Dog Breeds :: Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

Owning
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog displays the temperament of a willing worker and faithful companion, always alert and vigilant. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs train quickly and are content to be family members, involving themselves in many aspects of your life. Outdoors, they tend to be at your side or watching as children play. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs have a sense of territory and will not take kindly to a stranger's invasion of property or home. Normally a quiet dog, they do have a deep, loud bark that, combined with their size and self-assurance, keeps home and family well protected.

Characteristics
Height at the highest point on the shoulder is ideally: Males 25½ to 28½ inches: Females - 23½ to 27 inches. Body length to height is a 10 to 9 proportion. The body is full.

Temperament
Bold, faithful, willing worker. Alert and vigilant.

Did you know?
It is the largest, and considered to be the oldest, of the four Sennenhund breeds. These include the Appenzell Cattle Dog, the Entlebuch Cattle Dog and the other AKC-recognized Sennehund, the Bernese Mountain Dog. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has traditionally been associated with the farmers and tradesmen of small Swiss villages. He is also renowned as a draft dog. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog was introduced in the United States when J. Frederick and Patricia Hoffman saw the breed at a show in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1967. The following year the Hoffmans, along with Perrin G. Rademacher, imported the first Swissy into this country. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America was formed in 1968 in order to obtain wider recognition for the breed. The breed is as rare in its native Switzerland as it is here; just over 100 puppies are born a year. The Swiss GSMD Club has a breeding test for both conformation and temperament that dogs must pass before they are certified to be bred.

AKC Recommends
The American Kennel Club recommends that anyone interested in a breed should take the time to thoroughly learn about that breed, talk to responsible and knowledgeable breeders and seek out the resources of the AKC national club formed by individuals devoted to preserving and protecting their breed for future generations. The AKC offers links to the official national Club of this breed - the club's officers, breeder referral, and breed rescue contact persons.