him and my chickens- they are all frequently out in the yard together- but he seems a little too interested in my geese for my tastes, so he is not allowed into their pen. He chases squirrels and chipmunks, but otherwise seems uninterested in pursuing prey animals. He will wander at times, but it is usually to go visiting the neighbors (who love him), never to attack any animals or livestock. He loves everybody and tends to want to sit on top of your feet- this lack of personal space is common with these dogs. They like to be as close as possible to their people. Bishop is possibly the goofiest dog I have ever been around. He seems to like it when people are laughing at him. I don't know if that is a breed characteristic or just a Bishop characteristic, but he is a hoot. Proper diet and exercise are pretty important with these breeds because they have a tendency towards obesity and that's no good with the bigger breeds. Bloat is a common problem, so food dishes should be elevated. Bishop is a big old couch potato most of the time, but we have found that a daily walk (on top of his work out on the farm) is important to keep him slim, trim and well-mannered. He has more instances of wandering if he hasn't had a walk. BMD's have long hair but SMD's don't, so I will spare you the grooming details. Extensive grooming for BMD's is necessary and time-consuming.
I love big dogs. These are some of the best big dogs out there. I hope we have a long time with Bishop. Hope this helped and good luck with your decision.
