The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is one of four native breeds of  Switzerland.  These four native breeds are referred to as Sennenhunds.  The other three breeds are the Appenzell Cattle Dog, the Entlebuch Cattle Dog, and the Bernese Mountain Dog.  At this time, only the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and the Bernese Mountain Dog are recognized breeds by the A.K.C.  The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, also known as the 'Swissy', is considered the oldest, as well as the largest, of the four.
     As to the origin of these breeds there are three possibilities that have the most support from canine historians.  The first takes place around 58 B.C. when the Roman Legions invaded Switzerland, bringing with it a mastiff like dog, that is known as the Mollosian.  These dogs had two main jobs in accompanying the army, one was as a guardian of the troops at night, and the second was use as a herding dog for the flocks of animals that were with the army as a source of food. These dogs  interbred with the dogs that were already in the area, and over time established a foundation for the final four breeds.
     A second school of thought is that a similar dog to the Mollosian was already existing in central Europe.  The dogs that the Romans brought with them were bred to the native dog and formed the foundation for the Sennenhunds.
     The third opinion, not necessarily the last, is that a mastiff type dog was brought to Spain by the Phoenicians around 1100 B.C.  As people found work for this type of dog to do, it was interbred with native dogs eventually moving its genetic influence eastward across Europe.
     In any case, the fact is that the farmers of the mountainous country of Switzerland had a use for these dogs.  At that time the breeding was not systematic.  There was no registry, no stud books, no conformation.  A farmer would look at a neighbor's dog and decide if the quality of that dog was what he wanted in his dog. The farmers in that time period would not travel far to breed a female dog, the puppies would end up staying close to home, maybe a farm or two away. Maybe, it simply happened, one dog in the field meets another dog in the field. In any event, the dogs started to have a stability in appearance and in temperament.  Puppies would be judged on what the needs of the farmer were.  Swissies were known as "the poor man's horse", because they could work in harness and could pull carts of produce to market, the Swissy had a natural ability as a draft dog.  They could work herding and guarding the cattle and sheep. These were also family guard dogs.  This breed was often referred to as a "butcher's dog", the dog would guard the butcher's shop, and accompany the butcher on his rounds.  If a puppy did not measure up to the owner's needs, it was eliminated.
    The 1860's were the time that the Swissy was most widely owned throughout the mountainous regions of Switzerland.  Then the Industrial Revolution occurred, spreading the benefits of machines across central Europe, and the mechanization of the farm eliminated the need for these large, powerful animals.  By the year 1900 the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog had simply disappeared from most areas and was on the verge of disappearing completely.
     The Swiss Kennel Club celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1908 by sponsoring a Jubilee Dog Show.  At this show were two entries under the Bernese Mountain Dog, but they had short hair.  A famous dog expert and judge by the name of Dr. Albert Heim, recognized these dogs not as Bernese Mountain Dogs, but as a new breed.  He felt that these two were too spirited, too superb to simply be poor specimens of a Bernese.  It was at this show that he gave these dogs their breed name, 'Greater Swiss Mountain Dog', and he campaigned with the Swiss dog fanciers to rescue this vanishing alpine breed.  It was one year later, that the Swissy was recognized by the Swiss Kennel Club.
     The Swissy remained few in number, even today there are not really all that many, register or unregistered.  During World War II the Swissies were used by the Swiss Army as draft animals, especially in the mountainous areas of their country.
     The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog was not seen in the United States until 1968.  This same year the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America (GSMDCA) was formed. In  1985 this breed became eligible to compete in A.K.C. shows in the Miscellaneous Group.  In 1995 it was granted full status with the A.K.C. in the Working Group.
     The Swissy today enjoys working in a variety of jobs, along with its owners.  It not only competes in conformation (show ring), it enjoys obedience trials, competes in drafting, weight pulling, herding, agility, packing, and is also used in therapy assistance and search and rescue.  The GSMDCA also offers versatility and working titles, recognition for the wonderful work that this animal is capable of doing and enjoying.

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