Berner Chow
Hybrid Breed Description
The Berner Chow is a cross between the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Chow Chow. Because each hybrid inherits a unique combination of traits from both parents, we recommend thoroughly researching both breeds before choosing a Berner Chow. Pay special attention to temperament, health issues, and care requirements, as your dog may express characteristics from either parent breed.
Bernese Mountain Dog
The Bernese Mountain Dog presents an impressive and powerful appearance as a large working breed with substantial musculature and heavy bone structure. Males typically stand between twenty-five and twenty-seven inches at the shoulder while females measure twenty-three to twenty-six inches, with weight ranging from seventy to one hundred fifteen pounds depending on sex. The breed exhibits a slightly longer than tall rectangular build, creating a balanced and sturdy silhouette well-suited for draft work and mountain terrain. This substantial size and build reflect the breed's heritage as a versatile farm dog capable of pulling heavy carts and working in challenging alpine conditions. The most distinctive feature of the Bernese is its striking tricolored coat consisting of jet black as the base color with rich rust markings on the cheeks, over the eyes, on the legs, and chest, complemented by white on the chest, muzzle, and paws forming the characteristic Swiss cross pattern. The double coat is moderately long with a thick, soft undercoat and a slightly wavy or straight outer coat that provides protection against harsh alpine weather. This luxurious coat requires regular maintenance and sheds considerably, particularly during seasonal changes, with heavy shedding periods occurring twice annually when the undercoat releases in substantial amounts. The coat's texture and density contribute to the breed's ability to work outdoors in cold, wet conditions while maintaining body temperature and protection from the elements. Additional distinguishing characteristics include a broad, flat skull with a moderate stop, medium-sized triangular ears that sit high and hang close to the head, and dark brown eyes that convey an intelligent and gentle expression. The legs are straight and strong with round, arched toes, while the bushy tail is carried low and adds to the breed's elegant appearance. The body features a deep chest providing ample lung capacity, and the strong back supports the breed's considerable pulling power. When moving, Bernese Mountain Dogs display smooth, ground-covering strides with good reach in the forequarters and powerful drive from the rear, occasionally showing a slight roll of skin characteristic of the breed. The overall impression is one of strength combined with agility, creating a working dog that moves with purpose and grace while maintaining a dignified and noble bearing.
Key Characteristics
The Bernese Mountain Dog is renowned for its sweet, affectionate nature and gentle disposition, making it an outstanding family companion. These dogs form deep bonds with their families and are particularly patient and tolerant with children, often taking on a protective role. However, Berners typically attach themselves most closely to one special person in the household while maintaining loving relationships with all family members. Their eager-to-please attitude and high intelligence make them relatively easy to train, though they mature slowly both physically and mentally, often retaining puppyish behavior until three years of age. Coming from a working heritage as farm dogs in Switzerland, Bernese Mountain Dogs possess natural guarding and herding instincts that make them excellent watchdogs, alerting their families to unusual activity without excessive barking. They thrive on having a job to do, whether it's pulling carts, participating in draft work competitions, or simply accompanying their owners on daily activities. Despite their large size and working background, they are calm and relatively low-energy indoors, content to relax with their families after moderate exercise. They show their affection through physical contact, often leaning against their people or resting near them. Socialization from an early age is essential to ensure they develop into well-rounded adults who are friendly with other dogs and accepting of strangers, though they may remain somewhat reserved with people they don't know. The breed has a sensitive nature and responds poorly to harsh corrections, requiring gentle but consistent training methods. Bernese Mountain Dogs need regular interaction with their families and do not do well when isolated or left alone for extended periods, as they are happiest when integrated into daily family life and activities.
Bernese Mountain Dogs face significant health challenges that prospective owners must understand. The breed has a relatively short lifespan of seven to ten years, considerably shorter than many other breeds of similar size. Cancer is the most devastating health concern, with studies indicating that fifty-five to sixty-seven percent of Bernese deaths are attributable to various cancers, particularly histiocytic sarcoma, which has a hereditary component. Other common cancers include hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma, making regular veterinary monitoring essential throughout the dog's life. Orthopedic issues are highly prevalent in the breed, with hip dysplasia affecting approximately twenty-four to twenty-eight percent of Bernese Mountain Dogs and elbow dysplasia occurring in thirteen to twenty-six percent. These hereditary conditions result from abnormal joint development and can lead to painful arthritis, reduced mobility, and may require surgical intervention in severe cases. Responsible breeders perform genetic screening to reduce the incidence of these conditions, though environmental factors such as diet, exercise, and growth rate during puppyhood also play significant roles. Additional health concerns include gastric dilatation-volvulus or bloat, a life-threatening emergency where the stomach fills with gas and twists, requiring immediate veterinary care. The breed is also prone to progressive retinal atrophy leading to blindness, von Willebrand's disease affecting blood clotting, and subvalvular aortic stenosis, a heart defect that can cause sudden death. Eye conditions including cataracts and entropion, along with degenerative myelopathy affecting the spinal cord, are also documented in the breed. Maintaining a healthy weight, providing appropriate exercise, and establishing relationships with veterinarians experienced in large breed care can help manage these hereditary conditions and maximize quality of life.
Chow Chow
The Chow Chow is a medium-sized, sturdily built dog presenting a distinctive lion-like appearance with a square profile and compact, powerful build. Males typically stand seventeen to twenty inches at the withers and weigh between fifty-five and seventy pounds, while females range from forty-five to fifty-five pounds. The breed's most remarkable and defining feature is its unique blue-black or purple tongue and matching lips and oral cavity, a characteristic shared with only a few other breeds worldwide. This distinctive trait has been present in the breed for thousands of years and represents one of the oldest genetic features among domesticated dogs. The Chow Chow possesses an exceptionally dense double coat that comes in two distinct varieties: rough with a thick, off-standing outer coat creating a pronounced lion-like mane around the neck and shoulders giving the breed its teddy bear appearance, and smooth with shorter but equally dense fur lying closer to the body. Coat colors include red ranging from light golden to deep mahogany, black, blue resembling a dark gray, cinnamon appearing as light fawn to brown, and cream. The luxurious coat requires significant grooming maintenance throughout life, with brushing several times weekly necessary to prevent matting and manage the considerable shedding that occurs year-round. The characteristic scowling expression results from deep-set almond-shaped eyes, facial wrinkles, and small triangular erect ears positioned high on the head, creating a dignified and somewhat serious demeanor. Distinctive physical traits include the breed's unique stilted gait caused by nearly straight rear legs with minimal angulation at the stifle and hock joints, producing short, choppy steps rather than the flowing movement characteristic of most breeds. This unusual rear structure creates the impression of walking on stilts and is a defining characteristic of proper breed type. The tail is thick, heavily furred, and carried curled tightly over the back. The broad, flat skull features a short, powerful muzzle with a black nose, though blue-coated dogs may have slate-colored noses. The overall impression conveys strength, substance, and an ancient noble bearing reflecting this spitz-type breed's status as one of the world's oldest dog breeds.
Key Characteristics
The Chow Chow displays a distinctive temperament characterized by independence, dignity, and reserve that sets it apart from most companion breeds. Often compared to felines in personality, Chows are aloof and self-reliant, typically bonding most intensely with one chosen family member while maintaining polite but distant relationships with others. They are not demonstratively affectionate dogs and generally prefer respect for their personal space over constant physical attention or cuddling. This breed possesses strong territorial and guarding instincts, making them naturally suspicious of strangers and excellent watchdogs who will alert their families with deep, imposing barks when sensing potential threats. Highly intelligent yet notoriously stubborn, Chow Chows present training challenges as they choose when to obey commands based on their own assessment of necessity. They respond poorly to harsh corrections or physical punishment, which can devastate their proud nature and create unpredictable behavior. Instead, they require patient, consistent training using positive reinforcement and respect-based methods beginning in early puppyhood. Early and extensive socialization is absolutely critical to prevent the development of excessive wariness or aggression toward unfamiliar people and animals, as poorly socialized Chows can become dangerously reactive. Despite their reserved nature, Chows are fiercely loyal and protective of their families, displaying quiet devotion in their own dignified manner. They are low to moderate energy dogs content with leisurely daily walks rather than vigorous exercise, and they adapt well to various living situations including apartments due to their calm indoor demeanor and lack of excessive barking. Chow Chows maintain exceptionally clean habits and are easily housetrained. However, they generally do not enjoy rough play, may not tolerate the unpredictability of young children well, and can be dog-aggressive, particularly toward same-sex dogs. These characteristics make them better suited for experienced dog owners who understand and appreciate their unique independent spirit.
Chow Chows are predisposed to numerous health conditions that require careful attention throughout their lives. The breed has an extremely high prevalence of elbow dysplasia, with studies showing nearly forty-nine percent of Chows over two years old affected, the highest rate among all breeds. Hip dysplasia also occurs at elevated rates around six to seven percent. These orthopedic conditions result from abnormal joint development during growth and lead to chronic pain, arthritis, and mobility limitations. Weight management, controlled exercise during puppyhood, and joint supplements are essential for managing these hereditary problems, though severe cases may necessitate surgical correction. Eye problems are particularly common in Chow Chows due to their facial structure and excessive skin around the face. Entropion, where eyelids roll inward causing lashes to scratch the cornea, occurs frequently and typically requires surgical correction to prevent permanent eye damage or blindness. The breed also shows elevated incidence of glaucoma at nearly five percent compared to less than one percent overall, along with progressive retinal atrophy leading to vision loss, cataracts, and other ocular conditions. Regular ophthalmologic examinations are recommended throughout the dog's life. Other significant health concerns include hypothyroidism causing metabolic disruption, weight gain, and coat problems manageable with lifelong medication; patellar luxation where the kneecap dislocates; and various skin conditions including hot spots and infections exacerbated by the dense coat. Bloat or gastric dilatation-volvulus is a life-threatening emergency where the stomach fills with gas and twists. The breed's short muzzle and heavy coat make them particularly susceptible to heat stress. Additional documented conditions include panosteitis causing bone inflammation and lameness in young dogs, wobbler syndrome affecting the neck vertebrae, diabetes, and various autoimmune disorders. The average lifespan ranges from eight to twelve years, with proper preventive care and early intervention helping to maximize longevity.
Important to Remember
Each hybrid dog is unique and may inherit any combination of traits from either parent breed. The information above represents the characteristics of the purebred parent breeds. Your Berner Chow may favor one parent over the other or display a blend of both. We strongly encourage you to read the complete breed profiles for both the Bernese Mountain Dog and Chow Chow to fully understand the range of possible temperaments, health concerns, and care requirements.