The Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs Breed Information and Origins

  The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a wonderful breed, and a wonderful working dog.  The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is correctly pronounced Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.
Here is a Description of the greater swiss mountain dog:
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a large, strong, muscular, draft dog. The body is slightly longer than it is tall. The front legs are straight and strong with rounded, compact feet.  Their expression is attentive and intelligent. The muzzle is blunt, and the nose and lips must always be black. The pendant, medium-sized ears are triangular. The long tail reaches to the hocks. GSMD has a beautiful tri-color double coat (black with rich rust and white markings).  The tip of the tail, a blaze on the muzzle and a large marking on the chest are white. A white collar or patches on the neck are permitted. Any base color other than black is a disqualification.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is considered the oldest of the Swiss breeds and was instrumental in the early development of both the St. Bernard and the Rottweiler. There are several theories regarding the ancient origins of the Swiss Sennenhund breeds.  The early ancestors of the Swissy were used by farmers, herdsmen, and merchants in central Europe . Selective breeding was more commonly based on the dog's ability to perform a particular function, such as pulling loads or guarding, rather than on any acknowledged breed standard. Consequently, a group of dogs bred to perform a certain function took the name of that activity, such as Viehhunde, or cattle dog. Throughout the early 20th century, the population of GSMD in Europe grew very slowly, and it is still a rare breed both in the US and in its native Switzerland . During WWII the breed was used by the Swiss Army as a draft dog and by 1945 it is believed there were approximately 350-400 dogs in existence.
This decrease in numbers is possibly due to the increasing availability of mechanized transport as an alternative to the traditional use of the Swissy as a draft dog.
Here is a Description of the temperament of a greater swiss mountain dog:
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is steady, watchful and protective, but not aggressive. An excellent, courageous, alert watchdog who will bark at strange noises and intruders. He needs to be a part of the family and prefers to be with his people all the time.Willing and loves to please, they are excellent with children. Loyal and adoring they are generally good with other pets and are not generally dog aggressive. The GSMD gets along well with family pets, but may have to be taught not to chase. They are slow to mature, both physically and mentally. "Puppyhood" may last 2-3 years.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs is a realitively heathy dog, however it is prone to some health conditions, and they are as follows:

• Like many large deep-chested dogs, the GSMD is prone to bloat and hip dysplasia.
• Some lines have incidences of epilepsy and digestive disorders.
• Many Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs have distichiasis, a condition in which extra eyelashes grow along the edge of the eyelid.
• These extra lashes can curl inward and scratch the eye. Though the condition may not pose any problem, it sometimes requires surgical correction.

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More Information on
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Puppies, Rescues and Breeders
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, or Großer Schweizer Sennenhund, is the largest of the traditional Swiss herding breeds, the Sennenhunds, a grouping in which the Bernese Mountain Dog is also included. They are believed descended from large dogs brought to Switzerland by the Romans in the first century B.C., although another theory states that they arrived many centuries earlier with Phoenician traders. In any case, they are almost certainly the result of the mating of indigenous dogs with large mastiff-type dogs brought to Switzerland by foreign settlers. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are believed to be in the ancestry of both the Saint Bernard Dog and the Rottweiler.
Appearance
This dog is a large, muscular, tricolour (black, red, and white; typically with a white blaze) dog. Males weigh up to 140 pounds (64 kg), and females up to 115 pounds. It is double-coated, with a gentle expression and triangular, folded ears. The dog should give the impression of working ability.
Temperament
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has a reputation of combining protectiveness with a gentle nature, particularly with respect to its love of its family, especially children.
These dogs are strong, active, and remarkably agile for their size. A Swissy can be trained for weight-pulling competitions and/or to pull carts behind them carrying goods or even a person. Prospective owners need to be prepared to give them lots of time and attention. Owners will often note that, despite their large stature, they will often behave as if they are a lap dog.
History
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, a dog of great strength, was originally a herding dog, but was later used for draft. It may have been the advent of mechanized vehicles, combined with the rise in popularity of the Saint Bernard Dog, that led to the decline in popularity of the GSMD. However it happened, the breed was believed to be extinct, or nearly so, by the turn of the 20th Century.
In 1908 an owner named Franz Schertenlieb entered his mountain dogs in the Swiss Kennel Club (SKG) jubilee conformation dog show, knowing that they would be seen by an expert in native Swiss dogs, Dr. Albert Heim. Dr. Heim, an avid fancier, was apparently delighted to find a living example of the Großer Schweizer Sennenhund, and exhorted the members of the Kennel Club to do all that they could to safeguard the breed, including scour farms and villages for healthy specimens for a breeding program.
His suggestion was acted upon, and a careful breeding program was begun. Due to the meticulous nature of the selection process, the lack of worthy brood bitches, and the requirement that all puppies be reexamined as adults for conformation and temperament before being certified as suitable for breeding, breed numbers grew slowly.
All-breed club recognition
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, now often known as the GSMD or ‘Swissy’, is an example of an ancient, well-documented and established pure breed that was nevertheless not recognized by large all-breed kennel clubs around the world. The first GSMDs were introduced to the United States in 1968, and were recognized provisionally by the AKC in 1985 and received full recognition in 1995, an ironically late date for such an old breed of dog. It was recognized by the UKC in 1992.