Entlebucher Mountain Dog

A Entlebucher Mountain Dog with a short stocky body

A beautiful little Entlebucher Mountain Dog puppy

A close up of a Entlebucher Mountain Dog's beautiful short coat

A close up of a young Entlebucher Mountain Dog's incredible beady eyes

A wonderful little Entlebucher Mountain Dog puppy lying on the grass

An adult Entlebucher Mountain Dog waiting for some attention

History

The Entlebucher Mountain Dog, or Entie, originates from Switzerland and is the smallest of the 4 'native' herding breeds; Appenzeller, Bernese Mountain Dog and the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Believed to be related to the Roman Molossers brought to Switzerland thousands of years ago, it was originally kept as a herding and guard dog, but would also sometimes pull milk carts. It is now more often kept as a pet.

Behaviour

The Entie is an intelligent working dog who needs a job to do. They make good pets, but are best suited to an active family. They aren't fans of being left alone for too long, so need a family who are around for most of the time. They are good with children, but due to their herding nature, may try to round them up, so probably better with older children, rather than toddlers. They are naturally wary of strangers entering the home, but with early socialisation this can be overcome. Enties will always bark when someone is at the door and make good watch dogs as they are always alert. They form very close bonds with their family and can sometimes be overly protective of them. To prevent this, you will need to introduce them to lots of different people and situations from a young age.

Entlebuchers can get along with other dogs if introduced at a young age and should be fine with cats and other animals in the house. When out playing with other dogs, they have a tendency to try and herd the group, but this is just normal behaviour for them.

Enties are clever and like to keep their minds busy. Training is quite straight forward and best taught at a young age. They can be stubborn and bolshy at times and will test your limits, so firm, consistent training is best. They are very strong, so walking to heal should be taught from day one. Picking things off the floor, getting the post when it arrives etc will all help keep the dog's mind active. They like to please you and are very loyal, so teaching this sort of behaviour is good for them and also helps you with a well rounded, content dog.

Their exercise needs can be met with a long daily walk and they will play fetch or frisbee for hours. They can keep going and rarely tire, but are happiest when out with you, be it a short or long walk. Enties do very well in competitions, be it Flyball or herding, but they really do excel at agility.

Their coat is short and only requires occasional brushing. They are very clean dogs and look after themselves. They moult twice a year, but are very low shedders.

Hip Dysplasia is one of the most common problems in the breed, but not more so than other breeds. Progressive Retinal Atrophy is also seen in the breed.

Temperament

Entlebucher Mountain Dogs have an energetic and companionable temperament. They are strong working dogs who need a good amount of daily exercise in order to prevent boredom. They also crave your attention and expect plenty of physical contact. They are good family dogs although they can be too boistrous for small children. Watchful of strangers they also make good guard dogs who will be quick to announce a visitors arrival. As with all dogs early socialisation will help the dog become well rounded.

Health Problems

Health problems that may affect Entlebucher Mountain Dogs include canine hip dysplasia (CHD), haemolytic anaemia (dog's own immune system attacks its red blood cells) and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA: degeneration of the retina which can lead to blindness).