GENERAL PUPPY INFORMATION

My primary goal, as a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog breeder is to preserve the type, temperament and working ability that IS a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, as defined by its breed standard.  I do not breed often and much research and thought goes into my decisions. I always strive to improve upon type, structure, health and temperament, with each generation. 

I do not keep more dogs than I can care for and love IN MY HOME.  So if you are looking for a breeder with a kennel full of dogs, keep on looking.  Because I live with my Swissies and they often accompany wherever I go, I am with them all the time. They are tremendously well socialized and I can tell you exactly what they are like in a wide variety of situations and locations, how they will respond to various situations, stimuli, etc.  The same is true of my Greater Swiss Mountain Dog puppies, who live in my home until they are ready to go to their new homes.  By that time they will have been exposed to a wide range of noises, environments, people of all shapes and sizes, strange dogs, etc.

I will tell you all I can about my dogs and their pedigrees.  I do not expect you to take my word for anything, and I will show you how to verify their Hip, Elbow and Eye clearances online.  And I WILL NOT breed dogs without passing clearances -- in other words it's not enough to say I test for Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, etc.  If my dogs do not receive passing grades (OFA numbers), they will not be bred.  The more digging you do into my practices and my dogs' backgrounds, the more impressed (NOT insulted) I will be.  I will tell you whatever I know about any other health issues their bloodlines have produced. All lines have produced health problems of some kind, there is no way to guarantee against most of them. But we can do everything possible to lower the risks, by breeding only healthy dogs who have all their health clearances. 

I breed primarily for myself, never to fill a growing demand for Swissy puppies.  That said, I will only keep a puppy that is an improvement upon its parents, and only those best puppies will be sold as "show potential" puppies. So yes, there will always be Swissy puppies looking for loving, dedicated companion homes.  In my opinion, there is no need to "breed for pets" because even when breeding the best dogs to each other, not every puppy will be "the best." Also, I choose not to work with many high volume breeders because I care deeply about where the descendants of my dogs will wind up (sadly, we have seen Swissies even from prominent kennels wind up in pet stores and puppy mills). 

Even though you may just want a Swissy as a companion/pet, please adopt your Greater Swiss Mountain Dog puppy from someone who shows their dogs, participates with them in a wide variety of activities, does ALL the requisite health clearances and is open and honest about ALL health concerns and risks...particularly when it comes to epilepsy, bloat/torsion, and the myriad of orthopedic issues that can affect a Swissy.

Whether you're in the market for a Swissy puppy now or down the road, from me or someone else, PLEASE do as much research as possible and meet as many Swissies and their owners, IN PERSON, as you can.  The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is not a breed for everyone, and you definitely want to make an informed decision before committing the next 10-12 years to one.

ARE YOU READY TO ADOPT A SWISSY?

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF BRINGING A SWISSY INTO YOUR FAMILY, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND
READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES, WHICH WILL GIVE YOU AN HONEST PERSPECTIVE ON THIS WONDERFUL BREED:
These articles were written by dedicated, long time Swissy owners.  They are not just more hype promoting the GSMD as the "ideal family dog" but an honest description of the reality that is Swissy ownership. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a very wonderful and special breed but it is not for everyone! Swissies vary in size, energy level and temperament and can be challenging for the first time dog owner and even experienced dog owners who have never lived with a true working breed. Many breeder websites gloss over the challenges of Swissy ownership because they are only interested in selling puppies and looking out for their pocketbook, not your best interests or those of their puppies.

In addition to reading and researching as much as you can, you should absolutely meet as many Swissies as possible before you commit to this breed.  You can't possibly know if you are well suited for Swissy ownership if you have never met a GSMD!  Information from books, television or the internet should never substitute for meeting the dogs and talking with experienced owners and breeders in person. 

DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR BREEDER? 

​There are all kinds of dog "breeders" out there -- from puppy mills to small hobby breeders, and everything in between. It can feel like a minefield, trying to navigate and figure out who is who, what is what.  How do you really know? For starters, I'd avoid online sites such as puppyfind.com and nextdaypets.com as these sites are typically used by brokers, puppy mills and backyard breeders.  Reputable breeders do not need online classified sites to place their puppies.  Reputable breeders should have very detailed websites, and you should visit as many sites as possible -- not just to see who has puppies now, but to take in what they disclose about their dogs, litters they have produced, health and temperament challenges facing the GSMD, and other breed information.  Visit dog shows in your area to meet breeders who at least show their dogs and should have a vested interest in protecting the breed (their breeding practices will shed more light on that).

Some of the backyard breeders and brokers online have become very sophisticated about the claims they're making (such as "home raised" and "champion bloodlines") because they see and study what reputable breeders are emphasizing on their sites. This is why it is so important to visit any breeder from whom you are considering getting a puppy so you can see for yourself how that breeder's dogs live and how their puppies are raised. There can be a lot of misleading information on some Greater Swiss Mountain Dog breeder websites.  A breeder claiming to have "puppies occasionally" may very well be a large volume breeder whose dogs spend most of their time in a kennel.  As their definition of "occasionally" may be different from yours, ask pointed questions and require specific answers. A true hobby breeder typically has only a handful of dogs and they usually live as family members in the breeder's home.  The hobby breeder will usually breed only a couple of litters a year but is active in conformation showing and other breed related activities.  In short, they support their dogs -- the dogs are not supporting them.

Be sure to ask about and VERIFY important information on the sire and dam of any litter you are considering, particularly the health clearances of the sire and dam (hips, elbows, shoulders and eyes).  If the dogs being bred are too young (under the age of 2) to have received final clearances from the OFA, in my opinion they simply should not be bred.  There is no reason, beyond greed, to breed these dogs too young, or too often.