The mountain breeds of Switzerland are referred to as Sennenhunde (Sunnenhund with the “e” is plural),  the name, Sennenhund, derived from the German Senne (“alpine pasture”) and Hund (hound/dog).

These large dogs were workmates to alpine herders and dairymen called senn who lived in Switzerland’s different valleys. These vales were quite isolated from each other, especially before modern transportation was developed.  As a result, many distinct varieties of Sennenhund developed, and one of them lived in the canton of Bern.

To fine-tune, there is a very small village in the area called Dürrbach, and it is said that these dogs were especially numerous there. Some sources go as far as to say that the breed was actually developed there. For this reason, the dogs were known as Dürrbächler, Dürrbächhunds or Dürrbächlers. The first breed club was founded in 1907 by a few breeders from the Burgdorf region, and they named it the Schweizerische Dürrbäch-Klub (later to become the Swiss Kennel Club).

A few years after the Schweizerische Durrbach-Klub was founded, the breed’s name was officially changed to the Berner Sennenhund, this to follow the naming conventions of other Swiss breeds, and also to underscore the breed’s connection with canton of Bern which was also the Swiss capital.

Interestingly, another name we came across for the breed is “Bouvier Bernois,” the French version, and in English, these marvelous dogs are known as Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Image: “Ruff Winter” by Liane Weyers
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