Great Swiss Mountain Dog - Dog breed

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, or Großer Schweizer Sennenhund, is the largest of the traditional Swiss herding breeds, the Sennenhunds, a grouping in which the Bernese Mountain Dog, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, and Appenzeller Sennenhund are also included. They are believed descended from large dogs brought to Switzerland by the Romans in the first century B.C., although another theory states that they arrived many centuries earlier with Phoenician traders. In any case, they are almost certainly the result of the mating of indigenous dogs with large mastiff-type dogs brought to Switzerland by foreign settlers. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are believed to be in the ancestry of both the Saint Bernard Dog and the Rottweiler.

Appearance

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a large, muscular, tricolour (black, rust, and white; typically with a white blaze) dog. Males should weigh around 34 - 61 kg (75 - 135 pounds) the height is 59.7 - 72.4 cm (23.5 - 28.5 inches) at the shoulders. The females weigh 31.7 - 36.3 kg (70 - 80 pounds) and are 54.6 - 63.5 cm (21.5 - 25 inches) tall at the shoulders. The length to height ratio is around ten to nine. This breed must have a double coat to be considered show quality. There is black on top of the dog's back, ears, tail and the majority of the legs. There should be rust on the cheeks, a thumb print above the eyes and also rust should appear on the legs between the white and black. There should be white on the muzzle, the feet, the tip of the tail, on the chest down and some that comes up from the muzzle to pass between the eyes. The fur is a double coat, the top coat being around 5 cm long, the bottom coat being thick and a type of gray which must be on the neck, but can be all over the body; with such an outstanding coat, most swissies blow coat twice a year.

Temperament

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has a reputation of combining protectiveness with a gentle nature, particularly with respect to its love of its family, especially children.
These dogs are strong, active, and remarkably agile for their size. Greater Swiss Mountain dogs stand out from the majority of other mountain dogs. A Greater Swiss Mountain Dog can be trained for weight-pulling competitions and/or to pull carts behind them carrying goods or even a person. They also excel at herding and pack hikes. Also, unlike other mountain dogs, they do not drool excessively. Prospective owners need to be prepared to give them lots of time and attention. Owners will often note that, despite their large stature, they will often behave as if they are a lap dog and are kind and gentle with children.
Swissies have a very strong pack instinct. They are protective of their family and training is important for them to learn their place. They want the pack to be together and get distressed when a member wanders off.