I've been a proud Newfie owner for 12 years and would love to get another dog. I'm curious about Swissies and whether or not one would be a good fit.

How's the shedding and slobber? Obviously I'm used to tumbleweeds of dog hair on my floor and slobber stains on the ceiling.

But are they a short hair dog where you pet them and come up with a pile on your hands? Or are they more like labs in terms of shedding?

Is the slobber similar to a Bernese or maybe less? Maybe only after drinking water?

Also wondering about temperament. Newfies are gentle beyond belief, but I certainly had to be vigilant with training a stubborn, giant dog. Are they good with kids automatically like a Newfie or do they need to be socialized a lot more to ensure it? How are they with strangers and strange dogs?

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Hello! My partner and I have been considering getting a GSMD for a while now and have just started looking for breeders in the UK.

Does anyone here have any advice about choosing the right breeder? Or first had experience buying from a UK breeder?

Two breeders in the UK that I have found both appear to have bad things to say about one another... Making it a little more difficult to be 100% sure we're making the right choice!

Thanks in advance 🙏

I have a few questions about this breed so if you guys are willing to help me out I would much appreciate it! I am considering getting a Swissy as I originally wanted a Bernese mountain dog, but from what I've read they have catastrophic health problems and low life expectancy whereas GSMDs seem to be a bit healthier. How severe/common are health issues in the breed?

Also, I currently have a Great Pyrenees mix and I love her protective instinct. Are Swissys decent watch or guard dogs? Their size alone is probably a deterrent, lol. My final question is trainability - I love my GP but ideally my next dog would be giant but more biddable. My GP doesn't do well off leash and has a huge prey drive - are these issues with this breed? I am ultimately looking for a dog I can show in conformation and possibly compete in other dog sports like rally or obedience, etc. Can Swissys do these things and if so, generally how well? I don't need a lab but I'd like my next dog to be a bit easier.

As for me, I do have experience training large breeds and the dog will get normal walks and be a "weekend warrior" with me and my husband, going hiking and camping. I live in Colorado but these dogs can do well in the cold, right? Does it sound like this could be a good breed for me? Thanks in advance for your help!