What size collar will my Swissy need? You’ll need a 8-10 inch collar when they are around 2-3 months old. As adults, they’ll be anywhere from 24-28 inches depending on how you like the collar to sit on the neck.
What size crate will my Swissy need? For adults, 40-48 inch long crates are great for at home use. For car travel, 40 inch crates (regular or narrow) are fine sizes. This translates into a 400 size East Coast Crate, 450 or 500 series Impact Crate (40 inch+), 42 or 48 inch wire crates, or XL Ruffland crates.
History: Short Version: Greater Swiss are thought to be developed from the Mollasian and accompanied the Roman legions.
Function: The Greater Swiss is an all purpose farm dog. They were often called the poor man’s horse, meaning if you could not afford a horse, you had a Greater Swiss help with the farm work. They were used for drafting, packing, herding (droving style), and sentry dog.
Breed Summary: The Greater Swiss is a striking, tri-colored, large, powerful, confident dog of sturdy appearance which, in spite of its size and weight, is agile enough to perform the all-purpose farm duties of the mountainous regions of its origin.
Size: Males – 25½ to 28½ inches. Females – 23½ to 27 inches. Expect fit weight to be between ~80-135 lbs.
Temperament: Bold, faithful, willing worker. Devoted to their families. Clownish and happy. May be outgoing or aloof with strangers. Will alarm bark (Baroo) at things out of the norm. Should get along well with other dogs and people.
Serious Health concerns: Epilepsy, Bloat, Splenic torsion.Other concerns: Eye lid issues, joint issues.
From OFA health survey (706 responses):
Bloat – 3.1%
Spleen – 1.4%
Epilepsy – 5.6%
OFA results since 2021:
Hips – 93.4% normal
Elbow – 84% normal
Shoulder – 97.3% normal
My Swissy puppy is walking funny. Does this mean we have a hip problem? Swissy puppies will often move at a pace, meaning that both legs on the same side move in unison. Both front and rear legs on the right side are in the forward position as both front and rear legs on the left side are in the back position. This leads to a walk with extreme sway, and it does not indicate anything from an orthopedic perspective. If your puppy moves a little faster, they will typically move into a trot, meaning that legs on opposite sides move in unison. The front right leg and the rear left leg move forward together. The front left leg and the rear right leg move forward together. Pacing is often normal for a Swissy puppy, and, alone, it should not be a cause for concern. Here’s a video demonstrating the pace and the trot.
https://youtu.be/t2ShnyjOdQw?si=nR34W2oN5SEGFAqZ