Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
The greater Swiss mountain dog, often called the Swissy, is the largest of the Swiss Sennenhunds and a short-coated cousin of the Bernese mountain dog. It developed as an Alpine farm dog for driving cattle, pulling carts, and watching dairies and homesteads. The classic dog is heavy-boned and tri-colored, with a black coat, rust markings, white blaze, chest, and feet, plus a broad head and steady working-dog outline.
Modern Swissies are kept as family companions, farm dogs, draft dogs, and show dogs, but their size and strength make early manners training important. They usually need moderate daily exercise rather than nonstop running, and many enjoy carting or hiking once mature. The short coat is easy to brush, while heat, slippery floors, and excess weight can be hard on a large young dog. Responsible breeding emphasizes stable temperament, sound hips and elbows, eye health, and careful discussion of bloat risk.
Colors: Apricot, Bicolor, Black, Black and Tan, Black and White, Black Mask, Black White and Red, Blue, Blue and Tan, Blue Merle, Blue Roan, Blue Tick, Brindle, Brown, Brown and Tan, Brown and White, Chocolate, Cream, Dapple, Domino, Fawn, Fawn and White, Gold, Gray, Harlequin, Irish Marked, Liver, Liver Mask, Mantle, Mask, Merle, Mottled, Parti-Color, Piebald, Red, Red and White, Red Merle, Red Roan, Red Tick, Reverse Brindle, Roan, Sable, Saddle, Silver, Speckled, Spotted, Tan, Ticked, Tricolor, Tuxedo, White, Yellow
