Entlebucher Sennenhund

Breed Rating

Breed Attribute

Breed Details

User Comments

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Entlebucher Entlebucher Sennenhund is the smallest of the four Sennenhunds which is a dog type that includes four regional breeds. Pronounced as 'Ent-lay-boo-cur', these dogs are also known as Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Entlebucher Sennehund, Entelbuch Mountain Dog, Entlebuch Cattle Dog and Entlebucher. The name Sennenhund originated form the people called Senn who are herders in the Swiss Alps. Entlebucher is a municipality in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.

Historically, Swiss farmers have used the Entlebucher to herd cows and move them from pasture to pasture in the Alps. The dog's speed, agility and keen intelligence made them very useful for herding large animals such as horses and hogs.

This dog is lively, persistent, active, determined and self-assured. They are also loyal and very protective of their family who could be reserved when it comes to strangers. As a highly active breed, they are not for the inexperienced dog owner because they would require plenty of exercise. These dogs do best when they are given a job.

Color

The dog's coat is very much like that of all Swiss Mountain dogs: Black with markings varying from Yellow to Rusty-Brown over the eyes, on the cheeks and on all four feet. White markings that are symmetrical on the head (blaze), on the chest, on the neck and on the feet are also shown. Yellow or Brown coloring must be between the Black and the White areas.

Coat

The dog has double coated hair. The top coat is short, harsh, close fitting and shiny. On the other hand, the under coat is dense with varying color. When the dog is shown, wavy or soft coat can be allowed but are not preferred while single coats would be disqualified.

Personality

The Entlebucher Sennenhund, as any active working dog, should be properly socialized early in life with other dogs and people. Regular activity and training should also be provided to keep their temperament at its best. These dogs are good-natured and devoted towards people familiar to them but are slightly suspicious of strangers. These dogs are confident cattle dogs. They are not shy or vicious but they are lively, persistent, active, determined and self-assured. They are eager to learn as well as loyal and protective of their family, herd and property. Highly intelligent, adaptable and versatile with willingness to work; also fast and responsive to their owner's command making them perfect as a family companion, herding and general all-purpose dog.

Care

These dogs are fairly easy to groom with their short length coat. The breed is an average shedder. Weekly brushing twice will help keep the shedding to a minimum and keep it in great shape. You can also use a damp cloth to wipe down their coat to do this. The breed is generally a healthy dog breed; however, inbreeding causes the dog to suffer congenital defects. These defects include hip dysplasia, hemolytic anemia and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). Responsible breeding, genetic testing, and fact dissemination will help eliminate these issues from the breed. With proper nutrition, regular exercise and visits to the vet for their shots, this dog can live up to 11-15 years on the average.

Training

The dog's intelligence allows them to compete in dog sports like tracking, Frisbee or agility if they are not herding flocks. As they love having jobs to do, it would be beneficial to start training at an early age. You can teach them to gather up dirty laundry, bringing in the newspaper, fetching your slippers and other useful tasks. Early socialization should also be done for these hunting dogs so they can behave around other people and other dogs. Once trained to be gentle with children, however, an Entlebucher is an excellent play mate, and may even round up your kids like a small herd of cattle. Training should be done with firmness, fairness, and consistency.

Activity

These dogs need their regular daily walks and jogs while making sure that it is emphasized that the dog is a pack member by making the dog heel beside or behind the human holding the lead. They are excellent cattle herding dogs as they are quick, tough and very physical. Known for hurling themselves at livestock, these dogs need sufficient amount of exercise. An hour of vigorous activity should be the minimum for a day. Because this dog is highly intelligent, they require mental challenging activities along with the physical to keep them happy and balance dogs. They love when they are given a job to do and are perfect for agility and obedience also.