Customs · Bernese Mountain Dog
Bern locks up a bear to open carnival season – the Bernese Mountain Dog has an alibi
Der Hündeler, Edition of Wednesday, 11 November 2026
What happened
On 11 November carnival season begins in some places. In Bern a bear is locked up to mark the start – one of five Swiss carnival customs presented by the broadcaster SRF today.
What does this mean for your Bernese Mountain Dog?
Big, black, leisurely gait, permanently hungry: no native of Bern looks more like a bear than the Bernese Mountain Dog. No mix-ups are on record so far. All the same, it is advisable not to growl in the old town today and to identify yourself as a dog on request. The bear is only released at carnival. No Bernese Mountain Dog would last that long without a mid-morning snack.
What you can do now: Wear your dog tag where it can be seen. Do not growl.