Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs German Shepherd?

They’re both really great breeds. If this is your first dog I’d recommend the shepherd as they can be a bit more manageable for a first timer (depending, of course, on the dog’s background) and the Swissie is exceptionally physically strong and pretty stubborn. Be sure you know the backgrounds and training levels of both. I’d take either one in a minute! You might want to research them on the breed specific web sites.

@JilltheTooth I have been researching both. I have read so much on German Shepherds, that I know more than I think I am supposed to. I recently started looking into the swissies. They seem to be great as well. The reason I like German Shepherds, is how loyal they are to the pack. Alert, but never aggressive. However, I like the swissy because he is so large and strong. I had a Brittany growing up, (mixed I am not sure what) great dog. We had him trained to stay on only the tiled kitchen, and he could always be trusted without a leash. However, I like the idea of giving the dog a backpack of supplies to carry. :)

The one thing I read about Swissies that makes me nervous, is someone said they are not very playful. That, they wont want to play fetch.

I want to play fetch. :) I think getting in a tug of war with a dog stronger than me could get interesting!

I have had three GSDs.They are beautiful and smart.
Gracie is excellent on hikes and does have a backpack.She also has carried a baseball bat for me on our walks in case I have to pummel a coyote.;)

@mowens : The Swissies I’ve known have a serious work ethic and really aren’t all that playful, I’ve seen them be a bit confused by the concept. They’re fairly rare, so are much closer to their working roots than the Shepherds are. And yes, they are massively strong. Tough choice, there.

@JilltheTooth Have you been around both breeds? I also like the fact that Swissies are rare. I think both dogs are beautiful. Who knows! I might get both!

@lucillelucillelucille Aww Gracie looks adorable! Where did you get her? Do you have more pictures?

I’ve spent more time around Shepherds, but I’ve known a few Swissies, and a bunch of Berners (Bernese Mountain Dogs, they look like long haired Swissies but are more playful and not quite as strong and they shed like nobody’s business). For the kind of thing you want, I think the shepherd is a good choice, but who knows, maybe the Swissie you want has the rare playful gene!

Swissies are lovely dogs, but much more sedate than the GSD. They also have shorter lifespans. Both breeds are prone to some pretty nasty genetic disorders, which can be a real concern in a rescue dog of unknown background. Bloat is a danger in both breeds, but especially the Swissy.

GSDs are so variable, temperment-wise, depending on whether they are work or show bred, American or German lines (or, unfortunately, terrible backyard-breeder bred.) So it’s harder to generalize about them than about the much-rarer Swissy.

@crisw what if I decide to go to a breeder? My problem with breeders is they all look like they are in it for the money. I don’t mind paying for a puppy, but Ohio isn’t exactly a hub of excitement.

@JilltheTooth but swissies do like to run. What about bike jorging with either breed? Right now I’m currently leaning toward GSD, but I don’t want to rule out the swissy. I read that swissies tend to match the physical levels of their masters.

Remember that Swissies are much heavier than Shepherds, and runnung any distance is not their forte, and can in fact do damage to their joints. Shepherds, being herding dogs, having running in their genes. And about the breeders, most of them don’t make a lot of money, they do it for love of the breed. You can probably find out about the reliability of the breeders through the local breed club, they don’t want anyone selling who has poor quality puppies and will be an excellent resource for quality. The vets in your area might also be a good source for info.

@mowens- I got her from a breeder.Her dogs have been used as guide,therapy,police,agility and show.
Pictures?? You asked for it! XD
1
2 She loves the water :)
3
4
5

Ooh, Lucythrice, Zuppy and I are on our way over to play!!!

@lucillelucillelucille number 5 didn’t work! Very cute dog however. :)

@JilltheTooth -Anytime! We’d love it!:)
@mowens -I just re-did it :)

GSD it is! :)

Oh, I wanna get a puppy now!

@mowens -Yay!! :)))

But the question remains… How do I find a breeder? Just contact a local breeder group? I’ll drive almost anywhere in the Midwest.

Go to the AKC website and work from there.

@mowens

There is a lot of data out there about how to choose reputable breeders.

Here’s an article I wrote on the topic. (Unfortunately, it’s about 15 years old; the links may not work any more! I didn’t even realize it was still online…)

Your first decision is to determine what type of GSD you are looking for. You said you’ve done a lot of research on GSDs- are you looking for show or working lines, American or German or other European lines? The issues as far as health and temperament are different depending on which you are looking at.

@JilltheTooth

For many breeds, the AKC is a good first step. However, for GSDs, I’d make the decision on working vs. show lines first, as most working GSD breeders and European/German line breeders are not fond of the AKC.

@crisw that article hits the American lines pretty hard. A lot of American lines do have schutzenhund titles. Does the test change depending on location? I don’t plan to show it, but I’m not putting it to work either. I just want a companion dog. I also want the most healthy dog possible. From what I’ve read, czech lines are the most robust bloodlines. Correct?

@mowens

Ed Frawley is definitely very opinionated :>) I think he has a point in that Schutzhund titles don’t always correlate with working ability under pressure. I don’t have a lot of experience with working Shepherds; most of the people I know who are into the protection dog sports have Belgian Malinois (a few have Beaucerons.) I am not sure what you mean by “robust.”

I wasn’t sure how to word it. The strongest working lines?

I’m not sure of how far away from you they are, but check out an Orthodox order known as the Monks of New Skete.

They breed as well as raise and train Shepherds (as well as working with problem dogs of all breeds whose owners bring them in for training.

And i their breeding program, they are meticulous about avoiding the dreaded hip dysplasia gene that plagues so many of the Shepherds and other genetic problems as well.

They are truly doing this for the love of the breed (as well as financial support for their community) and they have an excellent reputation and a long list of satisfied clients.

The puppies are raised right there with them and socialized and preliminarily trained prior to adoption.

And if they are too far away from you, perhaps they might have some breeders closer to you with whose reputation they are confident in.

www.newskete.org/newsketedogs.html

@lucillelucillelucille One of my friends made a good point. I am a busy professional. I run as much as I can, but sometimes work gets in the way. (being in IT, it is never planned) If for whatever reason I cant run for a day or two in a row, will my german shepherd go crazy and eat my house? haha. What else can I do to entertain the GSD?

I own a Swissy. He is a great dog. “Very” playful, energetic, friendly, and protective. I take him on hikes with me without a leash and he always stays within eye sight (we didn’t train him to do this). When walking on a leash he was initially a bit more difficult to walk but he learned pretty quickly not to pull. I just recently had a baby and he is very good with my son. He can be a little too playful sometimes though and he will get too excited around my son, which is my fault as he was never trained to behave when new people show up at my door. He is very protective, sometimes my wife will “play” hit me or vice versa and he will get in between us to break it up. As far as his running ability, he does match mine pretty well. The only problem I’ve had is his black hair in the summer makes him very very hot, which makes him tired and you have to be careful with heat exhaustion. I’d definitely buy another one.

@critter1982 Pictures? :)