Children and Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs
I get many phone calls and email's asking about children, babies and Swissies. Having raised 2 babies with
Swissies and a toddler I feel that I can share my perspective and hopefully help you make the right decision for
your family.
I have 3 children, ages 12, 9, and 2 years old. I have raised my kids with dominant, stubborn, easy going, and
pushy Swissies. Each Swissy has their own personality and some are very dominant, some can be very pushy,
strong willed, excitable. Swissies in general are very boisterous and social. They can be rather stubborn and
"sweetly" disobey you.
Some breeders like to portray the Swissy as the perfect family dog without issue...others like to portray them as a
very hard dog to have around children. Unless you get an unbalanced Swissy with temperament issues, and
temperament issues in his background, a Swissy should be able to be a good family dog. That being said, there is
a lot of work involved in the making of that great family dog.
Swissies need a strong leader, they need to know where they stand and do not want to figure it out. Of course
they are going to test you, and perhaps even challenge you at some point, but if you are consistent and follow
through you should have a well behaved dog.
Swissies need exercise, stimulation, mental and physical. They need socialization, and exposure to all things in
your world. I take mine for rides, walks, to dog shows, to friends houses, running in the backyard, running in the
front, running in a field. Exposure to all truly seems to strengthen their nerves and to help them be well balanced.
When I brought home my first Swissy Michelina, Lenny was just 2 years old. I brought home Samson a few
months later when I was pregnant with my second child. Years later I got pregnant with David and house filled
with Swissies and litters.
What I am sharing with you now is how I handled my family/dogs. I would not have this breed or any of my
dogs if there was ever a question of temperament or worry on either side (kid or dog).
New Mothers feel very protective of their babies, and then guilty about dog hairs, then bad that they are not
giving enough attention to the dog, and then if they are spending time with their dog they feel bad about their
baby. It is truly a vicious cycle. The most important thing to remember is your Swissy just wants to be by you.
My breeder friend told me the only way the dogs would learn how to be around kids is if they were around the
kids. So simple and true. Swissies are easy to mold and shape and follow your rules. I fed my babies with my
dogs right there, if they did anything that bugged me or concerned me I was able to correct and teach
immediately. They learned to not take baby toys, to not sit on baby blankets. How? I simple corrected them. I
was irritable due to lack of sleep, and they learned quickly. I would be home with the baby and my husband
would walk the dogs. Or I would have him watch the baby and I would walk the dogs and get a nice break. I
gave extra bones to the dogs when I had a baby and give them all just a little special time each day. If I was too
tired or busy, I would take them for a ride. It is amazing how much fun it is for these guys to go for a ride. And if
it was all too much to think about, I had the dogs nap by me when I napped. I did have a room/area that was off
limits to the dogs especially when crawling started. Getting the balance of kids and dogs is the key. A good
schedule/routine is good for you, the baby, and your Swissy. Swissies thrive on structure and routine.
With toddlers different challenges arise. Toddlers always run and want the dogs to chase them. Of course you
have to teach the kids not to run, and the dog not to chase. I always have my toddlers help in feeding my dogs. I
do not ever leave them alone, but supervise the kids giving the dogs their food. We feed in crates and do not
hover or stick our fingers in their food or pet them. We let them eat, and they learn to trust the kids because the
kids are not bothering them when they eat, and there is no reason for the dogs to feel the need to protect or guard
their food. Doing this also teaches kids to respect the dogs. No human wants to be bugged and petted when they
eat, why would a dog? My niece has a saying that she shares with her puppy people...tricks for treats not
dinner/breakfast. Just feed your dog, and work with them later.
Swissies are very food motivated and I truly believe most food aggression issues are the result of people creating
an environment where the dog feels the need to protect their food. I feed all of my dogs in their crates, and have
never had any issues with food aggression when I have followed this protocol. I find that when my Swissies have
gotten past 9-10 months of uninterrupted feedings, meaning no petting/no taking food away/no fingers in their
bowls, I can do anything to their food when they are eating and they are fine. I still do not test it regularly or start
creating an issue, but it seems that age is the age where the trust is really ingrained in them. By the same token,
your puppy may act fine at you touching their food or feeding them by other pets who may steal their food, and
say nothing. Then around 6 or 7 months old you hear a growl. It seems that the 5-7 month age is when a puppy
will find its voice.
Raising kids and dogs in general can be hard work but well worth it. I love the fact that my toddler will correct
my dogs and they listen. I love that my dogs get more excited at seeing my kids than me! I love watching David
free the dogs from their crates, and watching the dogs get so happy to see him. I love watching my kids sneak
treats to the dogs. I love the confidence my kids have around all animals. I love how my kids have a compassion
for animals and a tenderness. I love that my kids are so respectful towards dogs and can actually
train/raise/correct my dogs.
Make sure that you meet the breed, any breed before you commit to purchase. You want to feel comfortable with
the breeder you choose and comfortable with your choice should you choose to share your life with a Greater
Swiss Mountain Dog.