If you've ever spent time with a Bernese Mountain Dog, you know they're not just dogs; they're family. These gentle giants have warm, easygoing personalities and incredible loyalty. They're the kind of dog that'll happily join you on a hike in the morning and snuggle up on the couch with you in the evening.
In fact, Bernese Mountain Dog is already the most favorite breed in California. They also rank position 5 nationwide in terms of affection towards their owners, and gentleness. Originally bred in Switzerland as hard working farm dogs, Bernese Mountain Dogs are large and with muscular frames and incredible strength.
These large, solid, and muscular frames require a tough and comfortable collar to restrain them without hurting. So, which collar works well for these gentle giants? Let's explore the best extra-wide, padded collars designed to distribute pressure evenly on the large Bernese Mountain Dog necks.
Best Dog Collars for Bernese Mountain Dogs
Before we dive headfirst into the collar options, let's first see how large and muscular Bernese Mountain Dogs are, how their coats look, and whether they pull on leashes or not. That way, you'll know the exact qualities to look out for when shopping for a Bernese Mountain Dog collar.
Let's talk about size and power. A male Berner weighs around 80 to 115 pounds, standing a solid 25 to 28 inches at the shoulder. Females are a bit smaller but still hefty at 70 to 95 pounds. The large size and muscular build come from their targeted breeding to work on Swiss farms. The aim was to get a dog that could pull carts, drive cattle to and from pasture, haul milk cans, and protect farms.
As a result, these dogs have a massive pulling force and can pull up to 10 times their body weight. In fact, a single Bernese could pull a cart loaded with 1,000 pounds. That's raw power if the dog decides to tug you on a leash. Although these dogs are calm and obedient, they still have those strong pulling instincts.
Your furry friend will just want to pull on a leash, not because he's aggressive, nervous, or anything. It's simply his nature. That tells you that leash training is a must for these dogs. Otherwise, it'll keep dragging you on the sidewalks.
Another thing is that the brute pulling force of these dogs can cause the collar to cut into the delicate neck skin. Even if these dogs have double coats, excessive pressure on the fur can easily cause painful mats and tangles. With this in mind, here are the qualities you'll have to check in a Bernese Mountain Dog collar.
Sturdiness
The sturdiness of a dog collar revolves around the type of material used to make the webbing, the quality of the closures, and how it's sewn. If any of the three things fail, the collar fails, and the dog escapes. For the material, you have three known durable materials: stainless steel, leather, and nylon.
The problem with chain collars is that the stainless steel links usually rub the dog, causing irritations, chafing, and injuries. Abrasions of the steel also make the clear white markings of the Berners decolorize. The two viable options are leather and nylon. But since real leather doesn't hold up well when it gets wet and isn't breathable like nylon, we vouch for nylon.
We recommend higher-density webbings of 1000D or 1050D. For the closures, you can't go wrong with metallic ones. Their durability and sturdiness beat the plastic one's hands down. Then, make sure everything is brought together in triple sewing. Otherwise, if the seam tears when the dog pulls, things fall apart.
Comfort
Bernese Mountain Dogs are prone to Atopy skin allergies. The allergy mainly affects the ears; skin folds around the belly area and the feet. When dealing with such a breed, the best you can do is to get a comfortable collar that won't rub the sensitive neck skin.
Otherwise, the collar might introduce itchiness and irritations and quickly turn into a skin problem that spreads to the ears and belly area. We recommend collars with paddings that cushion the fur and skin from the direct rubbing of the ballistic nylon webbing.
The paddings can be foam, sponge, or neoprene. Since Bernese Mountain Dogs are double-coated, with the outer coat being long and wavy and the undercoat wooly, it's advisable to get a collar that doesn't retain heat as much - of which neoprene is the winner.
Best Dog Collars for Bernese Mountain Dogs
When buying a Bernese Mountain Dog collar, the goal is to gain control of this muscular dog without hurting it for doing what it was bred to do. Of all the collars we have tested, here are the options we found to be strong enough to withstand these dogs' pulling force yet comfortable.
Honeydew 2-inch Luxe Martingale Collar
As we said, Bernese Mountain Dogs were bred to pull carts and have a strong pulling drive. You need to start training your dog against excessive pulling immediately after adopting it. However, leash training for a Bernese Mountain Dog is not the same as training for a small or medium dog breed, where you can stand still and put an unexpected tug on the leash when the dog pulls.
The sheer strength of this dog requires a training collar that makes it unpleasant to pull, not using force to stop it from pulling. That's why we have started with the Honeydew 2-inch Luxe Martingale Collar. The collar is dual-looped. One loop is the normal loop that goes around the neck. The secondary loop works as a noose for the primary loop.
When there is pressure on the lead, the loop tightens, creating an unpleasant feeling around the neck. This is what discourages the dog from pulling, not tugging on the leash. The main advantage of using this martingale collar for training is that it doesn't tighten as much as slip collars. It's a controlled tightening that can't choke your four-legged friend.
Since this collar is not an aversive training tool like the E-collars and choke collars, you can use it to gain control of your Berner while using positive reinforcement leash training. It's like a safety feature that makes sure your dog won't dash and break the leash or drag you if it sees something more exciting than the training treats.
Gold Camo 2-inch Tacti Luxe Collar
Leash training your Berner will make walks a lot easier, but it's impossible to completely train the pulling behavior out of these dogs. That's why the standard collar you'll be getting after leash training should be sturdy enough to withstand these dogs' force. The best option we have tested so far is the Gold Camo 2-inch Tacti Luxe Collar.
As the name suggests, this is a tactical collar that is made to withstand even the strongest pullers. The webbing is made of 1050D nylon. This type of nylon is stronger than the military grade nylon, which is usually 1000D. In fact, 1050D nylon is the one used to gear to protect fighters from shrapnel during the World War.
It's the same quality of nylon that is used to make police belts, motorcycle gear and kayak covers. Apart from the tensile strength of this webbing, it's also resistant to fraying and punctures. That means the collar will hold up even if your four-legged giant rubs against rocks and branches during hikes.
When you come to the closures, they are equally sturdy, reliable, and durable. Instead of the plastics used in most collars, this collar comes with machine-welded, hot-rolled metallic D-rings. These closures can't bend or break under pressure.
Chocolate 2-inch Tacti Luxe Collar
There's more to a collar designed for strong dogs than having a material sturdy enough to withstand the pulling force. Otherwise, we would only recommend stainless steel collars. When dealing with strong, you need to consider the pressure the collar exerts per square inch.
If the pressure is so high, the collar will cut into the dog's sensitive neck skin and result in injuries and possible infections. So, when we were trying different Berner collars to see which one offered the least pressure per square inch, the Chocolate 2-inch Tacti Luxe Collar emerged as the winner. But there are reasons behind it. One, this collar is 2 inches wide.
On average, an adult Bernese Mountain Dog has a neck size of 20 to 22 inches. That means the pulling force will be evenly distributed in about 45 square inches. That's a large surface area, and the collar won't cut into the skin. Second, the inside of this collar comes lined with neoprene. This is a synthetic rubber that's soft and comfortable. It further cushions the dog's fur from direct rubbing of the nylon webbing.
Another advantage of neoprene is its water and sweat resistance capabilities. Your dog won't have bad odors even after exhausting walks and hikes. It's worth mentioning that the webbing used to make the Chocolate 2-inch Tacti Luxe Collar is similar to the one used to make the above collar. So, the collar is equally sturdy, reliable, and durable.
Black Expedition Dog Collar
The design of the Black Expedition Dog Collar is slightly different from the above collars. Instead of buckles, this collar comes with a dual-pinned closure that makes it look like a classic nylon belt. But before we dive into the design details of the collar, note it's made of the same sturdy and durable 1050D nylon as the rest of the collars.
The main advantage of the dual-pinned closure is that it comes with a set of holes, around six sets in total. This gives you a wide range of size adjustability, just like in standard belts. Another advantage is that dual-pinned closure is so basic and simple to use. You won't have trouble fitting the collar on your dog, even if you're a new dog owner.
When we get to the colors, Bernese Mountain Dogs are usually tricolored: rust, clear white, and jet black, or white, tan, and black. Jet black is usually the dominating color, with white markings on the chest and face. So, this collar perfectly matches your dog's coat color, and people can't tell from afar whether the dog is wearing a collar or not.
Other than sturdiness and aesthetics, this collar gives you absolute control over your four-legged friend. It comes with a handle at the top. If you're walking with your furry friend in public and he starts to misbehave, you just hold on to this handle and get immediate control.
The advantage of using the handle to gain control is that there's no distance for the dog to gain momentum. This reduces the chances of the dog dragging you, the leash slipping out of hand, or getting leash burns. Since Berners are generally calm dogs, a handle gives you the option to walk without a leash and use it to control the dog where necessary.
How to Properly Fit a Collar on a Bernese Mountain Dog
As we mentioned, the average neck size for a Bernese Mountain Dog is 20 to 22 inches. However, to make sure the collar fits, always measure the widest part of the neck where the neck meets the shoulders. Add about 2 inches so the collar isn't too tight.
Like other giant breeds, Berners grow really quickly. So, we recommend adjustable collars as they grow with the dog, eliminating the need for frequent replacements. Since Berners have thick double coats, make sure the collar is about 1.5 to 2 inches wide.
That way, the collar won't disappear into the coat. This reduces the chances of matting around the neck. When fitting, wrap the collar around the neck and fasten the closures. Slide two fingers between the collar and your dog's neck to make sure it isn't too tight.
Conclusion
Bernese Mountain Dogs are big, lovable companions with warm souls. They're gentle with kids, friendly with strangers, and incredibly loyal. This calm demeanor is what makes them a great fit for families. However, Berners are giant dogs, strong in both muscles and willpower.
When they decide they're interested in something, like a passing squirrel or another dog across the street, you'll need a collar that's up to the challenge. Remember that Berners have thick, fluffy coats, so you need a collar that sits properly without digging into their neck.
We recommend the above collars because they're made of ballistic nylon and metallic closures and won't break when the dog pulls. They are also 2 inches wide and all lined with neoprene, which prevents the risks of digging into the skin.