Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Forum:
gotta have one now!!

I consider myself a dog fancier, and a protector of the GSMD breed. It upsets me to see so many "gotta have one now!" messages on this board. Ive looked at at least 2 dozen other breed boards, and this epidemic is really only prevalent on the swissy board.

I know that many of you would make great swissy owners, but many of you wouldnt. Why? Because these are very high maintenance dogs, more than most people are willing to put up with. My male was 100% housetrained until 14 months of age. All 3 make a huge mess when eating or drinking, my kitchen carpet is mildewed from all the excess water. They shed constantly and I have tumbleweed hairballs all over my house.

But you know what?? I wouldnt trade them for anything, love them to death. Just please: LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN BEFORE YOU BUY!!!

I have known of many swissies that had to be put down, for aggression (requiring stitches) and for epilepsy. There are lots of great breeders out there, and some not s

I forgot to mention:

Most reputable breeders have 3X the amount of buyers as they do puppies. The wait is long, but worth it. Most breeders do not advertise, because they do not have to. I would be wary of any breeder that responds to your "I want one now!" message on a bulletin board.

Please go to gsmdca.org and/or greaterswiss.com and read everything you can. Many many breeders also have personal websites, most will be picked up by any search engine.

Before you buy any dog, swissy or other wise, please learn everything about the breed. Yes, the swissy is an impressive looking dog. But looks are not everything. This may not be the breed for you, but there are over 150 AKC recognized breeds, and countless mixes in shelters in need of a home.

I dont breed these, but I agree that if someone is looking for a dog, to be the looker... dont advertise and wait for breeders to contact you. There are many places where you can start the search for your dog. It is worth the wait to get the right dog, rather than one with problems which you will ultimately have to deal with. This goes for any breed. Check the breeders references, and if not satisfied, go to another breeder. Expect good breeders to check you out as well.

I want to first say that I totally agree that anyone and everyone looking for a companion should do an incredible amount of homework. However, I will say that once we had done our homework, we were of the mindset, "Gotta have one now!!" You must agree, that once you get to know these beautiful animals, you can't live without them. They are so hard to find, that if you don't get one right away, you do tend to get frustrated. Maggie is the best thing that ever happened to this family!