Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

Book excerpt: The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog descends from Switzerland's most ancient dogs and is the largest of the country's four Sennenhund breeds. Although a fairly new face in the US and England, the Swissy, as he's affectionately known, excels at cart-pulling, herding and guarding: he is prized as an "all-arounder," though draft work was his original occupation. Breeders today embrace the breed's tradition and involve their dogs in carting and weight-pulling events. The breed's black, tan and white tricolor markings, in fact the hallmark of all four Swiss mountain breeds, distinguish him as a handsome working dog of impressive height and musculature: he stands 27–28 inches at the shoulder. Like his homeland, the Swissy is industrious, versatile and easy to get along with, an ideal family dog who loves children and devotedly guards them. For an owner willing to give him the exercise, training and leg room he requires, the Swissy makes an exceptional choice. This new Special Limited Edition by well-known dog author Nikki Moustaki presents a complete introduction to the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog breed, including a look at the breed's long and romantic history and its present-day status, its characteristics and owner requirements and the breed standard. Chapters instructing new owners how to select, train and care for the puppy are comprehensive and well illustrated. Additionally, the book provides advice on feeding, grooming, house-training, obedience, showing and more. An up-to-date accurate chapter on healthcare for dogs, written by Dr. Lowell Ackerman, discusses everything a responsible owner needs to know about inoculations, parasites, spaying/neutering and much more.