Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Complete Comparison

Golden Retrievers are well-known for their impressively sweet and kind temperaments, and you can count on this breed to integrate into your family with ease. Another breed that is also well-known for being great with kids and loving to spend time with people is the Bernese Mountain Dog. You might like both breeds and could have found that it is hard to choose between them.

If you are stuck deciding between these two dog breeds, knowing more about them can help to break the tie. Once you know more about the breeds that you are shopping for, you will probably be able to make the right choice with ease. While very similar overall, there are some key differences between these breeds that you should be aware of. The more that you know about both breeds, the easier it is to connect with the right dog for you and your family.

If you are ready to learn some more about the differences between the Golden Retriever and the Bernese Mountain Dog, you need to keep reading!

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Overview

Items	Golden Retriever	Bernese Mountain Dog
Weight	65 pounds	80-115 lbs
Height	22 inches	25-27.5 inches
Origins	Scotland	Switzerland
Life expectancy	10-12 years	7-10 years
Shedding	2 x a year	2 x a year
Grooming	Daily brushing and groomer visits	Daily brushing and groomer visits
Training	Very easy to train	Sweet but can be a little lazy
Cost	$1,000-$4,000	$2,000-3,500

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Appearance

The Golden Retriever and the Bernese Mountain Dog are both long-coated dogs with lots of fluffy and curly hair, and they are both medium to large dogs. The Golden Retriever is a slimmer and narrower-bodied dog with a single-colored coat, while the Bernese Mountain Dog is a much deeper-chested dog with a bigger head and wider shoulders. The Bernese Mountain Dog is also tri-colored, which means that the breed has white markings on the face and feet and a black and tan coat.

The AKC standards for these two dogs are very different as far as color and build go, and you will see the differences immediately when you look at the two dogs side by side. While both breeds were bred for working hard and or assisting their owners with daily tasks, the regions that they came from and the type of work that they were made to do are very different. This leads to a much different-looking dog with a much different coat and build.

The coats of these two breeds are also not really the same despite the fact that they are both long and curly. The Bernese Mountain Dog coat was carefully selected in order to keep the dogs warm and dry in the snow. Their coat is heavier and shorter than the coat of the Golden Retriever for this reason. The Golden Retriever was intended to be a water dog and to hunt with their owners in heavy brush. Their coat is long and curly but less dense and more likely to shed water than to keep out cold weather. The Golden Retriever also has a silky coat to help with the removal of things that have gotten stuck to their hair from the brush.

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Temperament

The Golden Retriever is a very happy-go-lucky dog, but they are also very trainable and easy to work with. This is one of the key reasons that many people love this breed, and if you want to take your dog to competitions or if you want to teach them tricks, the Golden Retriever can learn anything that you need them to know. This is also a breed that can be very energetic and high drive, but they are not that prone to getting into trouble despite this.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a mellow, lazy, and quiet dog. Even the puppies are mellow and very disinclined to chew things or run off or do anything that puppies of other dog breeds might do. The Bernese Mountain Dog is also rather low-drive, and they are not the kind of dogs that need entertainment every day to be happy. While trainable, this is not a breed that is very skilled at learning tricks rapidly, so you will need to be patient when you are teaching your Bernese Mountain Dogs to do tricks.

If you love Bernese Mountain Dog and want to enjoy the kind temperament, a hypoallergenic haircoat, and a longer lifespan, Bernedoodle is also the right choice.

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Intelligence

Both of these breeds are intelligent and very attentive to their owners. There is no real difference in the intellect of either breed, but the temperament differences can make it seem like the Bernese Mountain Dog is not as smart as the Golden Retriever. The main difference between these two breeds is energy level, and this can mean that the Bernese Mountain Dog takes longer to teach tricks.

The Golden Retriever breed loves to be busy and active, which means that it can be very simple to teach them new skills when compared to the Bernese Mountain Dog. This does not mean that the Bernese Mountain Dog is not intelligent, however. Bernese Mountain Dogs just need to be trained more slowly so that they do not lose patience and give up. These dogs can also get overheated easily, so it is important to be sure that you are thinking about the weather and how much energy your Bernese Mountain Dog is exerting during each training session.

Teaching both breeds is easy, and you will just need to adjust your training style a little if you are used to a more high-energy breed and start working with a Bernese Mountain Dog. Remember that this breed was never intended to be used for hunting or any kind of fast and energetic task, and just let them learn at their own pace. You and your Berner will have way more fun when you are working together at this pace than if you rush things and stress everyone out.

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Life Expectancy

The life expectancy of both of these breeds is much shorter than that of small dog breeds. This is one of the things that happens when you choose a breed that is not small in size. However, the lifespan of a Bernese Mountain Dog is very short. Your Bernese Mountain Dog will only live for about seven to ten years. By contrast, a Golden Retriever can live for ten to twelve years.

Both of these breeds are prone to hip and back issues as well as heart problems which can shorten their lifespan greatly. You will need to know that both breeds will probably not age as well as you would want them to, and you will need to be prepared for your dog to age more rapidly than any small dog that you have owned in the past. While this is a big downside to both breeds, many people love the temperament of these breeds so much that their short lifespans are not as big a detraction as they could be.

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Exercise Need

The Golden Retriever can be very high energy when it is a puppy. This is particularly true of Field Retrievers that are often bred to be used for hunting and are inclined to be very high drive. Golden Retriever puppies can chew things, might get loose and roam, or could get into things that you don’t want them to. Even juvenile Golden Retrievers will need to be exercised daily so that they do not get bored and anxious. This is one of the main downsides of this breed for people who are not able to commit daily effort to keep their dog exercised. A Golden Retriever who is not getting enough play time or attention can be very hyper and frustrating to deal with.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is not a high-energy breed, and they are often happy to just sleep rather than head outside to play. The puppies are energetic enough to need some form of exercise each day, but you can probably get away with a brief exercise session when you are caring for a Bernese Mountain Dog. This is also a breed that does not like to run, so you will have more luck taking them for a walk than you will trying to make them play fetch or go running with you.

These two breeds are very different when it comes to their energy levels, and you will have no trouble at all keeping your Bernese Mountain Dog entertained on a daily basis, even if you are busy. Be aware that the Golden Retriever can be a very high-energy pet until they are about two or three, and plan accordingly.

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Potential Health Risks

The health risks of the Golden Retriever breed can be reduced a lot if you work with a responsible breeder when shopping for a puppy. Golden Retrievers can be prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, and they can sometimes also go blind early in life. This is also a breed that tends to get cancer, and even young dogs might have to be treated for cancer. The health issues of the Golden Retriever breed are a big downside to this choice, but buying from a breeder who certifies for all the usual health issues can help reduce the chance that your dog will suffer from these problems.

The Bernese Mountain Dog breed has its own inherent health risks. This breed is prone to von Willebrand’s Disease, Hypomyelination, allergies, hypothyroidism, hepatocerebellar degeneration, and progressive retinal atrophy. They can also suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia like the Golden Retriever. Many of the health issues related to one breed can be found in the other. The Bernese Mountain Dog breed also struggles with heat exposure, and owners need to be very careful not to allow their dogs to get too hot.

Big dogs tend to have organ issues much sooner than other breeds, so you will want to be on high alert for changes to their overall behavior that could indicate some form of organ issue as they age.

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Shedding

Both breeds shed heavily in the spring and the fall. This is common for all dog breeds, but you will notice it that much more when you are caring for a dog with a long and curly coat. Golden Retrievers can shed a lot if they are not groomed regularly and brushed at home. The same can be said of the Bernese Mountain Dog, and it is a good idea to make sure that each breed gets professional coat care at least a few times a year.

Grooming on a daily basis can be a great idea for the management of the Bernese Mountain Dog’s coat, especially since it can tend to get mats and debris stuck to it. The Golden Retriever might not need to be groomed every day unless your dog goes out hunting or tends to get things like sticks and burrs in its hair. You will want to prepare for lots of shedding if you pick either of these dog breeds and make sure that you get the right brushes and grooming tools for either breed’s haircoat type.

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Grooming Needs

Both breeds will need to be attended to by a professional groomer on a regular basis. The common rule of thumb is for either breed to be attended to by a groomer every couple of months. This helps to prevent issues with matting in the coat, and groomers have the right tools to make sure that the undercoat is removed properly during shedding seasons. If you want to save a little money each year on grooming, you can choose to have your dog groomed during the prime shedding season in spring and fall.

For those who like their dog’s coat to be in the best possible condition, a groomer will need to attend to their dog at least every few months. This is one of the services that are well worth the cost, and you will see a huge difference in the process of managing your dog’s coat if you invest in the time of a breeder on a regular basis. The penalty for not providing care to these kinds of coats can be severe, and your dog can get fleas, skin infections, and other health issues due to the neglect of their coat.

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Trainability

Both of these breeds are very trainable, but they have very different energy levels. This can lead to a very different training experience when you are working with the two breeds. The Golden Retriever breed is a very high energy, and they love to be entertained. This means that these dogs almost beg to be trained on a regular basis, and they can pay attention to tasks for a very long time per session. This is also a dog that does not tend to get tired or frustrated readily, so they are very easy to work with if you want to teach them complicated tricks.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is also very trainable, but the breed was not intended to be used to provide complex services to their human companions. The original breeding demand for this dog was to have a smaller animal to pull little carts and protect the farm. That is why these dogs are so big, and they are also slow-moving and strong rather than high-energy and intense.

A Bernese Mountain Dog likes to do slow and steady work, and they often can get very tired if you try to press them for too much training per session. Bernese Mountain Dogs have been known to hide under the porch or run back inside if they feel like they are being pressured too much when learning tricks. You can teach your Bernese Mountain Dog to do anything that you want, but you will need to move at a slowed pace than what is possible with the Golden Retriever. Be aware as well that the Bernese Mountain Dog can overheat very easily and so you will need to be careful to work with your dog during the cooler parts of the day in summer.

Golden Retriever vs. Bernese Mountain Dog: Prices

The price of these dogs can vary wildly depending on the kind of breeder that you are shopping with. You will need to know that the lower the price of the dogs, the more likely it is that they will not be certified for the common health issues that can be a problem in both breeds. Breeders who are just local level or even puppy mill breeders might charge much less since they know that they are not creating dogs that can be registered with the AKC and because they are not going to pay for the kinds of health care and DNA testing that needs to be done by responsible breeders.

The Golden Retriever breed can cost you from $1,000-$3,000, with the dogs that are more expensive being dogs that are sold with breeding potential or with show or hunting breeding that is unique. This cost can also be linked with your area, and some locations where there are few breeders can be more expensive than others when shopping for dogs.

Bernese Mountain Dogs top out at about $3,500, so your range of cost is usually about $1,000-$3,500. You will find that most areas have limited numbers of breeders for Berners as well. This means that you might have to wait a long time, and you might have to pay a larger puppy deposit to put a dog on hold as well. There are many variables when you are looking for a dog breed that is not widely available in your area that can drive up the cost as well. You will want to be sure that you are prepared for the costs of getting your Bernese Mountain Dog to you, and you will need to consider that you might have to travel or pay for your dog to be shipped to you. This can also be true of the cost associated with getting a Golden Retriever, so be sure that you are prepared for these added expenses when you are budgeting to get either breed.

Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders in The USA

• Best Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders in Ohio (OH)
• Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders in Colorado (CO)
• Best Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders in Texas (TX)
• Best Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders in Wisconsin (WI)
• Best Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders in California (CA)
• Best Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders in Pennsylvania (PA)
• Best Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders in Washington (WA)
• Best Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders In New York (NY)

Conclusion

Both of these breeds have pros and cons, and while they might look very similar to one another, they are actually not entirely comparable breeds. These are two breeds that are great for families, and they are both kind and loving and sweet dogs. You will need to be prepared for the training differences between the breeds so that you are not impatient with your Bernese Mountain Dog, and you will need to be prepared to exercise a Golden Retriever every day, especially when they are young.

Caring for either of these breeds is relatively easy other than coat care. No matter which breed you pick, you will need to be prepared to budge for visits to the groomer, and you will want to get some grooming tools so that you can take care of your dog’s coat on your own as well. Be sure that you are prepared for the short lifespan of both breeds, as this can be one of the main detractions to picking either of them for you and your family.

Golden Retrievers and Bernese Mountain Dogs are some of the best dog breeds to pick if you love a sweet dog and you want to have a happy-go-lucky and beautiful companion who shares your home.

READ MORE:

• Bernese Mountain Dog Golden Retriever Mix: Gentle, Loyal, and Smart