Country/Date of origin: Switzerland/100 BC
One of four tricolored dogs from the Swiss mountains, the Bernese is the only long-haired member of the quartet, and the only one of the four that is not a herding dog. They were bred in the area around Berne as a draft animal. Their primary job was to haul milk down the mountains to market but it is also a superb guard and will drove cattle when necessary. This dog of the mastiff family whose heavy coat is well suited to its mountain home is a descendent of dogs that invading Roman soldiers brought as livestock guards and drivers 2,000 years ago. This is the most popular of the four breeds.