Growth and Maturity
Below you will find photos illustrating the growth and maturity of a GSMD Dog and Bitch.
Swissies vary in size and as per the Breed Standard, can range in height.
There are no weights defined in the standard but since the GSMD was bred for all purpose farm work,
including pulling dairy carts and droving cattle, dogs and bitches should both have the substance and bone
necessary to perform such work.
A typical Swissy should not appear "weedy" (light boned) or resemble a Sporting or Hound breed.
The Standard reads " the GSMD is a WORKING breed and should structurally appear as such".
We must remember it is a "Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund" which translated from the German
is "the largest of" <the Sennenhunden>
Thus, the ideal Swissy should not be the size of a Labrador but typically the same size or larger than a Bernese Mtn Dog
It is important to remember that the GSMD like many other breeds in the WORKING Group, are MOLOSSERS
believed to have descended from the Tibetan Mastiff.
That being said, bigger is not always better.
Swissies should have good bone and substance but the well balanced dog of healthy body condition is always
preferable over a bigger dog who might be overweight or structurally unsound.
"Breed type" is the combination of traits which make a dog recognizable as a particular breed.
Thus a Swissy whose body profile looks more like a Smooth Collie, hound or sporting dog, does not carry desirable breed type.
Though an important factor in overall soundness <in many breeds> , top line and side gait alone do not define breed type!
Keep in mind that level top lines and fluid movement can be found on many dogs including mixed breeds .
The ideal GSMD should have level top line and balanced movement along with all the other traits that make him recognizable as a
GREATER Swiss Mountain Dog.
Swissies vary in size and as per the Breed Standard, can range in height.
There are no weights defined in the standard but since the GSMD was bred for all purpose farm work,
including pulling dairy carts and droving cattle, dogs and bitches should both have the substance and bone
necessary to perform such work.
A typical Swissy should not appear "weedy" (light boned) or resemble a Sporting or Hound breed.
The Standard reads " the GSMD is a WORKING breed and should structurally appear as such".
We must remember it is a "Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund" which translated from the German
is "the largest of" <the Sennenhunden>
Thus, the ideal Swissy should not be the size of a Labrador but typically the same size or larger than a Bernese Mtn Dog
It is important to remember that the GSMD like many other breeds in the WORKING Group, are MOLOSSERS
believed to have descended from the Tibetan Mastiff.
That being said, bigger is not always better.
Swissies should have good bone and substance but the well balanced dog of healthy body condition is always
preferable over a bigger dog who might be overweight or structurally unsound.
"Breed type" is the combination of traits which make a dog recognizable as a particular breed.
Thus a Swissy whose body profile looks more like a Smooth Collie, hound or sporting dog, does not carry desirable breed type.
Though an important factor in overall soundness <in many breeds> , top line and side gait alone do not define breed type!
Keep in mind that level top lines and fluid movement can be found on many dogs including mixed breeds .
The ideal GSMD should have level top line and balanced movement along with all the other traits that make him recognizable as a
GREATER Swiss Mountain Dog.
Swissy Dog
Male at 8 weeks
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Male at 6 months
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Male at 9 months
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Male at 15 months
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Male at 2-1/2 yrs
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Swissy Bitch
Bitch at 5 weeks (11lbs)
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Bitch at 4 mos. (55 lbs)
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Bitch at 8 mos. (90 lbs)
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Bitch at 16 mos (103 lbs)
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Bitch at 22 mos (110 lbs)
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