We have just interviewed Giovanni Mannini, from Torregentile breeding farm – ENCI and FCI certified, located in the green heart of Tuscany in Fucecchio (Florence) – who helped us know better what breed is the Bernese Mountain Dog and its features. Here is what he told us.
Giovanni, how did you get to know and fell in love with the Bernese Mountain Dog?
It was 1989 when I met a Bernese Mountain Dog for the first time. I am Giovanni, I was born in Fucecchio and raised among english setters and german shepherds bred by my father, also a great dog lover. I first met a Bernese Mountain Dog in a historic Florentine villa where in 1989 I worked as a gardener. The director and his wife, of German and Swiss origins, in the attempt to transfer some of the atmosphere of the Swiss mountains among the ancient trees of the splendid Italian garden of the villa, took with them some specimens of Bernese Mountain Dog. With its exuberant, lively, cheerful and never aggressive nature, the Bernese immediately made me realize that it was the dog that reflected the qualities I wanted to share with a 4-legged friend.
What are its main temperament and conformation traits?
The Bernese Mountain Dog is a big-sized, but proportionate and harmonious dog, with a sturdy appearance. The wonderful tri-colour coat and the typical color distribution emphasize the perception of getting in touch with a sweet and sensitive creature. Its typical temperamental traits are sweetness and sensitivity – but I also love to add intelligence and reliability and yet exuberance and joy, certainly a bit of stubbornness and healthy laziness; and last but not least, the great patience that allows him to suffer even the tougher games of children. This is the Bernese Mountain Dog that I used to know and want to preserve.
To whom would you recommend it?
To all that people who look for a cheerful dog, full of joy of life,but reliable and quieta t the same time, who is quickly attached not only to the owner but to all family members, two- or four-legged. The Bernese Mountain Dog has the ability to make you feel unique, thanks to his sweet look, that never loses sight of you, and to the energetic search for contact that never tires him. But these extraordinary qualities can not and must not be left unreciprocated. The family that choose to adopt a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy should always consider it as a full member of the family itself and make it an integral part of their everyday life, but at the same time respecting its nature and its need to love and be loved.
For further information:
Website: www.torregentile.it
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AllevamentoTorreGentile/
