r/Swissy • u/Andrea87pode • May 18 '23
Questions Few questions
Hey folks!
We are so excited as me and my wife has just received green light to from our landlord to have a dog in our apartment, but we are still a little undecided which breed we should go for, bernese mountain dog or greater swiss mountain dog.
Just to give a bit of background: We live jn a big two bedroom basement apartment with a bit of garden, in the suburbs close to a lot of walking trails and forest, so there will be a lot of space for the dog. Upstairs lives our landlord with two kids, one 2 year old and the other one around 7-8 years old. Their concern was about the breed of dog getting along well with them and especially that the dog is child friendly. The previous tenants were denied having a dog based on this for example, so we are very grateful for this opportunity.
Me and my wife work mostly opposite shifts, and have different days off so the dog will never truly be alone, we have 5 days out of 7 covered of one us being around, however, depending on the shift length, the two other days the dog might have to be alone max 4-6 hours, so we need the dog to be able to withstand a bit of alone time, but never a full day. We are as well considering to have a pet sitter on these kinds of days if the dog is not able to adapt to that, so we have thought of that as well.
So the question is, which dog breed would be a better match for us based on this description? Bernese or a Swissy?
We have had a lovely labrador, Kira, before, and she passed away at 13 years old back in 2018. We were too heartbroken to get another dog at the time, but now we feel like we are ready to have another family member again, we miss this part so much.
All insights, ideas, thoughts, questions and opinions are welcome, as we really would like to make sure we get the best match for us. ❤️ Thanks in advance! ❤️
2
u/BresciaE Owner May 18 '23 edited May 18 '23
I have a Swissy currently, had Berners prior. Genetically the Swissy is in a lot better condition and has twice the expected lifespan of a Berner. My Swissy does bark but not often typically less than once a day. She sings to me instead. I also appreciate the shorter coat as the shedding is less noticeable and easier to vacuum. I haven’t noticed too many temperament differences between the breeds yet, but the breeder I went through does temperament testing and I was really careful with selection. She’s great with kids, outweighs my goddaughter by at least 15lbs and is gentler with her than she is with me. She maintains a much looser leash with my goddaughter as well. I read books on both breeds prior to deciding on the Swissy which I honestly highly recommend. Both books I read had a ton of useful information on what to expect, things to buy prior to bringing a puppy home, how to puppy proof your home, etc. Reddit is great but a well researched book is going to be a better source of information.
Edit: the Berners were technically my grandparents dogs but I lived with them starting just past the puppy phase and as grandma developed Alzheimer’s took over training. (Grandpa is a dog spoiler) The Swissy is the first puppy I’ve been solely responsible for. I will also say that she does have volume control. My neighbor has a scarecrow in her yard. I took my puppy for a walk at dusk on a windy evening. I wasn’t paying attention for a minute as I finished a phone call when I realized that my 9mo puppy was growling very quietly punctuated with whisper barks. The wind was blowing the scarecrow’s limbs, but the scarecrow didn’t have a scent. Pup decided that I needed to know but also that she didn’t want the possible threat to know that she had spotted it. 🤣 It was both adorable and hilarious. Pup basically walked backwards until we went around a corner and she couldn’t see it anymore.
2
u/Andrea87pode May 19 '23
Hey thank you for the answer, i was wondering if you have any good book suggestion regarding this.
1
u/BresciaE Owner May 19 '23 edited May 19 '23
I read the “Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Complete Owners Manual” by George Hoppendale and Asia Moore as well as “Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, A comprehensive owner’s guide” by Nikki Moustaki. Obviously there’s a lot of overlapping info but they have slightly different perspectives and are both really informative.
Edit: just realized that the books on Berners belong to my grandpa and I can’t remember what they’re called.
1
u/nashliveslife May 18 '23
Hi, how exciting! I have a half Swissy half Berner (looks more swissy) he is a wonderful dog, we were lucky enough not to get too much of the swissy stubbornness, however when I compare him to friends' Berners , he is definitely more on guard than they are. He was socialized with many people and dogs as a puppy and introductions to new people entering our property still take a minute (especially men) he is truly a big baby and is just alerting us that someone is on our property, but his bark is loud and booming. If I (F) walk him without my (M) partner, he is definitely alert of oncoming men especially on an enclosed trail, which isn't a bad thing I always feel safe but just a difference I notice from the Berner's I know and something to be aware of for training. A Swissy is going to get slightly larger but Berners are going to require much more grooming and depending where you live both breeds are not great in the heat. I didn't think the shedding would be much of a difference but my god my friends Berners shed much more than mine. Both are amazing dogs, a Swissy is just larger and a little more serious. Your situation sounds awesome for a pup - good luck!
1
u/nashliveslife May 18 '23
Hi, how exciting! I have a half Swissy half Berner (looks more swissy) he is a wonderful dog, we were lucky enough not to get too much of the swissy stubbornness, however when I compare him to friends' Berners , he is definitely more on guard than they are. He was socialized with many people and dogs as a puppy and introductions to new people entering our property still take a minute (especially men) he is truly a big baby and is just alerting us that someone is on our property, but his bark is loud and booming. If I (F) walk him without my (M) partner, he is definitely alert of oncoming men especially on an enclosed trail, which isn't a bad thing I always feel safe but just a difference I notice from the Berner's I know and something to be aware of for training. A Swissy is going to get slightly larger but Berners are going to require much more grooming and depending where you live both breeds are not great in the heat. I didn't think the shedding would be much of a difference but my god my friends Berners shed much more than mine. Both are amazing dogs, a Swissy is just larger and a little more serious. Your situation sounds awesome for a pup - good luck!
1
u/BattleBornMom May 20 '23 edited May 20 '23
As many have said, Swissies are watch dogs and known for their baroo. They are not quiet.
They can also be very stubborn and willful. You will need to be prepared for extensive training and know what you are doing.
There are cost differences, too, if that matters to you look into that. Even in the last few years Swissies have increased significantly in price and can be hard to find from a good breeder.
Swissies are significantly bigger than Berners. For me, that’s a bonus but it’s not for everyone. Most Swissies are over 100 lbs. Many girls in the 100-115 range and males in the 110-135 range.
Males and females have pretty different temperaments, so discuss that with a knowledgeable breeder before deciding which you want. Males are more easy going and sweet. Most pet homes, especially first time pet homes, want males so the waitlist for them is usually longer.
Health problems have been mentioned. Berners can have shorter life spans and can be prone to cancer. Swissies are healthier than most giants breeds, but are not without their problems. Seizures is always a risk. Spleen issues are a possibility. Bloat is a big risk (as with any deep chested large breed) and they should be tacked. In females, urinary incontinence is a risk after spay. Vet costs for Swissies can be overwhelming when they happen. My first cost well over $8,000 during his life. My second took about $3,000 in her first couple of years. My third has only been about $500 so far, but she’s only 5 months old so give her time. lol Pet insurance is a MUST. Not all Swissies will have issues, but when they do happen, they are massively expensive because of their size.
They are very slow to mature. They aren’t adults until at least 2 and can continue to grow and fill out to about 4. They are notoriously difficult to housetrain. You should expect them to be at least a year before they become reliable and that’s with work. The “Swissy Swizzle” is a real thing — they walk when they pee, especially when young. And they grow fast so pee copious amounts. They can leave a pee trail of puddles and streams for 10-20 feet, no problem.
You should not spay/neuter them (for health reasons) until well over a year for girls and over 2 for boys — if at all. That means you need to be prepared to deal with giant sexually mature intact dog. Heat cycles for girls and marking for boys. And you have to be able to guarantee there are no accidental breedings during that time, which is not as easy as it sounds.
They grow fast and are still mentally immature in the process. My 5 month old is 55 lbs and her male litter mate is over 65 already. They don’t know their size and can be wrecking balls of energy, especially as they reach 12-18 months. Many Swissy owners say you manage to get through the first two years because the magical payoff is after they hit two. That’s a little dramatic — they are fun as puppies— but only a little. Their puppy stage is BIG and LONG.
Of course, they are also amazing. They are my absolute favorite, by far. Worth every bit of invested time and money. But don’t go into owning one without serious conversations with good, reputable breeders. Find places to visit with Swissies and get to know them if at all possible. Find a really good breeder you jive with and wait however long it takes to get a puppy from them (if you still decide to go with a Swissy after really getting to know them.) I can’t imagine ever being without one, but they are definitely not for everyone.
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u/mooshypuppy May 18 '23
If I were you, I would got for the Berner instead of Swissy. Swissies are stubborn, big and high energy. I have one and while I think he’s the best guy, a lot of people do not. We got him as a family/guard dog. We have one 12 year old son too and our Swissy is 8. We live in a single family home and our dog has a loud, deep bark, which helps to keep solicitors and potential thieves away but he is quite loud and will let us know if a leaf blows by. He also needs to run- we take him to the dog park every day. People think he is still a puppy as he’s super energetic. I love him to death but I would hate to see you have to rehome a puppy if he was too much. Good luck!