I thought I’d share a typical inquiry on exercising Bernese recently received through the bmdinfo.org website.
“… exercise… what kind and how much for age stages… could you please point me to somewhere reliable for this info… thank you very much….”

The following is my response…

Thank you for writing us at bmdinfo.org.
My name is Ann Milligan.
I hope I can help answer your question about exercising your Bernese.

The reason you have not been able to locate specific authoritative information on exercising Bernese is: the folks who have long experience living with this breed of dog recognize each dog and each owner’s circumstances are unique.

Beyond making a few very broad generalized statements like, “the Bernese dogs’ heavy frames aren’t ideally suited to accompany joggers on 5 mile runs” or “puppies shouldn’t be forced to exercise”, I have found the most effective exercise programs and practices are fashioned to serve individual dog’s and owner’s needs.  

• The 1st suggestion I have for anyone who keeps a Berner is: please contact the dog’s breeder to ask for recommendations.
• Your dog’s breeder has experience managing the family of dogs from which your dog came.
• It’s always a good idea to touch base with the dog’s breeder and ask about what types of exercise opportunities they have found work well for them and their dogs.
• Also, your dog’s vet can be helpful in providing information on exercise that is appropriate to your dog’s physical condition based upon a physical exam. 

In my experience…

Each Berner I have kept and/or bred and placed elsewhere has been treated as a distinct individual – the ‘right exercise’ depended on the age of the dog, how the individual Berner was ‘wired’ (drive) and on how the dog’s body was made. Some Berners I’ve kept had a high to moderately high energy level, athletically endowed at birth and ‘were built for doggie sports’. Those types excelled at meeting athletic challenges, mentally and physically. Others were lower energy, not particularly athletic in build and took little thrill from achieving success in athletic endeavors; those types of Berners preferred and needed only short duration (20 minutes to ½ hour) calmly constructed outings, playtimes, walks or other low impact physical activities like swimming to maintain good humor and body condition. That said, most of my Berners, as young/mature adults were typically walked off leash at a minimum of several times a week for ½ -1 hour. Puppies under 2 years of age twice a day ½ hour long walks in soft grassy fields or swims + 6-8 shorter play exercise periods (5 – 10 minutes). Seniors or dogs that had physical challenges were encouraged to set their own exercise schedule and pace. The weather conditions influenced when and where walks occurred. Hot days over 75º, walks occurred during early mornings or late evenings. Ice – big problem, go slow – no rushing, banging or jumping. Deep snow, make sure those oldsters or young pups don’t get stuck in a drift and strain their limbs to get free. Mixed ages and levels of physical ability walking together – pay attention – nobody needs run over or crashed into – especially the pups. And please above all else during exercise, those Berners needed to respect my space and be taught that under no circumstances was it acceptable to slam into my knees running at full speed! Other challenges included managing the chasers’ prey drives; training to maintain control over dogs exercising on and off leash; and predicting how any given Berner would react if when exercising it encountered strange objects, unexpected people, other dogs or critters like rabbits, deer, skunks or cats. 

As breeders, my husband Mark and I could only provide good advice on exercise to owners of Berners we placed based upon our understanding of the particular owner’s situation and on their observations of what kinds of exercise and activities seemed to work best for their dog. Ultimately, a well constructed exercise program for a Bernese should provide age specific/dog specific activities to enhance flexibility and strengthen muscles and ligaments along with aerobic conditioning. A well designed exercise program helps the dog deal with mental stress as well. A poorly designed program adds to both physical and mental stress. Most Bernese will go to extreme lengths to please their owners and some will go so far as to push their bodies beyond their limits. Some Berners have an incredibly strong will to perform. I wish I could give out little doses of common sense to some Bernese owners who routinely make unreasonable physical demands on their dogs and then wonder why the dog is injured, lame, or sore, and all the while the owner is pushing the dog too far not recognizing the dog is fatigued, the dog is still mustering all its strength to try to please their owner. Common sense doesn’t come in pill form; so we’ll all just have to go forward with what we’ve got. The dog – observed.

Tailoring an exercise program designed to meet an individual dog’s and owner’s needs might seem very simple, but there’s more to it than you might think.

Not knowing any specifics about your Berner or you I can’t really offer you meaningful assistance.

In order for me to provide you with advice that would apply to exercise for your special Berner, I’d really need to know more about you and your dog.

I would like to learn about the age, temperament, social skills, energy level and health/physical structure of your dog.
I would also like to learn how much time you have to spend and the nature of the places you have available to offer your dog opportunities for exercise.
The more you can share with me about you and how you live with or would like to live with your dog the better.
Once I have a better understanding, I can offer you ideas for how to provide an appropriate exercise program to meet your own and your dog’s needs.
If you would like to contact me to discuss exercising your dog, please phone me at 920-822-8174 – 7AM – 5PM CST.
Thanks for writing and I hope to hear from you.

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***While this is by no means a comprehensive treatise on exercising Bernese, it makes some sense to me. We have so much generic advice  and downright inaccurate information floating around in cyber space compliments of folks who think they know Bernese Mountain Dogs, it’s no small wonder people new to the breed don’t know who to ask or where to go to gain insight or ideas for managing their dog. Mentors don’t treat inquirers like cattle, or send them on a wild goose chase through cyberspace  nor do they treat dogs like they were all the same. Anyone who has found a real connection with a Berner realizes how truly unique that dog is. The same idea applies to people we bump into who are asking for advice. Be nice!

In appreciation of special dogs and their people,  Ann