The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, as the name implies, originated in the
Swiss Alps. He is the largest and oldest of the four breeds of dogs used
by Alpine herdsmen and known as Sennenhund. Another of the Sennenhund is
the Bernese Mountain Dog which The Greater Swiss Mountain dog closely resembles.
The Swissie was bred to pull carts for butchers and farmers but as motorization
replaced the need for him in that occupation, the breed almost became extinct.
Swiss breeders revived the breed and he was accepted by the Swiss Registry
accepted him in 1910. He was introduced into the United States in 1968 and
accepted by the American Kennel Club in the Working Group in 1995.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is even-tempered, calm and steady. He is
a willing worker and faithful companion. He has a definite sense of territory
so makes an excellent guard dog. He is a fine family dog.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog's skull is flat and broad with a slight drop
off (stop) to the muzzle. The muzzle is strong and straight with a scissors
bite. The nose is black. The ears are of medium size, triangular shaped
and set level to the top of the skull. They are carried close to the side
of the head. The eyes are medium sized, dark brown with an animated and
gentle expression. The neck is moderately long and muscular. The chest is
deep and broad. The topline is level. The tail is straight and reaches to
the hock. The legs are straight and strong. The coat is double with a thick
undercoat and a short, shiny, weather resistant outer coat. Coat color is
tri-color: jet black on the body and head; white in a blaze on the face
and muzzle, as an inverted cross on the neck and chest, on the tip of the
tail and on the feet; rust-brown between the white and black markings on
the legs, each cheek, and above each eye. Average weight is 130 pounds.
Average height is between 23 and 29 inches.
one4fun68@aol.com of Pocono Mountain, PA writes:
A novice "parent" to Swissy.
When researching an appropriate breed to fit our family, we came across
the GSMD (Swissy). The thing that we were most attracted to is temperament.
We have a very active six-year-old child who loves dogs, and we wanted a
family addition that is willing and able to keep up with her, while maintaining
proper "manners." We believe we found this in the Swissy. However,
with ANY breed, you must WORK to get the result you want. It is imperative
that you train your Swissy well, and constantly. Our family chose the "reward"
method p; reward good behavior always, do not reward the bad behavior.
We feel punishing a dog is inappropriate and only serves to break a dog's
spirit, which Swissy's have a great deal of. Employ a behavior trainer,
take your Swissy to Puppy-K (puppy kindergarten), socialize your Swissy,
and most of all, be prepared to have a "Velcro" dog. Swissies
NEED their people with them in order to be happy. If you work outside the
home or are away from your dog for eight hours a day, a Swissy is not for
you.
A Swissy chews, paws, throws his weight around, barks and sheds quite a
bit more than the websites lead a person to believe. A Swissy is a giant
breed, muscular, strong, and mouthy dog. Proper training in a loving manner
is absolutely necessary. Swissies are very intelligent, strong-willed and
very protective of their family members, home and extended home (such as
the family car when out on trips).
To anyone thinking of owning a Swissy, PLEASE do your homework! We researched
this breed for more than a year, attended dog shows, talked with several
breeders and joined forums and discussion groups. The best way to learn
about a dog is to hear from a variety of owners; not solely a breeder. Let's
face it, this is their business and many (certainly not all) treat puppies
as "products" to sell, focusing on the good traits. We chose a
breeder who is interested in bettering the breed. We keep in close contact,
keep her up-to-date on what our puppy is learning, doing, vet visits, interactions
with other animals, training classes, etc. A good breeder will WANT to hear
all about the good AND the bad, and offer assistance whenever possible.
We are very happy we have added a Swissy puppy to our family, and he is
adjusting well. He loves to be exercised (by playing), take long walks,
and most of all, loves our company. We can't imagine life without him. Happy
researching!
jbartonr123@msn.com of Maryland writes:
I've raised Swissys and only Swissys for eighteen years now.
A long time ago, I was born into a family who had dogs before they had
me, so I've been around dogs virtually my entire life. Many of these dogs
were purebred and some, the great American Mutt. They ranged in size from
the five-pound pocket puppy to a Saint Bernard. Of all the dog varieties,
NONE have been so inspiring to me as the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. They
are intelligent, loyal, totally trustworthy, loving, have few health problems
and actually possess a sense of humor. I find Swissys to be "the ideal
family dog" just like they were advertised when introduced into this
country.
swissy4me@yahoo.com of Virginia Beach, VA writes on 3/4/01:
A five star dog for a well informed, working dog-educated person!
I write my "swissy review" from the swissy owner point of view.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a "working" dog. This means
they need, they must have, a job or task to do, in their life. They must
be socialized from the very day the puppy buyer enters their life. This
socialization must remain a constant in the swissy's life. They also require
obedience training. The swissy will grow from 20 pounds at 8 weeks old to
100 pounds at one year old. This is not the dog to be
unruly! I mentioned "Constant". The swissy is a creature of habit!
If you move your trash can, from its usual place, the swissy will "Barr-rro"
(this is a description of the swissy bark) at the can until it goes back
to the usual spot or the swissy adjusts to the new location. The swissy
likes to be fed at the same times every day. The swissy expects its schedule
to remain constant. The swissy expects to be
in your life, at your side. If you are looking for a dog that can live its
life from the back yard and be happy to spend time with you, when you feel
like spending time with the dog - DON'T GET A SWISSY! I would not suggest
a swissy to a first time dog owner. The swissy can and will be a challenge.
This is a breed that I suggest to be owned by people experienced with large...working
breed dogs! If you are looking for a constant friend, large lap dog, hair
shedding, "BarrrRRROO'ing", will herd you children or ducks or
neighbors, strong as an ox and weighs more than many people... and you have
time to excercise, obedience train, clean up after ... then you will love
a swissy. Why do I have Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs? Because they love me,
they are my friend, my guardian, my alarm clock, my door bell before people
even reach my house, and (in case I haven't enough to do) my constant duty....
the AKC doesn't put them in the working group
for nothing! Swissies are work!