Animal register · DogIn the app
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Great Swiss Mountain Dog, Swissy, Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog — called the Great Swiss Mountain Dog by the FCI and in the UK — is a sturdy, heavy-boned, well-muscled tricolour draught dog from Switzerland: black with symmetrical tan and white markings. The FCI standard gives a height of 65–72 cm for males and 60–68 cm for females and no weight; WebMD gives 52–64 kg for males and 39–50 kg for females. A dog of this size is fully grown at about 18–24 months (PetMD), and the Royal Kennel Club gives a lifespan of over 10 years (PetMD: 8–11 years).
The Royal Kennel Club recommends up to an hour of exercise a day and brushing once a week, and says the breed sheds and suits a large house with a large garden. PetMD calls Swissies great family dogs who are gentle with children (all interactions should be supervised), advises cleaning the ears weekly and not exercising them directly before or after meals because of the risk of bloat (GDV); WebMD advises brushing their teeth daily and keeping treats to a minimum, as the breed has problems with obesity.
Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).
Updated:
At a glance
- Size
- large — The Royal Kennel Club S654
- Adult weight
- males 52–64 kg, females 39–50 kg — WebMD Pets S658
- Daily exercise
- up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S654
- Brushing
- once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S654
- Shedding
- sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S654
Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.
Who it suits
The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.
What it needs
From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.
Exercise
- Daily exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S654
Coat and grooming
Meals
- Strongly motivated by food — helpful in training, but watch the portions. — WebMD Pets S658
General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):
Lifespan
Life stages
- Reaches adult size at: about 18–24 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10
General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):
Size and weight
Training
- FCI standard no. 58, group 2 (pinscher and schnauzer types, molossoid breeds and Swiss mountain and cattle dogs); origin: Switzerland. — FCI S652
Questions and answers
Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.
How much exercise does a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog need?
According to our sources, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog needs this much exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S654.
How long does a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog live?
According to our sources, the lifespan of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is: more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S654; 8–11 years — PetMD S656. The sources give different values, so each one is listed.
How big does a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog get and how much does it weigh?
Size and adult weight of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, according to our sources: Size: large — The Royal Kennel Club S654; Adult weight: males 52–64 kg, females 39–50 kg — WebMD Pets S658.
How much grooming does a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog need?
Coat and grooming of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, according to our sources: Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S654; Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S654; Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S654.
Who is the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog a good fit for?
Our sources describe the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog as a good fit for: family life — PetMD S656; families with children — PetMD S656; a large house and garden — The Royal Kennel Club S654. Keep in mind: needs mental challenges — PetMD S656; sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S654; loves food — watch the weight — WebMD Pets S658; thick coat — struggles in hot weather — VCA Animal Hospitals S657.
Game rules, not veterinary advice
How PetPrep simulates it
In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.
| Life stage | Starts | Meals a day | Daily step goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puppy | arrives at 2 months | 4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 2 | 1,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 6,000 from month 6 |
| Young dog | month 9 | 2 | 6,000 steps |
| Adult | month 36 (3 years) | 2 | 6,000 steps |
| Senior | month 90 (7.5 years) | 2 | 4,500 steps |
- Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 1 hour, so 6,000 steps a day.
- Learns commands as fast as the mixed breed of the free plan.
- Becomes a senior in month 90 (7.5 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
- Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
- Combing once a week.
- Care: brushing the teeth every day — a task for the child.
- Care: checking and cleaning the ears once a week — a task for the child.
- Care: trimming the nails once a week — a task for the child.
Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine, WebMD Pets S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S654S656S657S658
Common Greater Swiss Mountain Dog owner mistakes
Small habits that cause bigger problems — each point comes from the sources of this breed.
- Too little daily exerciseExercise needed: up to 1 hour a day. Plan it into every day, not only at weekends. — The Royal Kennel Club S654
- Skipping coat careBrushing: once a week. Sheds. — The Royal Kennel Club S654
- Too many treats and too-big mealsStrongly motivated by food — helpful in training, but watch the portions. — WebMD Pets S658
- Forgetting that the puppy is still growingAdult size reached at: about 18–24 months (guidance for its size class). Until then, plan exercise and food for a young animal that is still growing, and ask your vet what suits yours. — PetMD S10
- Overlooking the breed's known health issuesCan be prone to hip and elbow dysplasia; breeders are advised to have the parents' hips and elbows tested before breeding. Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus), where the stomach twists, can occur in the breed — it is an emergency that needs a vet straight away. Splenic torsion, a twisting of the spleen that needs urgent veterinary care, is more common in this breed than in other large breeds. Epilepsy, a brain disorder that can cause seizures, occurs in the breed. Eyelid problems can occur in the breed: eyelids that turn inwards (entropion) or outwards (ectropion), and cherry eye, where the third eyelid pops out. Urinary incontinence, an uncontrolled leaking of urine, can occur in the breed. — The Royal Kennel Club, PetMD, WebMD Pets S654S656S658
In PetPrep a child practises exactly these habits — steps, meals, care — before the real pet comes home.
Health
For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.
- Can be prone to hip and elbow dysplasia; breeders are advised to have the parents' hips and elbows tested before breeding. — The Royal Kennel Club S654
- Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus), where the stomach twists, can occur in the breed — it is an emergency that needs a vet straight away. — PetMD S656
- Splenic torsion, a twisting of the spleen that needs urgent veterinary care, is more common in this breed than in other large breeds. — WebMD Pets S658
- Epilepsy, a brain disorder that can cause seizures, occurs in the breed. — PetMD S656
- Eyelid problems can occur in the breed: eyelids that turn inwards (entropion) or outwards (ectropion), and cherry eye, where the third eyelid pops out. — PetMD S656
- Urinary incontinence, an uncontrolled leaking of urine, can occur in the breed. — PetMD S656
Before you buy: what to check with the breeder
Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.
For every breed
- See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
- The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
- Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
- Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
- National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
- Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10
Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.
Health tests of the parents for this breed
Tests the Royal Kennel Club recommends as a minimum
- Genetic diversity — check the inbreeding coefficient — The Royal Kennel Club S654
Further tests for best practice
These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.
Similar breeds
Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.
Sources
Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.
- S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
- S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
- S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
- S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
- S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
- S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
- S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
- S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
- S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
- S652FCI — FCI breeds nomenclature — Great Swiss Mountain Dog (58)https://www.fci.be/EN/nomenclature/GRAND-BOUVIER-SUISSE-58.html
- S653FCI — FCI-Standard N° 58 Great Swiss Mountain Dog (Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund), EN (PDF, 25.03.2003)https://WWW.FCI.BE/Nomenclature/Standards/058g02-en.pdf
- S654The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Breeds A–Z: Great Swiss Mountain Doghttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/working/great-swiss-mountain-dog/
- S656PetMD — Zack Newman, reviewed by Barri J. Morrison, DVM (updated Nov. 30, 2023) — Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Breed Health and Carehttps://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/greater-swiss-mountian-dog
- S657VCA Animal Hospitals (LifeLearn) — Greater Swiss Mountain Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/greater-swiss-mountain-dog
- S658WebMD Pets — Alyssa Anderson, medically reviewed by Vanesa Farmer, DVM (June 2, 2024) — What to Know About Greater Swiss Mountain Dogshttps://www.webmd.com/pets/dogs/what-to-know-greater-swiss-mountain-dog
- K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
- K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
- K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
- K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
- K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy
PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.
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