dogage.co
Comparison

Bernese Mountain Dog vs Labrador Retriever

Side-by-side comparison from peer-reviewed sources. Lifespan and health figures draw on Royal Veterinary College VetCompass and AKC breed data.

"Bernese Mountain Dog studio portrait"
Giant10.1 yr avg

Bernese Mountain Dog

AKC · Working

View breed
"Labrador Retriever studio portrait"
Large13.1 yr avg

Labrador Retriever

AKC · Sporting

View breed
At a glance

Side-by-side

The numbers that most change day-to-day care. A citrus border marks a meaningful advantage.

Giant

Bernese Mountain Dog

Lifespan10.1 yrrange 9–11
SizeGiant
Weight70–115 lb31.8–52.2 kg
Height23–27.5 in58.4–69.8 cm
Senior at5 yrgeriatric at 8
AKC groupWorking
Energy4/560 min/day
Trainability4/5
Shedding5/5
With kids5/5
With other dogs5/5
Large

Labrador Retriever

Lifespan13.1 yrrange 13–14
SizeLarge
Weight55–80 lb24.9–36.3 kg
Height21.5–24.5 in54.6–62.2 cm
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10
AKC groupSporting
Energy5/590 min/day
Trainability5/5
Shedding4/5
With kids5/5
With other dogs5/5
Health

Common health issues

Top 3 prevalence-ranked conditions for each breed. See each breed's full health profile for screening schedules and source data.

Bernese Mountain Dog

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~8 yr

    Degenerative Myelopathy

    Description and veterinary guidance for Degenerative Myelopathy land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Labrador Retriever

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~1 yr

    Congenital Cardiac Defect

    Description and veterinary guidance for Congenital Cardiac Defect land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Synthesis

Which is right for you?

Lifespan differs substantially — Labrador Retrievers typically outlive Bernese Mountain Dogs by about 3.0 years (13.1 vs 10.1 years).

The Bernese Mountain Dog is giant while the Labrador Retriever is large — a modest difference in day-to-day care.

Energy levels are close, with a slight edge to the Labrador Retriever (90 min/day of directed exercise).

See Bernese Mountain Dog profileSee Labrador Retriever profile
Or calculate your dog's age
Related

More comparisons