General Appearance: The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a Draft and Drover breed and should structurally appear as such. It is a striking, tri-colored, large, powerful, confident dog of sturdy appearance. It is a heavy boned and well muscled dog 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, Proportion and Substance: Height at the highest point of the shoulder is ideally: Dogs 25½ to 28½ inches. Bitches 23½ to 27 inches. Body length to height is approximately a 10 to 9 proportion, thus appearing slightly longer than tall. It is a heavy boned and well muscled dog of sturdy appearance. Head: Expression is animated and gentle. The eyes are almond shaped and brown, dark brown preferred, medium sized, neither deep set nor protruding. Blue eye or eyes is a disqualification. Eyelids are close fitting and eyerims are black. The ears are medium sized, set high, triangular in shape, gently rounded at the tip, and hang close to the head when in repose. When alert, the ears are brought forward and raised at the base. The top of the ear is level with the top of the skull. The skull is flat and broad with a slight stop. The backskull and muzzle are of approximately equal length. The backskull is approximately twice the width of the muzzle. The muzzle is large, blunt and straight, not pointed and most often with a slight rise before the end. In adult dogs the nose leather is always black. The lips are clean and as a dry-mouthed breed, flews are only slightly developed. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. Neck, Topline and Body: The neck is of moderate length, strong, muscular and clean. The topline is level from the withers to the croup. The chest is deep and broad with a slight protruding breastbone. The ribs are well-sprung. Depth of chest is approximately one half the total height of the dog at the withers. Body is full with slight tuck up. The loins are broad and strong. The croup is long, broad and smoothly rounded to the tail insertion. The tail is thick from root to tip, tapering slightly at the tip, reaching to the hocks, and carried down in repose. When alert and in movement, the tail may be carried higher and slightly curved upwards, but should not curl, or tilt over the back. The bones of the tail should feel straight. Forequarters: The shoulders are long, sloping, strong and moderately laid back. They are flat and well-muscled. Forelegs are straight and strong. The pasterns slope very slightly, but are not weak. Feet are round and compact with well arched toes, and turn neither in nor out. The dewclaws may or may not be present. Hindquarters: The thighs are broad, strong and muscular. The stifles are moderately bent and taper smoothly into the hocks. The hocks are well let down and straight when viewed from the rear. Feet are round and compact with well arched toes, and turn neither in nor out. Dewclaws should be removed. Coat: Topcoat is dense, approximately 1-1/4 to 2 inches in length. Undercoat must be present and may be thick and sometimes showing, almost always present at neck but may be present throughout. Color of undercoat ranges from the preferred dark gray to light gray to tawny. Total absence of undercoat is undesirable and should be penalized. Page 2 of 2 Color: The topcoat is black. The markings are rich rust and white. Symmetry of markings is desired. On the head, rust typically appears over each eye, on each cheek and on the underside of the ears. On the body, rust appears on both sides of the forechest, on all four legs and underneath the tail. White markings appear typically on the head (blaze) and muzzle. The blaze may vary in length and width. It may be a very thin stripe or wider band. The blaze may extend just barely to the stop or may extend over the top of the skull and may meet with white patch or collar on the neck. Typically, white appears on the chest, running unbroken from the throat to the chest, as well as on all four feet and on the tip of the tail. White patches or collar on the neck is acceptable. Any color other than the "Black, Red and White" tri-colored dog described above, such as "Blue/Charcoal, Red and White" or "Red and White" is considered a disqualification. When evaluating the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, markings and other cosmetic factors should be considered of lesser importance than other aspects of type which directly affect working ability. Gait: Good reach in front, powerful drive in rear. Movement with a level back. Temperament: Bold, faithful, willing worker. Alert and vigilant. Shyness or aggressiveness shall be severely penalized. Summary: The foregoing is the description of the ideal Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Defects of both structure and temperament are to be judged more severely than mere lack of elegance because they reduce the animal's capacity to work. Any fault that detracts from the above described working dog should be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Disqualifications: Any color other than the "Black, Red and White" tri-colored dog described above, such as "Blue/Charcoal, Red and White" or "Red and White." Blue eye or eyes. Approved: April 8, 2003 Effective: May 29, 2003
FCI Breed Standard
GENERAL APPEARANCE: A tricolour, sturdy, heavy boned and well-muscled dog. In spite of his size and weight, he presents endurance and agility. The difference between the sexes is distinctly obvious. IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: • Body length (measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock) to height at withers = 10: 9. • Depth of chest to height at withers = 1: 2. • Length of skull to length of muzzle = 1: 1. • Width of skull to width of muzzle = 2: 1. BEHAVIOUR /TEMPERAMENT: Self-confident, alert, watchful and fearless in everyday situations. Good-natured and devoted towards people familiar to him. Self-assured with strangers. Medium temperament. HEAD: Strong corresponding to the body, but not heavy. Dogs stronger in head than bitches. CRANIAL REGION: Skull: Flat and broad. The frontal furrow beginning at the stop gradually runs out towards the top. Stop: Hardly pronounced. FACIAL REGION: Nose: Black. Muzzle: Strong, longer than its depth. Must not be pointed, seen either from above or in profile. Nasal bridge straight, without furrow. Lips: Barely developed, well fitting. Black pigmentation. Not pendulous. Jaw/Teeth: Strong jaws; complete, strong and regular scissor bite. The absence of two teeth (premolar 1 and/or premolar 2) is tolerated. Absence of the molars 3 (M3) is not taken into account. EYES: Almond-shaped, of medium size, neither deep set nor protruding. Hazel to chestnut brown, with alert, friendly expression. Lids close fitting. Eye rims dark. EARS: Of medium size, triangular and set on fairly high. In repose hanging flat and close to the cheeks but raised forward when attentive. Well covered with hair, both inside and outside. NECK: Strong, muscular, rather thick set. Without dewlap. BODY: Slightly longer than its height at the withers. Back: Moderately long, strong, and straight. Loins: Broad and well-muscled. Croup: Long and broad. Gently sloping. Never higher than the withers or abruptly slanting. Chest: Strong, broad, reaching to the elbows. Seen in cross section, the ribcage is roundish oval shaped, neither flat nor barrel shaped. Forechest well developed. Belly and underline: Belly and flanks barely tucked up. TAIL: Set-on harmoniously following the croup, fairly heavy and reaching to the hocks. Pendulous in repose; when alert and in movement carried higher and slightly curved upwards, but never curled or tilted over the back. LIMBS FOREQUARTERS: General appearance: Straight and parallel when seen from the front, set rather broad. Shoulders: Shoulder blade long, strong, well laid back, close-fitting to the body and well-muscled, forming a not too obtuse angle with the upper arm. Forearm: Heavy boned and straight. Pasterns: Firm, seen from the front in straight line with the forearm; seen from the side almost vertical. Forefeet: Strong, pointing straight ahead, with well-knit, well arched toes and strong nails. HINDQUARTERS: General appearance: Straight and not too close when seen from the back. Metatarsus and feet turning neither in nor out. Dewclaws must be removed except in countries where their removal is forbidden by law. Upper thigh: Fairly long, broad, strong and well muscled. Stifle: Forming a distinctly obtuse angle. Lower thigh: Fairly long. Hock: Strong and well angulated. Hind feet: Strong, pointing straight ahead, with well-knit, well arched toes and strong nails. GAIT/MOVEMENT: In all gaits, balanced movement with good reach. Free stride reaching well out in front with good drive from the hindquarters. At the trot, coming and going, legs moving forward in a straight line. COAT Hair: Double coat consisting of thick, outer coat of medium length and dense undercoat. The latter as dark grey or black as possible. Short outer coat permissible if there is undercoat. Colour: Typically tricolour. Main colour black with symmetrical, reddish-brown (tan) markings and clean white markings. The reddish-brown colour is situated between the black and the white markings on the cheeks, above the eyes, on the inside of the ears, on both sides of the forechest, on all four legs and underneath the tail. The white markings are on the head (blaze and muzzle), running down unbroken from the throat to the chest, also on the feet and the tip of the tail. Between the blaze and the reddish-brown markings above the eyes, a band of black should remain. A white patch on the neck or a white collar around the neck are tolerated. SIZE: Height at withers for males: 65 – 72 cm, Height at withers for bitches: 60 – 68 cm. FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog. • Unreliable behaviour. • Absence of any teeth other than 2 PM1 and /or PM2 (Premolar 1 or 2). The M3 are not taken into account. Level bite. • Light eyes. Lids not close fitting. • Coat: Visible yellow-brownish or light grey undercoat. Colour and markings not clear. • Mismarking: - Absence of white markings on the head; blaze too wide. - White marking on muzzle reaching distinctly beyond the corners of the mouth. - White pasterns or hocks (“boots”) reaching beyond the pastern joints or hock joints. - Noticeably asymmetrical markings. DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: • Aggressive or overly shy dogs. • Any dog clearly showing physical of behavioural abnormalities. • Over- or undershot mouth, wry mouth. • Entropion, ectropion. • One or two blue eyes (Wall eye). • Short coat without undercoat. • Long coat. • Other than tricolour coat. • Main colour other than black. N.B.: • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.