Bernese Mountain Dog Training
Expert Training for Wisconsin Bernese Mountain Dog
Dog: Sully
"Steve is Awesome!!! He taught us how to help our 1yr old Berner with jumping up, leash walking, and greeting visitors with a place command. As we grow our little pack in the near future we plan to use Rogue group classes and at home training as needed with our boys. Steve was very patient with us and really made the training relaxing and fun. Highly Recommend!" - Chris S
Group Obedience Training Schedule Training Today
Understanding Your Berner
Chris's experience with his one-year-old Berner, Sully, highlights the most common challenges we see with this incredible breed. Their loving, gentle nature is why we adore them, but their giant size means that normal puppy behaviors like jumping and pulling on the leash can become serious problems. Our training is designed to guide that playful energy into polite, well-mannered behavior.
Training a Bernese Mountain Dog effectively means understanding their unique makeup. They aren't just a generic "big dog."
- A Puppy in a Giant's Body: Berners are slow to mature. A one-year-old, 90-pound dog still has a very goofy, puppy-like brain. Patience is key.
- Strength Without Awareness: When a Berner jumps, it's usually a joyful greeting, not a sign of dominance. They simply don't realize their own size and strength.
- A Sensitive & Eager-to-Please Nature: Despite their powerful build, Berners are soft-tempered. They respond beautifully to positive, patient training and can become discouraged by harsh methods.
- Bred for Partnership: These dogs were bred to work alongside their families on Swiss farms. They thrive when they have a "job" and a strong, trusting bond with their people.
Our Training for a Well-Mannered Berner
As Chris and Sully discovered, our goal is to make training a relaxing, fun and effective experience for both you and your dog. We focus on teaching your Berner how to be a calm, polite family member.
Solving Jumping with Polite Greetings
We teach foundational commands like "Place," giving your Berner a specific job to do when visitors arrive. This replaces the chaotic jumping with a calm, controlled and impressive greeting.
- Building Loose-Leash Walking Skills: A pulling Berner is a safety risk for you and can be hard on their own joints. We teach you how to achieve a loose-leash walk, making your daily outings enjoyable and safe.
- Teaching Impulse Control: We focus on teaching your Berner to have an "off switch." Through structured exercises, they learn that calm behavior is more rewarding than frantic excitement.
- Group Classes for Social Skills: Once you have the foundations, our group classes are a fantastic way to practice polite behavior around other dogs and people in a controlled setting, just as Chris plans to do with his growing pack.
Your Bernese Mountain Dog is a loving companion. We'll help you ensure they're a polite one, too.