Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
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The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Template:Langx or Template:Langx) is a dog breed which was developed in the Swiss Alps. The name Sennenhund refers to people called Senn or Senner, dairymen and herders in the Swiss Alps. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are almost certainly the result of indigenous dogs mating with large mastiff-type dogs brought to Switzerland by foreign settlers.<ref name=gsmdca/> It was assumed to have almost died out by the late 19th century, since its work was being done by other breeds or machines, but was rediscovered in the early 1900s.<ref name=akc/>
Its breed standard calls for a black, white, and rust colored coat.
Among the four Sennenhunde, or Swiss mountain dogs, this breed is considered the oldest, and is also the largest.<ref name=gsmdca/>
History
Breed history
The origin of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is not known. Beginning in 1515, the remote valleys of Switzerland were more or less isolated from world history for three centuries. Specific dog breeds were created by inbreeding, and puppies were given to neighbors and family members.<ref name=raber/> <ref name=gsmdca/>
Selective breeding
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a draft and drover breed that performs well very mountainous regions.<ref name=akc>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Bern Museum">Great Swiss Mountain Dog Template:Webarchive (in English), Vertebrate Animals Department, Naturhistoriches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern</ref> Its popularity as a draft dog led to the nickname "the poor man's horse".<ref name=gsmdca/>
Renewal of breed
Prevailing theoryTemplate:Who
It was assumed that the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog had almost died out by the late 19th century, because their work was being done by other breeds or machines, but they were rediscovered in the early 1900s.<ref name=akc/>
<ref>Also spelled Schertenleib.</ref> to an advocate of the Swiss mountain dogs, geology professor Albert Heim (April 12, 1849 – August 31, 1937).<ref name=fci/>
Heim was a Sennenhund expert, and started to encourage breeders to take an interest in them. These efforts resulted in the re-establishment of the breed.<ref name=fci/> The first breed club was formed in 1912 to promote the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.<ref name="Bern Museum"/> The Bernese Mountain Dog and the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog are two of four distinctive farm-type dogs of Swiss origin who were saved from extinction and revitalized by Schertenlieb in the late 1800s.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Secondary theoryTemplate:Who
Dr. Hans Raber commented on this discrepancy in his book, Die Schweizer Hunderassen:<ref name=raber>Template:Cite book</ref>
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If this dog was commonly kept around 1870, it is unbelievable that only 30 years later you could only find him in remote valleys in the Bern area.{{#if:|
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Although Heim has said that the big butcher dogs, Metzgerhund, became extinct after foreign imports became more popular, there is speculation over whether farmers would get an expensive foreign dog.<ref name=raber/> In 1889 an International Dog Show was held in Winterthur, northern Switzerland; various Sennenhunde were exhibited.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
20th-century development
In 1945 over 100 puppies were registered, indicating the existence of about 350–400 dogs of the breed at that time.<ref name="Bern Museum"/>
The breed was first recognised internationally in 1939, when the Swiss Standard was first published by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.<ref name=fci/> In 1968 the breed was imported into the U.S.<ref name=gsmdca/>
There are a number of Greater Swiss that have been noted in the media. Network, owned by Sun Microsystems CEO, Scott McNealy, served as their mascot.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Mouse, a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog living in Austin, TX served as the mascot of Keep Austin Dog Friendly.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Oscar the Grouch,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, was featured in the front page of The Wall Street Journal <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as he prepared to compete at the Westminster Dog Show. According to the AKC, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are 88th in popularity as a breed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Appearance
it is a large, heavy-boned dog with incredible physical strength.<ref name=gsmdca>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Coat
There is black on top of the dog's back, ears, tail and the majority of the legs.<ref name=fci/> There should be rust on the cheeks, a thumb print above the eyes, and also rust should appear on the legs between the white and black.<ref name=fci/> There should be white on the muzzle, the feet, the tip of the tail, on the chest, and up from the muzzle to pass between the eyes.<ref name=fci/> Symmetry in markings and coloring are not a priority in the American Kennel Club standard for the breed. Function and temperament are prioritized as the dog must work. It is common to hear the phrase "the head doesn't pull the cart" or "markings don't pull the cart" to mean that cosmetic features are not highly valued.Template:Citation needed
The double coat has a dense outer coat of about Template:Convert long. Textures of the topcoat can range from short, straight and fine to longer, wavier and coarser.<ref name=gsmdca/> The under coat is thick and ranges from the preferred dark gray to light gray to tawny, and must be on the neck, but can be all over the body<ref name=akc/> – with such a thick coat, Sennenhunde shed throughout the year and they have a major shedding once or twice a year.<ref name="riggsbee">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp
While the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Standard calls for a black, white and rust dog; they do come in other colors which include blue, white and tan tri-color; and rust and white bi-color.<ref name=gsmdca/> On the blue tri-color dogs, blue replaces where black would be and tan replaces where the rust would normally be.<ref name=gsmdca/> On the rust bi-color dogs, the dog is solid rust and white markings with a total absence of black coloring.<ref name=gsmdca/>
Size
Males range between Template:Convert at the shoulder and females range between Template:Convert at the shoulder.<ref name=gsmdca/> There is no standard for weight in the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog; males tend to range between Template:Convert and females range between Template:Convert.<ref name=gsmdca/> Body length to height is approximately a 10 to 9 proportion; they are slightly longer than tall.<ref name=akc/>
Conformation
Head
Their eyes are almond-shaped, vary in color from hazel to chestnut – dark brown is preferred – medium-sized, and neither deep-set nor protruding.<ref name=akc/>
Neck, topline and body
the croup is the fused sacral vertebrae that form the roof of the pelvis and the first few vertebrae of the tail.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
The depth of the chest is approximately one-half the height of the dog at the withers,<ref name=akc/> and the deepest point of the chest should lie between the elbows, not above them.<ref name=gsmdca/>
Forequarters
The shoulders of a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog are long, sloping, strong, moderately laid back, flat and well-muscled.<ref name=akc/>
Hindquarters
<ref name=akc/> broad, strong and muscular hindquarters, and proper angles between the stifles and hocks are essential for a draft dog to provide powerful rear-drive during movement.<ref name=gsmdca/> The breed standard 'bend of stifle' refers to where the upper and the lower thighs meet.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> The hock joint corresponds to the human ankle and first short bones in the foot; the dog does not walk on the heel as people do.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
Gait
<ref name=pets>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Temperament
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is happy with an enthusiastic nature and strong affinity to people and children.<ref name=gsmdca/> This breed is sociable, active, calm and dignified.<ref name=breed>Template:Cite journal</ref> While the breed does need exercise, they do not need a vast space. The breed often stands close to their owners, rarely straying far away without checking in.<ref name=breed/>
Health
For the most part, this breed is relatively healthy for their size; Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs have far fewer problems than more populous breeds in the similar size range.<ref name=gsmdca/>
Abdominal health issues
The spleen is located in the left cranial abdomen and is held loosely in place by ligaments.<ref name=spleen>Template:Cite report</ref>Template:Rp Primary diseases of the spleen are splenic torsion and splenic tumors.<ref name=spleen/>Template:Rp Splenic torsion occurs when the spleen twists along the axis of the blood supply.<ref name=spleen/>Template:Rp Symptoms of splenic torsion include lethargy, abdominal distension and pale mucous membranes.<ref name=spleen/>Template:Rp One theory for the development of splenic torsion is that for dogs with chronic intermittent gastric dilatation, the dilation causes the spleen's ligaments to stretch and increases the spleen's mobility within the abdomen.<ref name=spleen/>Template:Rp The spleen becomes torsed because it is no longer anchored in its correct location.<ref name=spleen/>Template:Rp
Lifespan
Heavier dogs such as the Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs tend to have shorter lifespans than medium- and small-sized dogs;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> longevity is inversely related to breed size.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Two websites list the life expectancy for Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs at 10 to 11 years;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> another lists it as 8–10 years.<ref name=breed/> A survey by the US breed club shows a median lifespan of 6.75 years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dog lifespans may vary in different countries, even in the same breed.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Kennel club and pet registry recognition
- The Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund, or Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, is recognised internationally by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI).<ref name=fci/> They are in Group 2, Section 3 Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs; standards are dated March 25, 2003.<ref name=fci>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> The first standard was published not before February 5, 1939.<ref name=fci/>
- The American Kennel Club (AKC) fully recognized the breed in 1995,<ref name=akc/> and classifies them in the Working Group.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- The Canadian Kennel Club recognized the breed in 2006, and also places the breed in the Working Group.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- The United Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1992; they place the breed in the Guardian Dog Group.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- The Kennel Club, based in the United Kingdom, classifies the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog in the Working Group.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- The Continental Kennel Club (CKC) lists the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and provides minimal information about the breed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- The America's Pet Registry Inc. (APRI) does have a classified ad section for Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
- The American Canine Registry (ACR) lists the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog as an acceptable breed under their American Canine Registry section.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
- As of May 2010 the breed is not recognised by the New Zealand Kennel Club or the Australian National Kennel Council.
Four breeds of Sennenhund
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The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is considered the oldest of the Swiss breeds.<ref name=gsmdca/> It is the largest of the four Sennenhund breeds; all four have the same colors and markings, but are different sizes.
Evolutionary hierarchy suggests breeds should genetically cluster into groups sharing recent common ancestry.<ref name=genome>Template:Cite journal</ref> A genetic clustering algorithm could not easily distinguish between the obviously related pairs of Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and the Bernese Mountain Dog.<ref name=genome/>
The four breeds of Sennenhund, with the original breed name followed by the most popular English version of the breed name:
- Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
- Berner Sennenhund, Bernese Mountain Dog
- Appenzeller Sennenhund, Appenzeller Mountain Dog
- Entlebucher Sennenhund, Entlebucher Mountain Dog
Similar breeds
In addition to the three breeds mentioned in the previous section, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are related to other mountain dogs: Boxers, Bullmastiffs, Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Great Pyrenees, Komondors, Kuvaszes and mastiffs.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The breed probably contributed to the development of the St. Bernard and the Rottweiler.
See also
References
External links
- Historical photos of the Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund from the Bern Natural History Museum
- More information about geologist and indigenous Swiss dog breeds advocate Albert Heim (1849-1937), including a photo with Swiss Mountain Dogs in 1929 (in German)
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