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We recommend taking the puppy with you as often as possible getting them use
to different people, situations, dogs and other animals.
A good mannered sound temperament dog is only as good
as you make it. If you do not have the dedicated time
in your daily schedule for these things, it may not
be the breed for you and your family.
Temperament
(written by Karen Conant)
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I feel that the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
has suffered from widespread misrepresentation. Our breed
is being touted as the "ideal familycompanion" in
a variety of publications, on a host of web sites, and on
the over-aired Animal Planet segment. This image has many
damaging consequences for our breed.
The temperament of the Greater Swiss Mountain
Dog is reflective of it's heritage as general purpose farm
and watch dog. Those attributes which make for an ideal working
dog are often less than ideal for an urban companion.
Let's take a look at what the "ideal family dog"
might be. Assuming that the average American family is composed
of a combination of adults and children, living a busy lifestyle
in an urban environment, I might define the "ideal family
dog" as one that is born generally well-mannered; is
easily trained; good natured; doesn't bark in excess; has
very few health problems or concerns; is always friendly with
strangers; who demands very little from his family; requires
little if any entertainment; and could easily be walked throughout
the neighborhood by even the youngest members of the family.
Now ask yourselves, does this define the Greater Swiss Mountain
Dog? I think not. (please refer to "Is a Greater Swiss
Mountain Dog Right For You?")
In examining the breed standard which was
written by the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America,
and which ultimately became our official AKC breed standard
in 1995, the description of the GSMD temperament reads: "Bold,
faithful, willing worker...alert and vigilant..." Now,
let's define "BOLD" (the first adjective used to
describe the GSMD in our standard):
Random House Dictionary definition: bold • 1. courageous
and daring 2. not hesitating to breach the rules of propriety
3. fearless, brazen, forward; may refer to manners in a derogatory
sense...
Like it or not, these are the very words
chosen to describe the temperament of our breed. One must,
of course, realize that a bold dog is not synonymous with
a bad-tempered dog, but could perhaps be indicative of a pushy
dog; one that can be hard to train; one that requires a commitment
to proper socialization; and one that must be taught "pack
leadership." Alert and vigilant would indicate that the
dog is watchful, perhaps wary of strangers; prone to barking;
protective of territory, etc. These adjectives are used in
many breed standards for dogs in the working group. Working
breeds do not match every lifestyle and require careful consideration
as bold and dominant temperaments can be challenging for inexperienced
dog owners.
The original FCI (European) standard for
the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog describes the breed's temperament
as:
"Confident, alert, watchful and fearless in everyday
situations. Good natured and devoted towards those familiar
to him. Self assured with strangers. Medium temperament."
What we must be most committed to is educating prospective
puppy buyers about the TRUE characteristics of our breed,
good and bad, desirable and undesirable. The end result is
perhaps a smaller "market" for our puppies, but
a more successful outcome with their new homes. Please, let's not paint the Swissy as a
tri-colored Labrador Retriever. Let's be honest and forthright
to those new to the breed. Let's rise above the dollar signs
and work to preserve the true characteristics of this breed,
and instead of molding them to fit our lazy American lives,
let us continue to give them a purpose and search out the
very best environments in which their instincts may flourish.
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