Big Paws Only Dog Forums
Mountain Dogs => Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Pictures => : dohertyswissy May 31, 2005, 03:33:28 PM
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Hey BPO!! As some of y'all know, me and the hubby took Ranger down to the beach for the weekend and I took lots of pictures to share with you guys!!! I just L-O-V-E this dog!!! He has gotten SOOOO big!! Sometimes I forget he is only 6 months old!!
Here's the first one....
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And again on the beach.....
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Hangin' Out with Mom.....
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Snugglin' Up with Dad
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Time for a nap.....whew! I am WORN out!!!
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Just one more.....back to guarding the door the next morning!!! A Swissy's work is never done!
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Those are great pics. It looks as if you all had a blast at the beach. Did Ranger get to go swimming? Were there other dogs there to play with?
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oh hes such a big boy! LMAO, it always cracks me up how big these "puppies" are.
looks like he is one happy boy!
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How pretty he is. Hubby looks pretty good too. hee hee. I love the looks of this dog. Where do you find a Swiss Mountain Dog ??? Do they drool a lot ??? I just lost our Queensland mix and am researching. We had CoCo for 18 years, so it is hard to believe she is no longer around. She just got too old to walk. She had a good life. Anyway Mountain Dogs seem terrific. tell me more.
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Ranger says thanks for all the complements and smooches! :-*
Jamie - Unfortunately, there were no other dogs on the beach this time around. However, he did make lots of friends, including a precious 2 year old boy who came right up and kissed all over his face! I was a little shocked, but then his father explained that had a Newfie at home! Then, it all made sense! LOL! As far as the water...he looked at us like we lost our mind! I know he was thinking... "HELLO Mom and Dad!! I'm a Mountain Dog!" He liked to stand at the edge, but the waves freaked him out! LOL!! :D
Peggy - I'd love to tell you more about my boy! There are four different types of Swiss Mountain Dogs. Ranger is the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and the other one that most are familiar with is the Bernese Mountain Dog. The Swissy, which we call them for short, is the larger, short-haired brother of the Bernese. Swissys were originally bred as draft dogs (cart pulling) and general purpose farm dogs in Switzerland. They did some herding and protected the family. They are a dry-mouthed breed, so no drooling! They do have an undercoat which they "blow" twice a year in the summer and in the fall. I'm sweeping up at least a poodle's worth of hair everyday right now! LOL! Shedding the rest of the year is minimal, from my experience. They are GREAT family dogs and get very attached to their people. It would break their heart to be exiled outside. Ranger is great with kids as well. Ranger doesn't bark a lot, but when he does something is definitely up. Some Swissys can be protective, so it is very important to socialize them. Ranger is a little shy of people he doesn't know, but once he realizes that we are okay with the person, he warms right up to them. Also, our breeder is careful to breed for temperament, as well as all the normal health and conformation standards. So, if you decide to talk to breeders, make sure that they are breeding for temperament as well. All of our breeders dogs were very, very friendly ... but did announce our arrival the minute we got there!!! As far as exercise requirements.. ..they are working dogs, so they do need some exercise, but the requirements aren't as high as some other breeds. Ranger requires one good walk and tossing the ball around in the yard daily and he is fine. He gets bursts of energy and then lazes around.
Couple of things to note....Swissy s are VERY slow to get potty trained. It can be frustrating. Just when you think you are over the hump...ANOTHER accident. Like a lot of working breeds, they do have a tendency to be stubborn, so training is crucial.
I'd suggest visiting the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America website: www.gsmdca.org . The articles I would suggest reading are: "Intro to the Swissy," "Breed History," "FAQ," and "Twenty-one Ways to Love your Swissy." Some of the other articles in my opinion tend to be a little alarmist and kind of intimidated me at first. However, once I met with our breeder and hung out with Swissys of all ages, I was hooked! Also, some information I disagree with, as they have been opposite of my experience with Ranger.
Whew...that was a little long winded. I just love talking about Ranger!!
Ultimately, though, Swissys are faithful, loving companions and I consider myself VERY lucky to have Ranger as my companion. If you have any questions or want more information, just let me know!! Swissys are GREAT dogs and I highly recommend them!
Oh - and if you want to find a breeder in your area, there is a breeder list on the GSMDCA website by state.
Heather :)
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Heather, your Ranger is so handsome! This is my first post to this forum since I got my Swissy, Baloo, the first of July!! It's so funny that they like to lay on their backs when they sleep! :D  Aren't they the coolest!?!
He's very unusual with one blue eye. But I thought it looked really cool, and we're not going to show him in conformation anyway. His eye gets LOTS of comments. He's also got a lot of white on him, but we think he's gorgeous! I can't wait until he's 6 months old. Although I don't want to rush this wonderful puppy stage. I AM tired of cleaning up after him, though. He does not poop in the house, and he pees on command when we're outside. But if the phone rings and he wakes up from a nap...I better get off the phone FAST because he's going to GO!
Where are you located? We're in Texas. I figured you aren't in Texas because the beach was white! ::)
I would love to hear any tips you've got to help me through these first months. I also read the Swissy Forum, which is a great source, too. What are you feeding Ranger?
Take care~
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;) Another picture...with Belle the Pyr
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;D Another face pic...
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;) Last one, I promise!... Here he is at our Fourth of July Children's Parade in our Historic District. It was a GREAT opportunity for socialization with people and other dogs, and even horses! It's funny that this Bulldog's head coloring is so similar to Baloo's. Notice that Baloo is ready to PLAY! ;D
Take care~
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aww what cute pictures!!
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Baloo is a doll! Welcome Alisa.
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He certainly has gotten big! :)
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Hi Alisa! Yahoo!! Another Swissy owner! Baloo is SUCH a cutie!!!! We looked at a Swissy with one blue eye, but ultimately decided on Ranger, due to his temperament. Swissys are WONDERFUL! Can't have a house without at least one from here on out! Ranger is my first Swissy.
I'd be more than happy to help you in anyway I can! As I'm sure you know, Swissys are notorious for slow potty training! At about 6 months, Ranger starting understanding that the entire house, not just his crate, was his "den" and that he wasn't supposed to go potty in the house. We were fortunate, like you, that it was only pee in the house....but, MAN! When he did pee, it was ALOT and I called it the "travelling pee" because he'd walk around and pee at the same time. ARGH! Somedays I thought if I had to clean up pee one more time, I was going to throw myself out a window! Just hang in there, b/c at 6 months, you should have a little bit more leadway as to when to let him out and they can hold it a lot longer. They'll still be some accidents, but they are not nearly as frequent! Ranger is now 8 months and we have few to no accidents. It is a relief!
As far as food goes, we are currently feeding him Iams Large Breed. It is the only food that we found in our area that has the proper amounts of protein, fat, etc. that was recommended by our breeder. Yes, I was the big dork that read every freaking bag in the store! However, there has been some negative things flying around about Iams, so I am researching that. Also, we do a partial raw diet. No raw meat, cooked only and plenty of veggies, yogurt, etc. We found that the raw meat gave him some bad poops and it just sketched me out.
Don't know if you are doing puppy obedience, but I highly suggest it. It was a great way to socialize Ranger and get him used to obeying commands in the midst of chaos! Also, Swissys tend to be a little shy and wary of new things, which is good, but Ranger was very wary of people and other dogs. After obedience class, he was much more friendly. Of course, he is still protective, but knows that if Mom says this person/thing/dog is okay, then it is!
I just love it when they spread out on their backs! It is so funny to see Baloo doing that too! Ranger is up to 93 lbs and he STILL does it! It just takes up ALOT more room! LOL! Actually, I'm in North Carolina...but .....I've actually thought about possibly moving to Texas, so I'd love to hear about your home state!
Feel free to send me a personal message or chat here through the forum.
Heather :)
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Ranger is beautiful. I love large dogs and really considered a swissy, but ended up with a dogue instead (two of them, plus the boxer we already had).
You mentioned the raw diet. I also do a partial raw diet where I give them raw in the morning and kibble at night. Yes, the raw meat at first will make them have runny poop, but it will go away. If you limit the amount of fat and skin it helps a lot. Mine do really well with chicken, and I can get quarters for .43/lb at wally-world. Since I have started this my 3 dogs are more energetic and have much better teeth (my 3/yo boxer had quite a bit of yellow and now has just a small speck left on one tooth). I am not a "fanatic" or else I would be doing completely raw, but I do feel following natures course is the right way. I also give fish oil for healthy skin, coat, and heart.
I don't feed any veggies or fruits, other than occasional small amount of table scraps. I follow the "prey model" diet and believe dogs in the wild would not be eating much corn, carrots, or potatoes.
Hope this may help a bit. Any questions email me at jamydotjohnson@usdotarmydotmil (spelled out).
LOVE YOUR DOG!!!!
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"Traveling pee" that is great! Well, it sucks, but the name is great! I am so glad to hear that someone else suffered with this. Boudreaux would do this with no warning...no whining, no circles, no sitting by the door, no sniffing...jus t walk and pee. ARGH! We cleaned the carpets and the dogs this weekend so I am REALLY hoping the "traveling pee" has traveled elsewhere!
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That's so funny that I just saw this thread. I just started researching Swissys. I was thinking that this would be my next dog at some point. Of course I'll have to stop adopting my fosters to be able to get a Swissy. I even ordered some books about them. Thanks for all the information too.
Kat
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Wow, this is such a familiar pose. Emmett loves to lay like this!!
-B
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Hey y'all! I'm glad to see that this post got resurrected at some point and you guys are lovin on my big guy!
I'm in and out of here quite often, so any questions or if you need funny stories about Swissys, let me know!
Thanks for the info about the raw diet too, JamyJ!