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Mountain Dogs => Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Discussions => : MRDWOLFE April 28, 2006, 09:11:30 PM

: Questions about the great Swissy
: MRDWOLFE April 28, 2006, 09:11:30 PM
I want to get a Swiss, but my wife claims she has read blogs and books that claims the swiss is a very hard dog to take care of. To my surprise I seem to find just the opposite. So if you owners could vote for me 1 being the easiest and 5 being the hardest I would appreciate it very much. Also add a little side note or suggestion please. I love dogs and have had to wait until my kids were at least 4 years of age before purchasing a dog. Well now is the time and I want a swissy. Thank you.

P.S. I have owned many dogs in my life time before I joined the army. So I would say my experience level is some what above average. Just not with a swiss. And I have a nice sized yard. And please be honest;D
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: Nicole April 28, 2006, 09:41:40 PM
Hi!
 I can't speak from personal experience, as I've never owned one. However, there are a few on this board, and I've never heard anything but good news about them. Actually a friend of mine that's on here, Heather, has one named Ranger that she just adores. She hasn't been around in awhile, but maybe she'll pop by and give you some answers.
 I'd love to be more help!

*edited to add* I'm sure that you've already seen this, but well..here it is

http://www.gsmdca.org/index.php
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: chaos270 April 29, 2006, 08:01:11 AM
I haven't owned a Swissy either but from what I've heard they aren't a difficult breed.  The only thing would be keeping their coat groomed and I'm pretty sure Swissy's don't drool which makes them even less difficult than even a lab.  I'd say look through the boards here for more personal experiences of BPOers.  Good Luck convincing your wife.

Erin
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: Nicole April 29, 2006, 01:17:33 PM
I haven't owned a Swissy either but from what I've heard they aren't a difficult breed.  The only thing would be keeping their coat groomed and I'm pretty sure Swissy's don't drool which makes them even less difficult than even a lab.  I'd say look through the boards here for more personal experiences of BPOers.  Good Luck convincing your wife.

Erin

Don't Swissy's have short hair? Or am I thinking of something else?
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: chaos270 April 29, 2006, 08:20:04 PM
Yeah they have short coats but even short coats need attention and that's the only thing I could think of that'd be messy besides drool...which they don't do I believe.
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: Nicole April 29, 2006, 08:53:43 PM
Yeah they have short coats but even short coats need attention and that's the only thing I could think of that'd be messy besides drool...which they don't do I believe.
Ahhh, ok. I just thought for a minute that I was mistaking a Swissy for something else!  ;DThanks!
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: MRDWOLFE May 02, 2006, 11:13:44 AM
Thanks for the replies. Keep them coming. My wife is really getting a new look on the Swiss. ;D
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: orion5221 May 02, 2006, 07:41:52 PM
I love the Swissys, did alot of research on them.  Tempermant wise they tend to be laid back, independent ( stubborn) stoic, and good watch dogs. There is alot of literature out there saying they take longer to housebreak and mature.  Make sure to get from a good breeder, there tends to be HD, elbows and some fear.
Good luck....
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: dohertyswissy June 19, 2006, 06:59:32 PM
Hi There!  I'm sorry that I missed your original post, but maybe you'll see this.  I have an 18 month old Greater Swiss Mountain dog named Ranger.  So, here's the good ol' truth about this magnificent breed!!

Swissys are WONDERFUL companions and become very attached to their family.  They would never be happy separated from the pack, which means they want to be WITH you, that includes inside the house.  They can be stubborn and independent, so it is important to establish from day 1 who is in charge and they always need to be on the NILIF program (nothing in life is free).  For example, Ranger must sit before eating, going through doorways, etc.  These guys were bred to pull carts, so they won't have any hesitation in pulling you on a leash if not trained properly and I've found that formal training classes at least for the 1st year is really helpful.  :-)

They are considered a dry mouth breed, but do slobber from time to time.  It is usually when it is hot outside, in my experience.  The blow their coats 2x a year, so you have to be dedicated to brushing their coats and vaccumming your house daily during this period.

Swissys are vigilant dogs.  They will definitely feed off your cues as to whether or not a situation is "okay."  They are really sweet dogs and friendly, unless they sense their response should be otherwise.  If a Swissy barks, you KNOW something is awry, b/c they rarely bark otherwise.

I can't say enough about what a wonderful companion Ranger has been to me.  I will never be without a Swissy!

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me, or post here!!!

Good Luck!!!
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: jbold21 October 19, 2006, 03:48:54 AM
My wife and I are about to take on our 1st Swissy. We both fell in love with them the 1st time we had a chance to interact with them. Their temperment is great.Wish us luck! We should be bringing him home sometime around the end of December or begining of Jan. We are very excited though and can't wait!!
: Re: Questions about the great Swissy
: Suzie March 01, 2007, 02:29:53 PM
Hello,
My swissy is only 17 weeks but I did much research before getting her.  I wanted a bigger dog that was good with small children as well as a dog that did not have the endless energy that our old Golden had. 
So far so good.  The kids (4 and 2) just love her.  Their clothes are shredded (as would be with any puppy), but she's great with them.  She's not a big jumper and she definitely calms down much quicker than some other breeds.
She loves being with us and is just precious.
Good luck!