Bernese Mountain Dog vs Dogo Argentino
Side by side
Bernese Mountain Dog
Dogo Argentino
Adult weight
Males 36–52 kg (80–115 lb); females 32–43 kg (70–95 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 40–45 kg (88–99 lb); females 40–43 kg (88–95 lb)2
Fully grown
13 months, both sexes4
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Grooming
Daily brushing
A brush once a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Health
Melanoma of the eye or eyelid (far more likely); Bone cancer (much more likely)6
No sourced figure
Class
Family
Watchdog
Which suits you
Grooming
The Bernese Mountain Dog needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the Dogo Argentino needs a brush once a week.
Temperament
They differ most on independence (Bernese Mountain Dog: keen to work with you; Dogo Argentino: decides for itself) and on prey drive (Bernese Mountain Dog: usually fine with small pets; Dogo Argentino: likely to chase small pets).
Alike
They are much the same size as adults, about 41 kg (90 lb) for the Bernese Mountain Dog and 42 kg (93 lb) for the Dogo Argentino.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
Bernese Mountain Dog
Pinschers & molossoids · Large
In temperament it is good-natured and calm, steady rather than excitable, and closely attached to its family.
Dogo Argentino
Pinschers & molossoids · Large
In character the breed is loyal and brave, attached to its family and watchful with strangers.
Breed traits
Day to day
Bernese Mountain Dog
Dogo Argentino
Activity
Differs
Happy with modest walks
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Needs steady training
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Bernese Mountain Dog
Dogo Argentino
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Differs
Keen to work with you
Decides for itself
Around the home
Bernese Mountain Dog
Dogo Argentino
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Quiet
Prey drive
Differs
Usually fine with small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 42 kg.
Bernese Mountain Dog
Dogo Argentino
More comparisons
Compare the Bernese Mountain Dog with
Sources
- 1American Kennel Club. Bernese Mountain Dog breed page. ↑
- 2
- 3
- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
- 5
- 6
- 7Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 8Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 9American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
Parts of this page were written by AI ·