# Can a Bernese Mountain Dog live in a hot climate? A city-by-city guide to Colombia

https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/bernese-mountain-dog-in-hot-climates-colombia

By Casa Trufa · Published: 2026-10-07 · For information only: it does not replace a visit to your veterinarian

We don’t recommend it. The Bernese Mountain Dog is a double-coated Swiss mountain breed of 36–50 kg (79–110 lb), and it suffers in the hot lowlands, below about 1,000 m (3,280 ft). In Colombia we recommend it from about 1,800 m (5,910 ft) up: Bogotá and its Sabana, Tunja, Pasto, Manizales, eastern Antioquia. In between, only with heat management.

## In short

- Below 1,000 m (3,280 ft), the hot lowlands: we don’t recommend it.
- Between 1,000 and 1,800 m (3,280–5,910 ft): with reservations and heat management.
- From 1,800 m (5,910 ft) up: this is its climate.
- The table in this guide applies that rule to the real altitude of each city.
- We would rather say no than hand over a dog that is going to have a hard time.

## Why is heat a problem for a Bernese Mountain Dog?

Because of how it is built. The [Bernese Mountain Dog](https://www.fci.be/es/nomenclature/BOYERO-DE-MONTANA-BERNES-45.html) — Boyero de Montaña Bernés in the Spanish text of the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) standard, Bernés de la Montaña or Boyero de Berna in everyday Colombian use — took shape in the pre-Alpine valleys of the canton of Bern as a farm dog: it pulled wagons, guarded the farm and went along with the cattle, through long winters.

- **A double coat**, long and dense, with an undercoat: it insulates against cold and holds heat in.
- **Black** over most of the body, which absorbs the sun’s radiation.
- **A lot of mass**: 36–50 kg (79–110 lb). A big body sheds heat less easily than a small one.
- **Dogs barely sweat**: they cool down by panting, and for a big, hairy dog that is not enough when the air is hot too.

The result, in a hot climate, is a dog that pants all day, doesn’t want to move, seeks out the coolest tile in the house and is exposed to heatstroke, which is a veterinary emergency.

## From what altitude do we recommend a Bernese?

In Colombia, altitude decides the climate. We use the climate zones (pisos térmicos) of the Caldas classification, the one used by [IDEAM](https://bart.ideam.gov.co/meteorologia/NOTAS_TECNICAS/NT_IDEAM-2025-003_ACTUALIZACION_CALDAS_LANG.pdf), and within the temperate zone we draw one extra line, because living at 1,100 m (3,610 ft) is not the same as living at 1,900 m (6,230 ft):

| Altitude | Climate zone | Reference average temperature | Bernese Mountain Dog |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0 to 1,000 m (0–3,280 ft) | Hot (tierra caliente) | 24 °C (75 °F) or more | We don’t recommend it |
| 1,001 to 1,800 m (3,280–5,910 ft) | Temperate, lower part | 17.5 to 24 °C (63.5–75 °F) | With reservations: heat management |
| 1,800 to 2,000 m (5,910–6,560 ft) | Temperate, upper part | 17.5 to 24 °C (63.5–75 °F) | It suits the breed |
| 2,001 to 3,000 m (6,560–9,840 ft) | Cool (tierra fría) | 12 to 17.5 °C (54–63.5 °F) | It suits the breed: this is its climate |
| Above 3,000 m (9,840 ft) | Páramo (high-mountain) | Below 12 °C (54 °F) | It suits the breed |

The temperatures are the reference values for each band in the Caldas classification, not measurements from any particular city.

The 1,800 m (5,910 ft) line is our own cautious rule, not a veterinary standard. A Bernese can be fine somewhat lower in a cool house and unwell somewhat higher in a sun-facing apartment.

## Which Colombian cities suit a Bernese, and which don’t?

This table applies the rule above to the altitude of the cities that have their own page on this site. The altitude is approximate: it comes from an elevation model queried at each municipality’s official coordinates.

| City | Department | Altitude | Climate zone | Bernese Mountain Dog |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Ipiales](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/narino/ipiales) | Nariño | ≈ 2,900 m (9,510 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Tunja](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/boyaca/tunja) | Boyacá | ≈ 2,700 m (8,860 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Facatativá](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/facatativa) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 2,590 m (8,500 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Zipaquirá](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/zipaquira) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 2,590 m (8,500 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Soacha](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/soacha) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 2,570 m (8,430 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Cajicá](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/cajica) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 2,560 m (8,400 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Chía](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/chia) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 2,560 m (8,400 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Bogotá](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/bogota) | Bogotá D.C. | ≈ 2,550 m (8,370 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Madrid](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/madrid) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 2,550 m (8,370 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Funza](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/funza) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 2,550 m (8,370 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Mosquera](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/mosquera) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 2,540 m (8,330 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Duitama](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/boyaca/duitama) | Boyacá | ≈ 2,540 m (8,330 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Pasto](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/narino/pasto) | Nariño | ≈ 2,540 m (8,330 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Sogamoso](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/boyaca/sogamoso) | Boyacá | ≈ 2,480 m (8,140 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Manizales](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/caldas/manizales) | Caldas | ≈ 2,120 m (6,960 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Rionegro](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/antioquia/rionegro) | Antioquia | ≈ 2,080 m (6,820 ft) | Cool | Suits it well |
| [Popayán](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cauca/popayan) | Cauca | ≈ 1,740 m (5,710 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Fusagasugá](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/fusagasuga) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 1,660 m (5,450 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Envigado](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/antioquia/envigado) | Antioquia | ≈ 1,580 m (5,180 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Itagüí](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/antioquia/itagui) | Antioquia | ≈ 1,570 m (5,150 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Armenia](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/quindio/armenia) | Quindío | ≈ 1,480 m (4,860 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Medellín](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/antioquia/medellin) | Antioquia | ≈ 1,470 m (4,820 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Dosquebradas](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/risaralda/dosquebradas) | Risaralda | ≈ 1,440 m (4,720 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Bello](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/antioquia/bello) | Antioquia | ≈ 1,430 m (4,690 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Pereira](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/risaralda/pereira) | Risaralda | ≈ 1,320 m (4,330 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Pitalito](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/huila/pitalito) | Huila | ≈ 1,270 m (4,170 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Ocaña](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/norte-de-santander/ocana) | Norte de Santander | ≈ 1,170 m (3,840 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Ibagué](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/tolima/ibague) | Tolima | ≈ 1,100 m (3,610 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Santander de Quilichao](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cauca/santander-de-quilichao) | Cauca | ≈ 1,040 m (3,410 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Palmira](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/valle-del-cauca/palmira) | Valle del Cauca | ≈ 1,010 m (3,310 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Piedecuesta](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/santander/piedecuesta) | Santander | ≈ 1,000 m (3,280 ft) | Temperate | With reservations |
| [Tuluá](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/valle-del-cauca/tulua) | Valle del Cauca | ≈ 980 m (3,220 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Guadalajara de Buga](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/valle-del-cauca/guadalajara-de-buga) | Valle del Cauca | ≈ 980 m (3,220 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Jamundí](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/valle-del-cauca/jamundi) | Valle del Cauca | ≈ 970 m (3,180 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Cali](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/valle-del-cauca/cali) | Valle del Cauca | ≈ 950 m (3,120 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Yumbo](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/valle-del-cauca/yumbo) | Valle del Cauca | ≈ 950 m (3,120 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Bucaramanga](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/santander/bucaramanga) | Santander | ≈ 930 m (3,050 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Cartago](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/valle-del-cauca/cartago) | Valle del Cauca | ≈ 920 m (3,020 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Floridablanca](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/santander/floridablanca) | Santander | ≈ 870 m (2,850 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Girón](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/santander/giron) | Santander | ≈ 690 m (2,260 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Mocoa](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/putumayo/mocoa) | Putumayo | ≈ 620 m (2,030 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Neiva](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/huila/neiva) | Huila | ≈ 460 m (1,510 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Villavicencio](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/meta/villavicencio) | Meta | ≈ 430 m (1,410 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Los Patios](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/norte-de-santander/los-patios) | Norte de Santander | ≈ 400 m (1,310 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Villa del Rosario](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/norte-de-santander/villa-del-rosario) | Norte de Santander | ≈ 380 m (1,250 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Cúcuta](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/norte-de-santander/cucuta) | Norte de Santander | ≈ 340 m (1,120 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Yopal](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/casanare/yopal) | Casanare | ≈ 330 m (1,080 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Girardot](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cundinamarca/girardot) | Cundinamarca | ≈ 280 m (920 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Florencia](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/caqueta/florencia) | Caquetá | ≈ 270 m (890 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Sincelejo](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/sucre/sincelejo) | Sucre | ≈ 220 m (720 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [San José del Guaviare](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/guaviare/san-jose-del-guaviare) | Guaviare | ≈ 190 m (620 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Mitú](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/vaupes/mitu) | Vaupés | ≈ 170 m (560 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Valledupar](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cesar/valledupar) | Cesar | ≈ 170 m (560 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Turbaco](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/bolivar/turbaco) | Bolívar | ≈ 170 m (560 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Aguachica](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cesar/aguachica) | Cesar | ≈ 160 m (520 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Arauca](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/arauca/arauca) | Arauca | ≈ 130 m (430 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Barranquilla](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/atlantico/barranquilla) | Atlántico | ≈ 110 m (360 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Sabanalarga](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/atlantico/sabanalarga) | Atlántico | ≈ 100 m (330 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Inírida](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/guainia/inirida) | Guainía | ≈ 100 m (330 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Barrancabermeja](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/santander/barrancabermeja) | Santander | ≈ 80 m (260 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Sahagún](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cordoba/sahagun) | Córdoba | ≈ 80 m (260 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Leticia](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/amazonas/leticia) | Amazonas | ≈ 80 m (260 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Puerto Carreño](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/vichada/puerto-carreno) | Vichada | ≈ 60 m (200 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Tierralta](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cordoba/tierralta) | Córdoba | ≈ 50 m (160 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Maicao](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/la-guajira/maicao) | La Guajira | ≈ 50 m (160 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Quibdó](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/choco/quibdo) | Chocó | ≈ 50 m (160 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [San Andrés](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/san-andres-y-providencia/san-andres) | San Andrés y Providencia | ≈ 30 m (100 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Soledad](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/atlantico/soledad) | Atlántico | ≈ 30 m (100 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Santa Marta](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/magdalena/santa-marta) | Magdalena | ≈ 30 m (100 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Apartadó](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/antioquia/apartado) | Antioquia | ≈ 30 m (100 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Uribia](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/la-guajira/uribia) | La Guajira | ≈ 30 m (100 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Magangué](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/bolivar/magangue) | Bolívar | ≈ 20 m (70 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Malambo](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/atlantico/malambo) | Atlántico | ≈ 20 m (70 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Cartagena](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/bolivar/cartagena) | Bolívar | ≈ 20 m (70 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Lorica](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cordoba/lorica) | Córdoba | ≈ 20 m (70 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Montería](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cordoba/monteria) | Córdoba | ≈ 20 m (70 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Cereté](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/cordoba/cerete) | Córdoba | ≈ 10 m (30 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Riohacha](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/la-guajira/riohacha) | La Guajira | ≈ 10 m (30 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Buenaventura](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/valle-del-cauca/buenaventura) | Valle del Cauca | ≈ 10 m (30 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [San Andrés de Tumaco](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/narino/san-andres-de-tumaco) | Nariño | ≈ 10 m (30 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Ciénaga](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/magdalena/cienaga) | Magdalena | ≈ 10 m (30 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Turbo](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/antioquia/turbo) | Antioquia | ≈ 0 m (0 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |
| [Manaure](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery/la-guajira/manaure) | La Guajira | ≈ 0 m (0 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it |

Altitude: SRTM elevation model at each municipality’s DIVIPOLA (DANE) coordinates, rounded. Data processed on October 7, 2026. The verdict is Casa Trufa’s own guideline by altitude.

If your municipality isn’t here, look it up in [Delivery](https://casatrufa.com/en/delivery): each department’s table carries this same column for all of its municipalities. (A department is Colombia’s equivalent of a state or province.)

## What does “with reservations” mean?

That it can work if the home and the routine adapt to the dog, and not the other way around. In cities like Medellín, Pereira or Armenia, a Bernese needs:

- **Cool floors** — tile, concrete — and a shaded spot to lie down at any hour.
- **Walks at dawn and at night.** Never exercise between mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
- **Fresh water at all times** and, where possible, access to a hose or a small pool.
- **No shaving.** The coat also insulates it from the sun and protects its skin; what helps is brushing to remove dead undercoat.
- **A controlled weight.** Every extra kilo is extra heat.
- **Ventilation** or air conditioning during the hardest hours.

If that isn’t possible — a small apartment, no ventilation, the dog alone all day — the answer becomes no.

## What if I live in the hot lowlands and dream of a Bernese?

We are going to tell you no, and we would rather you read it here than hear it after getting your hopes up. In Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Cúcuta, Neiva, Montería, Valledupar or Villavicencio, a Bernese spends most of its life uncomfortable, and this is a breed whose life is already shorter than most.

It is not a lack of love or care on your part: it is physics. There are alternatives:

- If you want a **large working dog** for a farm, the [Australian Cattle Dog](https://casatrufa.com/en/breeds/australian-cattle-dog) is the most heat-tolerant of the breeds we raise.
- If you want a **calm family dog**, among the small breeds the Maltese and the Maltipoo cope well with the hot lowlands when their coat is kept short.
- If what you want is **a big, good-natured dog**, ask at your city’s animal welfare centers: there are large mixed-breed dogs (criollos), already acclimatized, waiting for a home.

## How do you recognize heatstroke in a dog?

Very heavy panting that doesn’t ease, very red gums, thick drool, clumsiness when walking, vomiting or collapse. It is an emergency: move the dog into the shade, wet it with cool — not ice-cold — water, give it water to drink and go to the veterinarian immediately.

> This guide is for information and does not replace a veterinarian’s assessment. If you already have a Bernese in a hot climate, your veterinarian is the person who can tell you how to help it.

## Frequently asked questions

**Can a Bernese Mountain Dog live in Medellín?** With reservations. Medellín is in the temperate climate zone, below the 1,800 m (5,910 ft) from which we recommend the breed without conditions. It can live there with heat management: cool floors, shade, walks at dawn and at night. Eastern Antioquia (Oriente antioqueño), which is higher, suits it better.

**Can a Bernese Mountain Dog live in Barranquilla or Cartagena?** We don’t recommend it. These are hot-lowland cities, and the Bernese is a double-coated mountain dog of up to 50 kg (110 lb). We would rather say so beforehand than hand over a dog that is going to have a hard time.

**What climate suits a Bernese Mountain Dog?** Cool, and the fresher end of temperate. In Colombia, from about 1,800 m (5,910 ft) up: Bogotá and its Sabana, Boyacá, Pasto, Manizales and eastern Antioquia.

**Can you shave a Bernese Mountain Dog to keep it cool?** It is not a good idea. The double coat also insulates against the sun and protects the skin. What helps is brushing thoroughly to remove dead undercoat, keeping the dog at its proper weight and avoiding exercise in the hot hours.

## Sources

1. [FCI: estándar n.º 45, Boyero de Montaña Bernés (FCI standard No. 45, Bernese Mountain Dog; page in Spanish)](https://www.fci.be/es/nomenclature/BOYERO-DE-MONTANA-BERNES-45.html)
2. [IDEAM, Nota Técnica 2025-003: actualización de la clasificación climática Caldas-Lang (Colombia’s weather and climate institute, update of the Caldas-Lang climate classification)](https://bart.ideam.gov.co/meteorologia/NOTAS_TECNICAS/NT_IDEAM-2025-003_ACTUALIZACION_CALDAS_LANG.pdf). Altitude bands of each climate zone (piso térmico)
3. [DANE: proyecciones de población municipal 2020-2035 (Colombia’s national statistics office, municipal population projections)](https://www.dane.gov.co/index.php/estadisticas-por-tema/demografia-y-poblacion/proyecciones-de-poblacion)