GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG
APPEARANCE
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a large, muscular, tricolour (black, rust, and white; typically with a white blaze) dog. 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. The head is flat and broad with almond shaped, medium-sized brown eyes, and in adults the nose is black. The weight of these dogs is around 90-110 pounds for females and 105-130 pounds for males. The height is around 23-27 inches for females and 25-29 inches for males.
PERSONALITY
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. Prospective owners need to be prepared to give them lots of time and attention. They have a very strong pack instinct.
TRAINING
The training is very important for this dog. It’s usually a challenge to train them, but with a lot of time, they can make really good companions. They are protective of their family and training is important for them to learn their place. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is very intelligent and does well in many sports, including obedience. The trainer must be experienced as this is a large breed.
EXERCISE
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog generally does not need much exercise, however considering he is a large breed, occasional exercise should be provided. A daily walk will usually suffice, however running and more vigorous forms of exercise such as cart pulling will often improve the health and temperament of the dog.
SOCIALIZATION
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog gets along well with children, and is both devoted to them and protective of them. However, the giant size of the breed may make life difficult of you have very small children in the household. If you have pets then early socialization is important - some may chase smaller animals, and some can be dog aggressive with strange dogs. Territorial, this breed can be suspicious of newcomers. However, if introduced to them, they will quickly accept the family’s friends.
LIVING CONDITIONS
Apartment life can be suitable for a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. This breed will do all right without a yard, but he does love long walks. They show preference for cool climates.
GROOMING
When it comes to grooming the coat of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog simply needs to be brushed once weekly. This will keep shedding to a minimum. Regular bathing is not needed, and a good wipe down should be enough for this easy to groom dog. These dogs are medium shedders, and shed more heavily on a seasonal basis, which means that they may not be best suited to those with allergies.
HEALTH ISSUES
The life expectancy of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is around 8-10 years. Generally, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a healthy breed but health concerns may include gastric torsion, hip and elbow dysplasia and eye anomalies. Cancer is not common but is among the most frequent causes of death.
HISTORY
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog originates from Switzerland, and is a descendant of the Roman Mastiffs. He was developed to be a guard dog, a pack dog, and to pull carts on farms. The breed was registered with the AKC in 1995.
