Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

About the breed

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (German Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund; FCI and UK Kennel Club: Great Swiss Mountain Dog) is the largest of the four Swiss mountain and cattle dogs. FCI Standard No. 58 sets a withers height of 65–72 cm for males and 60–68 cm for females, describes a tricolour dog with a dense undercoat and gives its original role as a watch and draught dog. The standard gives no weight: the Swiss Kennel Club (SKG) and the Slovenian club for large breeds and molossers (SKVPM) both state 40–70 kg.

It can make a suitable family dog, but only on conditions: it matures slowly, is reserved with strangers and needs a consistent owner.

From butcher’s dog to family dog

In 1908, at the jubilee show of the Swiss Kennel Club in Langenthal, two short-haired “Bernese” dogs were shown to Professor Albert Heim, who recognised them as representatives of the old, vanishing large mountain or butcher’s dog. The SKG recognised the breed separately in 1909, a club for it was founded in 1912, and the FCI recognised it definitively on 13 August 1954.

Its ancestry is not fully explained: the SKVPM calls Roman molossers the likeliest theory but admits nobody has exact data. The original job is better known: the FCI gives watch and draught dog, and the UK Kennel Club says it pulled milk carts to the cheese dairies and took cheeses to market.

Appearance: size, coat and colour under the FCI standard

The standard describes a tricolour, sturdy, heavy-boned and well-muscled dog. Height at the withers is 65–72 cm for males and 60–68 cm for females, and body length to height is in the ratio 10 : 9. The main colour is black with symmetrical reddish-brown (tan) markings and clean white markings on the head, chest, feet and tail tip. Dogs that are not tricolour, or whose main colour is not black, are disqualified.

The FCI asks for a double coat with a dense undercoat and an outer coat of medium length, a shorter outer coat being permitted if an undercoat is present; a long coat and a short coat without undercoat are disqualifying faults. The SKVPM and the UK Kennel Club call the coat short and dense, and the SKG gives the guard hairs as 3–5 cm long. Sources differ, so “short-haired” is not wrong, but the standard says medium length.

The FCI standard contains no weight. The SKG and SKVPM give 40–70 kg, the American Kennel Club (AKC) 115–140 lb (about 52–64 kg) for males and 85–110 lb (about 39–50 kg) for females, and the Slovenian kennel Svisart 45–64 kg for males and 36–52 kg for females.

Temperament: reserved with strangers, independent and devoted to the family

The standard describes a self-confident, alert and fearless dog, good-natured and devoted to people it knows, self-assured with strangers, of medium temperament. The SKVPM adds that it is reserved and wary with strangers and watchful at home: it announces a stranger loudly and barks until the owner appears. The standard disqualifies aggressive or overly shy dogs.

The SKVPM warns of a common misconception: many people picture a bigger Labrador or Golden Retriever, which the club calls “not at all” true. Compared with those breeds it is more independent, more reserved with strangers, larger and stronger, and training takes more patience. The club lists aggression and dominance (especially towards other dogs) with poor socialisation, and barking, destruction and self-injury when the dog has too little to do.

Children and other animals

It can live with children, but under supervision. The SKVPM rates adult, well-trained and socialised dogs as very friendly and patient, yet warns that they can knock a child over without meaning to, and that puppies like to chase children and nip at trouser legs. The UK breed club advises that no large dog should be left unattended with young children. It depends on training, the children’s ages and adult consistency.

According to the SKVPM they get on with other dogs and animals if used to them from a young age. Males can be dominant towards other dogs, and prey drive can be strong: they chase game, squirrels, cats and birds.

Flat, garden and summer heat

A flat is possible only with enough exercise. The SKVPM writes that the dog adapts to a block of flats, but a house with a large garden is ideal, and all-day life in an outdoor kennel does not suit it because it bonds strongly with its family. In the club’s words winter is its season: it copes well with snow and cold, somewhat less well with summer heat because of the dense undercoat.

Exercise and work: moderate, regular and adapted to growth

The Kennel Club lists up to one hour of exercise a day, and the Svisart kennel says a long walk is enough and the dog matches its activity to the family. Its natural job is draught work: the SKG also mentions sledge pulling, a dog backpack and nose work; the SKVPM adds obedience, rally obedience and pet therapy, and finds rescue work and agility less suitable.

The UK breed club writes that the breed matures slowly and cannot sustain unlimited exercise, jogging or stairs when young. During growth the SKVPM advises against stairs, jumping from heights and slippery floors.

Training and socialisation

The breed is trained with rewards and positive motivation, in short sessions; according to the SKVPM, training by force gives poor results. A puppy class is “practically obligatory” in the club’s words, since it socialises the dog with dogs of different sizes. Because it was bred for draught work, the club advises never letting the dog pull on the lead from a young age.

Coat care

The coat needs brushing about once a week. The Kennel Club gives weekly grooming, and the UK breed club says the dog sheds daily while the dense undercoat is shed twice a year. The SKVPM rates grooming as undemanding but warns that the undercoat comes out heavily at the change of coat.

Joints and shoulders: screening, rules and recommendations

Clubs mention hip and elbow dysplasia and shoulder osteochondrosis (OCD); the SKVPM states that OCD is currently by far the biggest problem in Slovenia. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America (GSMDCA) cites Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) data for 2013–2020 in its 2020 survey report: affected hips (borderline included) in 14.0%, elbows in 11.5% and shoulders (OCD) in 2.3% of evaluated dogs; it cautions that only submitted dogs are counted and the figures are probably somewhat too low. Rules and recommendations differ:

• The Swiss breed club describes hips as part of the breeding assessment since the 1960s; after finding frequent osteochondrosis in the early 1980s it introduced compulsory shoulder X-rays and excluded affected dogs from breeding.
• The UK Kennel Club lists its hip and elbow schemes as “Best Practice” tests, which it calls still significant, though perhaps less critical than “Good Practice” ones (there it lists only genetic diversity), and says responsible breeders should complete all tests in both categories; the UK breed club expects breeding dogs to have scored hips and elbows and advises shoulder X-rays.
• In Slovenia dogs with a pedigree must pass a breeding inspection before mating; the SKVPM procedure lists a hip and elbow X-ray certificate, while the club’s breed page says that for now only hip X-rays are required for the breeding permit, and conscientious breeders also X-ray elbows and shoulders and have the eyes checked.

Gastric and splenic torsion

Gastric torsion is an emergency: the Merck Veterinary Manual states that it mainly affects large and giant breeds, needs immediate medical and surgical intervention and has a 20% mortality in treated dogs; risk factors include a deep, narrow chest and a first-degree relative with the condition. The GSMDCA writes that it can develop in some dogs of this breed, and that splenic torsion is otherwise rare except in this breed. In its 2020 survey 3.6% of owners reported bloat with or without torsion (610 answered on digestion) and 29.3% a preventive gastropexy (2012: 19.7%). An owner survey does not compare breeds.

Epilepsy, urinary tract and other problems

The SKVPM, the GSMDCA and the UK breed club mention epilepsy. In the GSMDCA 2020 survey 6.6% of respondents (40 dogs) reported it, while the German breeding association reported seizures in an average of 2.56% of registered dogs for 1999–2019 and suspects a genetic predisposition (a Hanover study, 2022); the methods differ, so the figures are not comparable. The UK breed club says that dogs whose relatives have shown signs of epilepsy should not be used in breeding.

The GSMDCA also mentions urinary incontinence in spayed females (15.5% of females in its survey, 90% of them after spaying), cataract, distichiasis, entropion and “lick fits” (episodes of licking air and objects). Entropion is a disqualifying fault under the FCI standard.

Lifespan: the sources differ

Roughly 8–11 years: the AKC gives 8–11 years, the SKVPM 8–10, the UK Kennel Club “over 10 years”, and the Svisart kennel 10–12. We found no registry or insurance study of longevity for this breed; the ranges are summaries without an explained method, not averages. The FCI standard contains no lifespan.

What to ask a breeder, and the breed in Slovenia

The SKVPM advises asking to see the pedigrees of both parents, health results, the breeding permit and show results, and viewing the litter before buying. Ask which screening has been done (hips, elbows, shoulders, eyes) and under which rules. Look for a breeder.

In Slovenia the first bitch, imported from Switzerland, entered the stud book in 1996; the Svisart kennel says 1685 dogs of the breed were registered by September 2025. The breed is covered by the SKVPM (Swiss breeds section), while Svisart is a kennel, not a club.

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog or Bernese Mountain Dog

Under the FCI standards they differ in coat and size. The Bernese Mountain Dog (No. 45) is described as long-haired and stands 64–70 cm (males) and 58–66 cm (females), while the Greater Swiss has an outer coat of medium length and stands 65–72 cm and 60–68 cm. The UK Kennel Club writes that the Greater Swiss shares its origins with the Bernese but is heavier, with a short dense coat and a slightly heavier head.

It is larger than the other two Swiss breeds: the Appenzeller (No. 46) stands 52–56 cm and 50–54 cm, the Entlebucher (No. 47) 44–50 cm and 42–48 cm. More on the pages for the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog.

Who it suits, who it suits less, and on what conditions

It suits people with enough space and time who accept an independent, heavy dog that is reserved with strangers, and who are ready for socialisation, training and supervision during growth. It suits less well an outdoor kennel, a flat without daily exercise, hot regions, unsupervised time with small children, and the expectation of a Labrador in a larger size.

For a beginner the breed is a conditional fit: the SKVPM allows it if the owner invests time in learning about the breed and in training, and is strong enough to hold the dog.

Pros & cons