Swiss mountain dog

The name Sennenhund the Bauer dogs of the Swiss are known. The name is from Senn, the herdsmen derived.

Cattle breeds

From the Swiss mountain dogs, there are four different breeds ( according to the size ordered, starting with the largest and heaviest breed):

• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Appenzell Cattle Dog
• Entlebucher Mountain Dog

Origin and History

The original dogs of the herdsmen had little resemblance to today's races were characteristic only of stocky build and short, wide skull. Today's colors came before, but were just a variation. The task of the dogs was varied: called driving the cattle to the pastures, alp or alp, guarding the herd, but also the guarding of the house and yard. The small dogs ( Appenzeller and Entlebucher Mountain Dog ) have traditionally been used primarily for driving herds of cattle, while large (Bernese and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog ) were used as train, watch, and guard dogs. Main breeding goal was a function of the corresponding behavior regardless of the appearance of the dogs. With the extinction of large carnivores in the Alps, no more guard dogs were needed, their use is currently in light of the reintroduction of predators (especially wolf) research.

The standardization of today's mountain dogs happened at the beginning of the 20th century, yet in 1900 the name appeared in any book on dogs. The development of dogs as a separate breed sometimes in a random originated. For example, was a judge, Albert Heim, at an exhibition under the Bernese Mountain Dogs a special, short-haired, large specimen of good physique on. He called on the holders to hold the large Swiss Mountain Dog in honor and to save the breed. The Bernese, then still called Dürrbächler, was known only as friends the holder of some copies persuaded to act in a dog show.

Related breeds

The breed the St. Bernard by the monks of Saint Bernard goes back to the Mountain and Cattle Dogs. Also, the Rottweiler comes from the same gene pool.

Rottweiler