The Golden Retriever Bernese Mountain Dog Mix

The Golden Mountain Dog is a mixed breed between a Golden Retriever and a Bernese Mountain Dog. They are friendly, gentle, and intelligent, inheriting some of the best qualities of both their parents.  

They can be found in breed-specific rescues as well as shelters, so it’s important that you adopt them. Buying them will simply be a waste of money as well as insensitive to the hundreds of pups waiting for a home in shelters and rescues. 

If you are looking for a dog that is larger-than-life but will also be a gentle giant being a mixed breed, the Golden Retriever Bernese Mountain Dog Mix is your best shot. This dog is highly suitable as a family dog, and they get along really well with smaller children and other pets. They embody loyalty, intelligence, and affection and are ready to please. 

This breed is pretty huge, so they favor large open spaces unsuited to apartment living. And they also prefer living in colder regions.

Golden Retriever Bernese Mountain Dog Features

These are not purebreds like their parents and instead are mixed breeds. Its parents are the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Golden Retriever. It is a Golden Retriever and Bernese Mountain dog mix.

These Bernese Mountain Dog and Golden Retriever Mix come in shades of brown, black, and white. Their coat is long, dense, and straight, requiring a lot of brushing. Given their propensity to shed, their coat needs brushing daily. 

The Golden Mountain needs at least an hour of exercise every day. You could make their exercise intense, too, as they would love to give you company while you are on a long hike, jog, or bike ride. 

They are playful yet gentle and would be glad to be buddies with your kids. All you have to keep in mind is that they need to be socialized at their respective ages. And you must supervise their playtime. 

History

This is a relatively new designer breed, so it will be difficult to find a lot of verified breed history about them. But a solid idea can be made if the dog’s heritage is looked into. Its parents are pure breeds with tons of information on record. 

The Golden Retriever, developed initially in Scotland, quickly became the most popular dog based on their intelligence, agility, and their capacity to carry out obedience-based tasks. The Bernese Mountain Dog, on the other hand, was first employed on farms in the Alps and got introduced in the United States after World War 1. 

Size

The Bernese Mountain dog Golden Retriever mix is large, and as it is, the size varies in newer dog breeds, given that they are still being bred as a limited edition. 

They usually weigh between 75-120 pounds, running in height at about 24-28 inches. But remember that the Female Golden Mountain Dog is sometimes a little smaller than their male equivalent.

Personality

This dog looks like a family dog that gets featured in a classic children’s animation. Being gentle giants, they are able to get along with everyone, becoming best playmates with the kids in the house and also pet cats. 

The Golden Mountain is as smart as it gets and has an innate willingness to please the owner. This makes them very easy to train. But your dog being smart means you will have to train your kids to be at par, too, in order to get the best of these amazing creatures. 

You must make sure that the play sessions for your dog should include strategic elements such as interactive smart toys or playing fetch. 

By now, you know that by nature, the Golden Retriever Bernese Mountain Dog Mix just wants to become a part of your family which will entail involving your dog in as many of your daily activities as possible. 

Health

The Golden Mountain Dog is generally a healthy dog. But the mixed breed can be susceptible to a few conditions that affect its parents, genetically. It is important to keep a check on the dog’s health with regular wellness visits to the vet. 

Some of the common issues affecting their health are hypothyroidism, heart problems, and Von Willebrand’s disease. 

Hip dysplasia:

This is a condition where the hip joint does not fit properly, causing pain, inflammation, and arthritis. This can affect both parent breeds, and is inherited from them¹³.

Von Willebrand’s disease:

This is a blood clotting disorder that can cause excessive bleeding, bruising, and anemia. This can affect the Bernese Mountain Dog parent breed, and is inherited from them.

Progressive retinal atrophy:

This is a degenerative eye disease that can lead to blindness. This can affect both parent breeds and is inherited from them.

Cancer:

This is a group of diseases that involve abnormal cell growth and spread. This can affect both parent breeds, especially the Golden Retriever, and may be influenced by genetic and environmental factors.

Epilepsy:

This is a neurological disorder that causes seizures. This can affect both parent breeds, and may be inherited from them or caused by other factors.

Bloat:

This is a life-threatening condition where the stomach fills with gas and twists, causing shock and organ damage. This can affect both parent breeds, especially the Bernese Mountain Dog, and may be triggered by eating too fast, exercising after eating, or stress.

Eye issues:

These include cataracts, glaucoma, entropion, ectropion, and cherry eye. These can affect both parent breeds and may be inherited from them or caused by injury or infection.

Heart problems:

These include cardiomyopathy, subaortic stenosis, and valve dysplasia. These can affect both parent breeds, and may be inherited from them or caused by other factors.

Elbow dysplasia:

This is a condition where the elbow joint does not develop properly, causing pain, inflammation, and arthritis. This can affect both parent breeds and is inherited from them.

Hypothyroidism:

This is a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones, causing weight gain, lethargy, hair loss, and skin problems. This can affect both parent breeds and may be inherited from them or caused by other factors.

Allergies:

These are immune system reactions to certain substances, causing itching, sneezing, coughing, and skin problems. These can affect both parent breeds and may be influenced by genetic and environmental factors.

These are some of the possible health issues that a Golden Retriever X Bernese Mountain Dog crossbreed may face, but not all of them will occur in every individual. To reduce the risk of these health problems, it is important to choose a reputable breeder who tests their dogs for genetic diseases and to provide regular veterinary care, proper nutrition, and exercise for your dog.

Care

It is important to schedule regular veterinary checkups for your dog’s health concerns. The vet can help you curate a typical care routine for your dog to remain healthy. 

The Golden Mountain dog is big, and they need a hefty amount of exercise, the minimum being an hour. You could make their exercise intense, too, as they would love to give you company while you are on a long hike, jog, or bike ride. 

They are sociable canines, so they love being around other dogs in the dog park. It adds a lot of variety to their day to meet other dog breeds. 

These dogs are also pretty high-maintenance, which makes caring for them a tad bit extra. You must check their ears for infection, making sure there isn’t any build-up of dirt. 

Clip their nails and take care of their dental health. If you are a new dog owner and need help with dog grooming and care, ask your dog to recommend good products that can help make your grooming process easier and safe. 

Diet

The diet for a Golden Mountain should be formulated keeping in mind that they are large dogs with medium energy. They must stick to a balanced diet that can prevent weight gain if adequate exercise isn’t possible. 

Similar to all other dog breeds, the Golden Mountain Dog’s dietary needs keep changing from puppyhood until they reach adult age. You can ask your vet about their diet because each dog varies from the other based on different factors such as energy, health, weight, and so on to make a recommendation. 

Reasons Not to Get a Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever Mix

This friendly, affectionate Golden Retriever temperament crossed with the calm and loyal personality of the Bernese Mountain Dog produces what has come to be referred to as the “Bernedoodle” or “Golden Mountain Dog.”  

Indeed, such a combination of breeds is an incredible companion for the right family; however, there are several very important points of consideration that potential owners should know about before deciding to bring one of these dogs into the family. 

Here are some reasons not to get a Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever mix if you’re not fully prepared to handle the problems with the breed. 

1. The Dog Has High Grooming Maintenance Needs

Both Bernese Mountain Dog and Golden Retriever are thick double-layered-coated breeds. This means that its offspring should also have this kind of coat. That is, the Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever mix will be able to have long dense hair that needs extreme grooming otherwise it may get matted, tangled, or shed excessively.  

What this means: Plan to brush your dog several times a week at least at shedding times, and this may also require more trips to the professional groomer. 

Why this is an issue: If you really don’t have much dedicated time to grooming or generally don’t like doing all that pet work, then it can be overwhelming easily trying to maintain a dog of this breed’s coat. 

2. Size and Space Requirements 

Both breeds are large dogs. A Bernese Mountain Dog falls in between the weight of 70 to 115 pounds, and a Golden Retriever is found between 55 to 75 pounds. The Golden Retriever Bernese Mountain Dog hybrid weighs around 65 to 110 pounds and may be moderately long and muscular.  

What it means: This dog needs ample space to stretch around and run about comfortably, therefore a small apartment or house with few spaces cannot do justice to them. 

Why this is a problem: This breed will get irritated and cranky if you do not have a wide backyard or open areas which you exercise the dog on regularly. This might lead to destructive tendencies or other undesirable behaviors. 

3. Energy Levels and Exercise Needs 

The sedate nature aside, both Golden Retriever and Bernese Mountain Dog are energetic breeds that require daily workouts. Although the Golden Retriever is extremely energetic, demanding lots of physical activity, the Bernese Mountain Dog requires exercises routinely, although the dog is more laid back. 

This means that a Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever mix would require at least an hour of exercise a day. This would include walking it or playtime along with other active things. 

Why it is problematic: If you are an active individual or do not have a lot of time for this workout routine, the Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever mix can become bored or even frustrated and end up excessively barking, chewing, or digging. 

4. Possible Health Issues and Short Life Expectancy 

As in other big dogs, health issues in parents can be the factors influencing your Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever. Of course, one can observe the following major issues. 

• Hip dysplasia-the hip joint develops abnormally or is not capable of functioning properly, therefore, arthritis and pains appear. 
• Elbow dysplasia-The same case as with the former but with the elbow joint. 
• Cancer: Cancer is one relatively more common condition that can occur in Bernese Mountain Dogs, especially during the aging process.  
• Bloat: Bloat is another fatal condition where the stomach of the dog twists upwards to create an obstruction that has been known to commonly affect larger breeds. 

What this means: If you are not prepared for the possible veterinary expenses, or you do not have the time to care for a dog with health issues, this mix is not for you.  

Why it’s a problem: Caring for a dog with chronic health problems or a short lifespan can be emotionally and financially draining. 

5. Training Challenges 

Both the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Golden Retriever are of intelligent breeds; however, they can also both be strong-willed and very independent. Nevertheless, whilst the Golden Retriever is known to train because of its desire to please, the Bernese Mountain Dog may often come out as stubborn sometimes. 

• What this means: A Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever mix will probably carry both traits. He may take the zeal of a Golden Retriever to please but at the same time the independence and stubbornness of a Bernese Mountain Dog. He will probably take more time to train than one expects. 
• Why it’s a problem: This mix will be more difficult to handle than you think if you’re a first-time dog owner or inexperienced in training big dogs. It will need continuous positive reinforcement training but a little more effort in that area. 

6. Separation Anxiety and Attachment Issues 

Golden Retrievers and Bernese Mountain Dogs are attached to their family. Although this is a great quality, this creates problems with separation anxiety because the dog can be left alone for hours at times. 

This would entail that The Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever would turn out to be one highly people-loving dog with an eagerness to spend a large amount of time playing around with its family. It is only left for extended periods, and this may go into quite significant stress, barking loudly, destroying home stuff, and even on oneself. 

Why it’s bad: This kind of attachment can be very challenging to take care of if you have long hours at work or travelling much unless you have the resources and support system like dog walking or pet sitter. 

7. Not Suitable for First Time Dog Owner 

The Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever is a big, powerful breed that needs special care for exercising, grooming, and training. This breed would probably not be suitable for first-time dog owners as it requires a lot from such an owner in the ways of handling a huge energetic dog. 

Meaning it means that first-time dog owners will have a hard time coping with this combination, just as if they were coping with the size, hard time in training, or health issues of this combination. 

Why it is a problem: It is not advisable if you don’t have prior experience of dealing with the hard wills of large dogs or if you’re dealing with the more complicated requirements of a high-maintenance breed. 

8. Excessive Shedding 

Both are very shedding breeds, and that doubles during shedding season. Their puppies should carry these traits, so expect more pet hair to be scattered about your home.  

What that means for you: You will need to vacuum regularly, at the least, and continue good grooming to keep the shedding under control. 

Why it’s a problem: This mix may not be your best bet if you have allergies or just prefer a dog that sheds minimally. 

To Conclude

It can be hard to find rescues that are breed-specific as they are a mixed breed. But you could try the parent breed rescues of Golden Retriever or Bernese Mountain Dog, who may also care for a mixed breed. Some rescues you could get in touch with:

• As Good as Gold
• BFW RESCUE INC

In case you have questions or want to share your thoughts about the Golden Retriever Bernese Mountain Dog Mix, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!

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