The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog – Judging Color

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog puppies

 

Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs sport the striking black tri-color pattern they share with their fellow Sennenhund breeds, the Bernese Mountain Dog, the Entlebucher Mountain Dog, and the Appenzeller Mountain Dog. Where they differ from their cousins is with more tolerance for variation in white markings, being either darker or brighter.

The base coat, as per the Breed Standard, is always black with tan points; white feet, chest, tip of tail, muzzle, and blaze—and in Swissys, white is allowed on the back of the neck. White neck markings can be anything from none at all to a full, wide collar. While symmetry of white markings is preferred, it is not required.

puppies

There is tremendous tolerance for marking variations in the breed, as the focus should always be on structure, breed type, and the ability to do the job they were bred for. The black coat may include agouti, which is a tan band of color on the black hair shaft. As per the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America Judge’s Education program, banding in the coat is not to be faulted. This banding may be seen all over, but is commonly seen on the sides of the neck.

Undercoat must be present and may vary in color from dark gray to tawny, with darker gray preferred. Undercoat is most often easily seen on the neck of the dog, but total lack of undercoat should be severely penalized. In all honesty, in 25 years looking at a lot of Swissys, I have never seen one with a total lack of undercoat. Even the shortest-coated Swissys will have undercoat.

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog with one blue eye

The only disqualifications in Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are all color-related.

From the AKC Standard: “Any color other than the ‘Black, Red and White’ tri-colored dog described above, such as ‘Blue/Charcoal, Red and White’ or ‘Red and White.’ Blue eye or eyes.

Blue coat is a result of the dilution gene, diluting all of the black coat and pigment to gray. Red coat is the result of the ee gene, removing all black pigment from the coat.

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog puppy

When it comes to judging, we strongly encourage judging the dog upon type, structure, and soundness as opposed to how pretty its markings turned out. The best dog in the ring may be the brightest or the darkest—or maybe it really is the one who’s “paint” is perfect.

 


 

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Breed Magazine

Showsight Magazine is the only publication to offer dedicated Digital Breed Magazines for ALL recognized AKC Breeds.

Read and learn more about the faithful Greater Swiss Mountain Dog breed with articles and information in our Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Breed Magazine.

 

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Breed Magazine - Showsight

 

ads
  • Anna Wallace has owned and competed with Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs for over 25 years. She started her love affair with Swissys in 1996 with a dog named ‘Connor’ (CH Corner Creeks Concerto CD) who won top honors for several years in the show ring and cemented Anna’s thorough addiction to the sport of Conformation. Anna operates under the kennel prefix ‘Liberty Run’ and has gone on to finish over 70 AKC Conformation titles on Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs—and shows no signs of stopping.

  • Show Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

comment *

  • name *

  • email *

  • website *

You May Also Like

Cardigan Welsh Corgi stacked in the dog show ring, showcasing its outline, topline and underline

A Culmination of Flowing Lines

Learn how to identify a proper Cardigan Welsh Corgi in the ring by evaluating ...

The Shih Tzu Topknot

The Shih Tzu Topknot

The shapes and styles of Shih Tzu topknots over the past few decades has ...

A black and white Biewer Terrier with long hair.

Judging the Biewer Terrier

Unlock the world of Biewer Terrier characteristics with insights on color standards and a ...

The Toy Fox Terrier

Judging the Toy Fox Terrier Dog

The Toy Fox Terrier is an American breed that was developed by dog fanciers ...

Great Dane standing in front of trees

Judging the Great Dane: Mighty Apollo of Dogs

The Great Dane is a large dog breed originating in Germany. See more: Great ...

Your Cart

No Item Found
Subtotal $0.00
Shipping $0.00
Tax $0.00
Total $0.00
0