Appenzeller Sennenhunde Swiss Mountain Dog

The Appenzeller Sennenhunde is a working dog. They have been breed to work on a farm or as guard dogs. For the most part in recent years they have been used as pets or utility dogs. They are really good for protection, rescue, and tracking. You will find they are typically very affectionate dogs that demand respect from their owners as well as affection. They are typically happy dogs that love to be apart of a family, but wary of strangers. Most often they will accept the dominance of their master, but not want to approach a stranger. There are special training exercises to socialize this dog breed. You will also find they are great with children and women. During training because these are intelligent dogs they need to have many different exercises to keep them interested. They need to have a daily walk for at least an hour each day, as well as tasks to complete. Even if they are just a pet you should spend a few minutes with training to give them tasks to complete during the day.

Part of the care for any dog is going to be the living conditions, grooming, and nutrition. For living conditions you will want to have a nice large home with a backyard or farm land. They do best in a rural environment rather than apartments due to their size. While during the day it is okay to have them outside in a fenced yard with a house or kennel they do need human contact. They are best with a family that can spend a lot of time with them and offer the affection they crave. They tend to develop behavior issues when ignored for too long.

For grooming it is important that you brush them at least once a week. Their coats don't generally need to have a lot of care as it is short and they tend to groom themselves, but you should at least brush it once a week and more often during their shedding season. They also need to have their nails clipped. Nutrition for the Appenzeller Sennenhunde should be filled with protein and the proper nutrients. It is best to offer three meals a day rather than the bowl filled with food to give them routine and proper eating habits. Some of the health issues of the Appenzeller Sennenhunde are hip dysplasia, heart disease, and eye infections. As long as you provide the best care and proper diet you should not see too many health issues.

It is important if you are looking to adopt one of these breeds that you know how to take care of them and have the time. As discussed above they tend to become very lonely during the day if there are no humans about and they can develop a few behavior issues. You should make sure to spend plenty of time with them if you work outside of the home.