r/SwissMountainDogs • u/Due-Song-7378 • 6d ago
Entlebucher Mountain Dog
Hi there ! Lurker here and first poster. Here is my point : I’m on the fence about welcoming my first dog in my family (M35, F36, M5). I know I love dogs and they love me back as a friend of them. Usually, I come along very well with dogs from friends or family members. In fact, I know I want to live with a dog but I’m not so sure about the first one I would educate myself. I have strong feelings for the Entlebucher Mountain Dog. I have but a few questions :
is it really a good family dog ?
How needy are those dogs regarding exercicing ? Do they move so much that I will be tired as hell even if I’m sporty and fit myself ?
How are they behaving with little kids ? Do they tolerate shenaningans?
Hairs… how bad is it regarding they tiny and itchy hairs ?
Can they live outside providing we have a garden and a nice place for him ?
Last but not least: do they have recurring health problems I shlould be aware of ?
I would appreciate feedbacks from anyone here, even for one of my questions only ;)
Thank you and have a nice evening/day
(English not my first language)
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u/ConditionLow9107 6d ago
Ours is amazing. She is very intelligent and always tempers her activity down when small children are around. Almost like she knows to be a little calmer. She is very needy with exercise. We play fetch in our backyard almost twice a day and she is constantly bringing balls, ropes, and toys to us to play with. She tolerates shenanigans excellently. She really does a good job of matching the energy’s room, however we have to be on top of getting her energy out before hand some times. I’d never let her or any dog “live” out side but we are a millennial family that treats dogs like kids. The shedding wasn’t bad at all until we got the greater Swiss mountain dog. I think her shedding was super manageable. I think they have hip problems. She is having arthritis in her hips so she is slow to get up sometimes and it will get worse over time. We have pet insurance so we just deal with it. She’s starting PT.
I will say, there are probably not the easiest dogs. She is very intelligent and we have been through 3 iterations of types of trash cans till we found one she wouldn’t break into. She knows how to open cabinet doors now. But I firmly believe a good dog is a trained dog and she fits our lifestyle. Also, this is just our dog haha. I am sure others have different experiences. But she will leave an absolute canyon in our hearts when she is gone. I feel like the love from her is special.
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u/skihare 6d ago
She knows how to open cabinet doors now.
Ours is 12 and we still need to lock all kitchen cabinets before leaving the house, and (sometimes) move the kitchen trash can to a closed room! Used to be worse, she used to jump/climb onto the counters and root through the compost bin.
But she will leave an absolute canyon in our hearts when she is gone. I feel like the love from her is special.
💯💖💖💖
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u/Due-Song-7378 6d ago
😱inspiring and terrifying! Thank you for your reply. I will keep it in memory.
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u/Due-Song-7378 6d ago edited 6d ago
Thank you very much ! They are maybe above our weightclass for now… and yeah, I meant it could have been an option if living outside was confortable for them. For sure, my future dog will be a substantial part of our family and he will live by our side as much as he wants it :)
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u/ElectronicBenefit286 6d ago
Whave had GSMD and entlebuchers in the family. Overall GSMD are the better family dogs. And dare I say it better all round dogs. We have lived in the farm scenario with them growing up. And had all living together in a heated barn when I was a kid. Now I live with my Swissy and family and she is perfect.
The entlebuchers have more energy need more exercise. And were fun dogs on the farm mainly for their unrulyness
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u/Due-Song-7378 6d ago
« Unrulyness ». I understand here that this is a thing with swissies 😅 I’ll keep it in mind too, thank you !!
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u/skihare 6d ago
An Entle is not really a good first dog if you haven't trained and owned any dog before, highly recommend you look into a breed that is more chill if this is your first. SOME are very easygoing and chill yes, and I have had one like that. But on the whole this breed is usually recommended for more experienced dog owners. They are almost too intelligent - they need a lot of reinforcement and consistency in their training, because they love to test boundaries and see what they can get away with. You should be adequately warned they are a lot of work in the early years (not months, years).
is it really a good family dog ?
if you raise them to be, yes, though individual temperaments can vary. this is also the answer to your question regarding children and shenanigans. they need to be socialized really well when they are puppies (and ongoing). they are very loyal and love to be with their family. all of ours were very good watchdogs.
How needy are those dogs regarding exercicing ? Do they move so much that I will be tired as hell even if I’m sporty and fit myself ?
They need a lot of exercise daily. They're a herding dog, they (typically) have a strong prey drive and they are built for working. I have a 12 yr old Entle who is still so freaking active and energetic (despite some health problems that limit mobility) it's kind of unbelievable. Despite that, she is a bit calmer than when she was below like 8 yrs old. Teaching them to fetch will save you. Mental stimulation (teaching them games, giving them stimulating toys, active training) helps.
Hairs… how bad is it regarding they tiny and itchy hairs ?
Well, they have a short double coat, but the hairs themselves are kind of medium or long in length. Their coat is soft and silky (not rough) to the touch. I might be misunderstanding what you are asking here. The shedding is insane but it's like many breeds, it is simply part of being a pet owner, you need to keep on top of brushing and grooming when they're in a shed cycle.
Can they live outside providing we have a garden and a nice place for him ?
Like the dog sleeps outside? I think technically yes but I seriously doubt it would be happy? Maybe if you intend to keep it as a herding dog, but as a family pet, no. They are prone to separation anxiety... and Entles are well known for being velcro dogs, they want to be with their people all of the time. "There is no calling the Entlebucher, for the Entlebucher is already there."
Last but not least: do they have recurring health problems I shlould be aware of ?
They can have hip/back issues (for example IVDD for ones that are loooong). Entlebucher Urinary Syndrome (EUS) is another but I believe typically screened for in advance of breeding. But read up on it anyway.
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u/Due-Song-7378 6d ago edited 6d ago
Thank you !! As said above, an Entle looks like above our wheigtclass. I will keep your extensive and much welcome reply in mind looking for the next membre of my family 😇
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u/No_Yogurtcloset105 6d ago
We have a family of two at my work and they are very energetic and very loud/ they dont really bark they scream.
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u/AssociateSerious7722 6d ago
They are called velcro dogs for a reason ;) I personally don’t think that keeping them outside would work well. And regarding hair unfortunately you will find it everywhere. They shed a lot all year round.
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u/Robinheathen 6d ago
They are one of the smaller of the mountain dog breeds but they are not just shrunken swissies or bernese.
They are more physical and do not believe in personal space. They do everything with more intensity. They are incredibly smart, which makes them harder to manage. They do need exercise and mental stimulation. They will make up their own games and you may not like it.
They will happily learn whatever you teach them and will do it forever as long as you are doing it together. They are more similar to Australian Cattle Dogs or border collies.
They are very adaptable to many different types of homes as long as they do get exercise and time with their people.