Hound breed Medium size 15-20 kg
Bernese Hound
A keen Swiss scenthound (Bernese variety) with a fine nose - gentle at home but driven in the field, best for hunters and active outdoor owners.
Match with your household
See match detail → Quick overview
Medium
Size
15-20 kg · 47-59 cm
Very high
Exercise needs
Very high; a genuine hunting hound
Moderate
Alone-time tolerance
Settles once well exercised
Moderate
Training
Cooperative but strongly nose-led
Low
Coat care
Short coat, easy grooming; check the long ears
Conditional
Fit with kids
Gentle with children
Good
Other pets
Sociable with dogs; prey drive to small pets
Moderate
Health burden
Dental Disease, Hip Dysplasia, Bloat
The Bernese Hound typically weighs 15-20 kg, stands 47-59 cm, and lives 12-14 years.
Consider this breed if…
you hunt or can give a working hound hours of daily exercise,
you have a securely fenced yard for a nose-led dog,
you want a gentle, affectionate companion indoors,
you accept a hound that bays and gives voice on a trail.
Do not consider this breed if…
you want a calm apartment dog or low-energy companion,
reliable off-leash recall in open country matters to you,
close neighbors make a baying hound voice a problem,
you keep small pets it may treat as prey.
A typical day with a Bernese Hound
- 6:30 · MorningLong run or hike with time to track
- 9:00 · MidmorningRests calmly once exercised
- 12:30 · NoonShort walk and sniffing
- 16:00 · AfternoonScent games or tracking work
- 18:30 · EveningSecond long walk or hike
- 21:00 · NightSettles as a gentle house companion
Family and environment
Kids Conditional
Gentle, but its energy suits active, older children.
Dogs Good
A pack hound; usually sociable with other dogs.
Cats Conditional
Prey drive; safer raised together and supervised.
Apartment Not suited
Exercise needs and hound voice make flat life a poor fit.
House with a yard Suitable
A secure fence keeps a nose-led hound from roaming.
City Conditional
Manages with heavy activity; baying near neighbors is a factor.
Countryside Ideal
Space and scent to work suit the breed best.
Health data provided by RealVetCost Overall health burden Moderate
Detailed health data - inheritance, prevalence, course, and typical treatment costs - lives in a separate expert database. This is general guidance, not veterinary advice - confirm any decision with your vet.
View the full health profileTop health concerns
Dental Disease Very common; routine brushing and cleanings help
Hip Dysplasia Screen breeding stock; signs often from 1-2 years
Bloat (GDV) Emergency stomach twist in deep-chested dogs
Chronic Ear Infections Long ears need regular checking and cleaning
Similar breeds - by reason
Not visually similar - similar in what they mean for you.
The parent Swiss scenthound breed
Swiss Hound
The classic Swiss scenthound (Schweizer Laufhund), keen and tireless on a trail - gentle indoors but bred to hunt, needing plenty of exercise.
View profile →
Jura variety of the same Swiss hound
Jura Hound
A robust Swiss scenthound (Jura variety) built for mountain tracking - affectionate and calm indoors, but nose-driven and needing serious exercise.
View profile →
Another alpine working scenthound
Styrian Coarse-haired Hound
A hardy mountain scenthound bred for tough terrain - driven and tireless in the field, best suited to hunters and very active rural homes.
View profile →Frequently asked questions
How much does a Bernese Hound cost?
The Bernese Hound is one of the four regional varieties of the Swiss Laufhund, kept mainly by hunters in Switzerland and rare elsewhere, so outside its home region expect limited availability, waitlists, or import costs. Where puppies are offered they tend to run roughly $800-$1,500. Over a 12-14 year life, food, routine vet care, and preventive treatment add several thousand dollars, and a serious event like bloat surgery can add a few thousand more at once.
Is a Bernese Hound a good family dog?
It can be for an active, outdoorsy home. Indoors it is typically gentle and affectionate, but it is a real working scenthound that needs a lot of daily exercise and gives voice on a trail. Families who can meet the exercise and manage the baying do well; those wanting a quiet, low-effort pet usually will not.
Is the Bernese Hound the same as a Bernese Mountain Dog?
No, and the names cause confusion. The Bernese Hound is a slim, short-coated scenthound bred to track and hunt. The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large, long-coated draft and farm dog. They share a region of Switzerland but are completely different breeds in size, coat, and purpose.
Can a Bernese Hound be let off leash?
Only in secure areas. Like other scenthounds, once it catches a trail its recall becomes unreliable and it will follow the scent for a long way. A securely fenced space and a long training line are the sensible way to give it freedom safely.