Great Swiss Mountain Dog

Great Swiss Mountain Dog
FCI Standard No. 58
	Group 2: Pinschers and Schnauzers - Molossoids - Swiss Mountain Dogs ; Section 3: Swiss Mountain Dogs; Without a working test ; Herd Service Dog (FCI);
Origin :	Switzerland
Alternative names:	Greater Swiss Mountain Dog ; Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Withers height:	Male: 65–72 cm. ; Bitch: 60–68 cm
List of domestic dogs

The Big Swiss Mountain Dog is an FCI recognized dog breed from Switzerland ( FCI Group 2, Section 3, Standard No. 58 ).

Origin and history

In 1908, the Swiss cynologist Albert Heim discovered a large Bernese Mountain Dog with short hair at an exhibition . On this basis he defined his own breed and gave it the name "Big Swiss Mountain Dog".

Often in the current literature an origin is assumed that begins with the Tibetan mastiffs and ends with the Roman Molossians ; everything did not stand up to scientific scrutiny. The reason for this claim was the fashion at the turn of the 20th century to create centuries-old family trees. Archaeological finds show that it has existed since about 4000 BC. There were dogs on Swiss territory and that these existed as early as 1000 to 600 BC. Reached Sennhund size.

description

Large Swiss Mountain Dogs are large, strong dogs with a size of up to 72 cm and a weight of up to 60 kg and the largest of the four mountain dog breeds. They are characterized by a black basic color with brown-red (also called brand ) and white markings (on the snout, paws, chest and tail tip) and a coat of short to medium-length awns (upper hair) and a soft undercoat (lower hair). This type of coat is also called stick hair. The color and markings are the same for all four mountain dog breeds. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is only slightly larger than the Bernese Mountain Dog , but can be easily distinguished from it by its short coat. It has a large, massive head with a slightly pronounced stop . The eyes are brown, the markings above the eyes give the impression of so-called "double eyes". The ears are triangular and medium-sized. They hang flat on the head at rest and are turned forward when alerted. The chest is deep and broad, the tail heavy and is carried hanging when relaxed, often with a white tip.

use

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (female)

The Big Swiss Mountain Dog is a classic house and farm dog . He shows strong protective behavior towards his caregivers. He is very vigilant and reports visitors, but rarely barks for no reason. Especially in the evenings and in phases of exhaustion, he seeks the closeness of his caregivers and finds security in them (see attachment ). This is one of the reasons why it is unsuitable for keeping in kennels . It used to be used as a pulling dog , so it is easy to train to pull sleds or dog carts .

Essence

The FCI describes him as follows: Safe, attentive, vigilant and fearless in everyday situations, good-natured and affectionate with people who are familiar, confident of strangers; medium temperament.

health

Big Swiss Mountain Dogs are - if they come from a good breed - very robust and healthy dogs. As with all large dog breeds, however, there is a certain susceptibility to joint problems (especially HD, hip dysplasia ) and stomach torsion . Epilepsy also occurs occasionally .

Overview of the different breeds of the Swiss Mountain Dogs

There are four different breeds of Swiss Mountain Dogs (sorted according to size, starting with the largest and heaviest breed):

Sources and further links

literature

Gerd Ludwig, Christine Steimer: Mountain dogs. Maintain and understand the great Swiss, Bernese, Appenzell and Entlebuchers properly. Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 1994, ISBN 3-7742-2266-5 .

Individual evidence

↑ Hans Räber : Encyclopedia of the pedigree dogs. Origin, history, breeding goals, suitability and use. Volume 1: Farmers, shepherds and cattle dogs, shepherds, mastiff-like dogs, pinscher-like dogs, spitz-like dogs, Nordic dogs, Schensi dogs, dwarf dogs, poodles, Dalmatians. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-440-06555-3 , p. 135 ff .: The great Swiss mountain dog.
↑ Hans Räber: Encyclopedia of the pedigree dogs. Origin, history, breeding goals, suitability and use. Volume 1: Farmers, shepherds and cattle dogs, shepherds, mastiff-like dogs, pinscher-like dogs, spitz-like dogs, Nordic dogs, Schensi dogs, dwarf dogs, poodles, Dalmatians. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-440-06555-3 , p. 147 ff .: How old are the Swiss Sennhund breeds.

Web links

Commons : Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund - Collection of images, videos and audio files

[1] Hans Räber : Encyclopedia of the pedigree dogs. Origin, history, breeding goals, suitability and use. Volume 1: Farmers, shepherds and cattle dogs, shepherds, mastiff-like dogs, pinscher-like dogs, spitz-like dogs, Nordic dogs, Schensi dogs, dwarf dogs, poodles, Dalmatians. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-440-06555-3 , p. 135 ff .: The great Swiss mountain dog.

[2] Hans Räber: Encyclopedia of the pedigree dogs. Origin, history, breeding goals, suitability and use. Volume 1: Farmers, shepherds and cattle dogs, shepherds, mastiff-like dogs, pinscher-like dogs, spitz-like dogs, Nordic dogs, Schensi dogs, dwarf dogs, poodles, Dalmatians. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-440-06555-3 , p. 147 ff .: How old are the Swiss Sennhund breeds.