Dogs

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Switzerland.

MOST SUITED AS Formerly a cattle driver among other duties, today a watchdog and family pet.

SIZE
The shoulder-height is 65 - 72cm (251/2 - 28 1/2in) for dogs and 60 - 68cm (231/2 - 27in) for bitches.

COAT
The coat is straight-haired with a thick woolly under-layer. The colour is always black with rust-coloured and white markings.

CARE REQUIRED
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog requires lit­tle grooming. An occasional session with a rubber brush to remove dead and loose hairs is adequate.

CHARACTER
This breed is intelligent, friendly, keen to its work, watchful, reliable, not easily led astray by bribes, and protective. Its other points are that it is equable, sociable, and obedient. The dogs only bark when necessary.

TRAINING
Even though this breed bonds closely with the family of which they form a part, they are not a suitable breed for everyone. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has a very strong character and calls out for a handler who is equally strong. It must get the chance of growing up in a well-balanced environment and have a clear under­standing of what is permitted and what is not, and be able to build a close bond with his fami­ly. Make sure that you are always consistent with it. A severe approach will only ruin the dog's nature. Watch and control it carefully during the grow­ing stage so that all its energy can be used for building healthy bones and muscles. For the same reason do not scrimp with its food.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
This breed gets on well with dogs and other household animals. Under your care it will make a marvellous friend for your children too, but do not forget that it will protect your child­ren against their friends if it thinks they are being pestered by them. They make excellent watchdogs which will pro­tect you and your family together with all your possessions against wrongdoers. They are not suited to living in a kennel.

EXERCISE
This breed is a diligent worker which means, if you consider its intelligence, that it can make a multi-faceted and reliable working dog for you. In Switzerland it is used as a tracking dog among other roles. This dog has the potential to shine at obedience training and in various other areas of dog sporting activities. When it hap­pens that a week passes in which you are unable to do anything with this dog, it will accept it easily and not misbehave.

PLEASE NOTE
As with many dogs bred to work, this is not a dog for a house with a small or no yard, or for apartments dwellers, they need SPACE.