meet the...Entlebucher Mountain Dog
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 9: Large Guardian Pastoral/Mountain Dogs
Sub-group 9-B: Large Pastoral/Mountain Dogs and Related Breeds
Origin Country Switzerland
Weight Males: 55-65 pounds. Females: 55-65 pounds.
Height Males: 17-21 inches. Females: 16-20 inches.
Other Name(s) Entbucher Sennenhund, Entelbuch Mountain Dog, Entelbucher Cattle Dog, Entelbucher Mountain Dog, Entlebuch Cattle Dog, Entlebuch Mountain Dog, Entlebucher
Breed Type Pure
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Origins
Cheese, chocolate, and cattle dogs—all good things seem to hail from Switzerland. The Entlebucher was named after the valley of Entlebuch, a valley in the region of the Cantons Lucerne and Bern. He is the smallest of the four Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs, with the others including the Bernese Mountain Dog, the Appenzeller Sennenhunde, and the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. The Swiss mountain dogs were historically used as all-purpose farm dogs, assisting their families by driving livestock, carting milk wagons, and guarding property and livestock. In the year 1889 the name “Entlibucherhund” was first used to describe these dogs, but for sometime after that, no actual difference was made between the Appenzell and Entlebuch Cattle Dogs.
In the year 1913, this small herding dog with a congenital bobtail was shown at the dog show in Langenthal and exhibited in front of Professor Albert Heim. After this show, the dogs were entered in to the Swiss Canine Stud Book as the fourth Mountain and Cattle Dog breed. The breed developed slowly, and the first standard was not completed until 1927. Although this breed was originally meant to guard and herd, due to its suitability as a companion dog, the Entlebucher Mountain Dog has gained popularity as a family pet.Breed Characteristics
Head: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, slightly wedge-shaped, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is rather flat, whether viewed in profile or from the front. It is broad, being broadest between set of ears and slightly tapering towards muzzle. The head, overall, tapers from the broad backskull toward the eyes, and again toward the end of the muzzle. The occiput is barely visible. A median furrow starts at the stop and disappears toward the occiput. The head is clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkle.
Eyes: Slightly elongated, but never excessively so. Solid and of good substance, the body is never or heavy and cloddy. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Ears: Medium in length to allow for good head carriage and strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers just slightly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Muzzle: The muzzle is straight, strong, and well defined. Set off from slightly pronounced cheeks. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level. It tapers slightly from the broad base toward the nose. Upper and lower jaws are well-developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipy or weak.
Nose: The cheeks are smoothly muscled, slight padded, and barely/slightly pronounced. The cheeks should not appear chiseled or coarse.
Neck: Medium in length to allow for good head carriage and strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers just slightly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. Rather well-developed forechest, not overly prominent.
Body: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. Rather well-developed forechest, not overly prominent.
Feet: Fairly round yet compact, with well-arched toes and coarse pads.
Tail: Continuation of the croup, can be docked, natural, or naturally bobbed. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried straight or gently curved in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, but never tucked. The tail is of a moderate length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. When in movement the tail is carried elevated, but never over the topline.
Movement: Powerful drive from hindquarters with a good reach in forequarters, as pace increases single tracking may be seen. Limbs move in a straight line while trotting. The movement is energetic, efficient, and effortless. The characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The Entlebucher is confident, being neither shy nor aggressive, with an active, lively, determined demeanor. Owing to his job as a cattle dog and flock guardian, the Entlebucher may be reserved towards strangers. He is very intelligent and capable of learning many commands and tricks with proper motivation. However, he is most responsive to his owner. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 9: Large Guardian Pastoral/Mountain Dogs
Proportions: Somewhat rectangular with length of the body, measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump, being fairly greater than the height at the withers. The ideal body height to length ratio is 4:5. The body is well put together and strongly muscled, with sturdy substance and moderate, yet sturdy, bone.
Head
General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, slightly wedge-shaped, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is rather flat, whether viewed in profile or from the front. It is broad, being broadest between set of ears and slightly tapering towards muzzle. The head, overall, tapers from the broad backskull toward the eyes, and again toward the end of the muzzle. The occiput is barely visible. A median furrow starts at the stop and disappears toward the occiput. The head is clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkle.
Expression: Friendly, but alert and attentive.
Stop: The stop is slightly, to well pronounced, never exaggerated or abrupt.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is approximately 9:10, with the topskull being almost equal to the muzzle.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is more or less parallel.
Muzzle: The muzzle is straight, strong, and well defined. Set off from slightly pronounced cheeks. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level. It tapers slightly from the broad base toward the nose. Upper and lower jaws are well-developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipy or weak.
Lips or Flews: The nose is well-pigmented and black. The nostrils are well-opened.
Nose: The cheeks are smoothly muscled, slight padded, and barely/slightly pronounced. The cheeks should not appear chiseled or coarse.
Cheeks: Forty-two strong, clean, white teeth preferred. Bite may be scissor or even. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth as a result of routine work is not to be penalized.
Dentition and Bite: Somewhat small to medium in size, almond in shape, brown, darker pigment preferred. Outer corners may be set slightly oblique. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging, or deep set. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Eyes: Slightly elongated, but never excessively so. Solid and of good substance, the body is never or heavy and cloddy. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Ears: Medium in length to allow for good head carriage and strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers just slightly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Body and Tail
General Description: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. Rather well-developed forechest, not overly prominent.
Neck: Medium in length to allow for good head carriage and strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers just slightly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. Rather well-developed forechest, not overly prominent.
Topline: Sturdy and level from withers to croup. The back is of a good length, broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is short, taut, flat and level. The back is never swayed or roached.
Croup: Slightly sloping and relatively long.
Underline: Slight tuck-up present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Well-sprung, well-laid-back, and moderately round-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Continuation of the croup, can be docked, natural, or naturally bobbed. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried straight or gently curved in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, but never tucked. The tail is of a moderate length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. When in movement the tail is carried elevated, but never over the topline.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: Forequarters are always in balance with the hindquarters, strongly muscled but not in excess, never loose. Forequarters are well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. Shoulder blades are fairly long and sloping, approximately equal in length or slightly shorter, to the upper arm and forearm.
Elbows: Elbows are close to the body, angle of shoulder blade forming a right angle, or as much as possible. Elbows do not turn in or out.
Forelegs: Forelegs are straight, short, and sturdy; they are parallel and placed well under the body. They should not be too wide or too close.
Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, of moderate (yet strong) bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken, seen in frontal view as a continuation of the forearm. At a side view they are relatively short and slightly angulated.
Hindquarters: Upper thigh is fairly long and broad. Lower thigh is approximately equal in length, with strong bone. It is well muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns, turns neither in nor out.
Angulations: Angulation of hindquarters is always in balance with angulation of forequarters.
Feet: Fairly round yet compact, with well-arched toes and coarse pads.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: Double coat is close fitting and firm. Topcoat is short, harsh, and shiny; Undercoat is thick with varying color. The coat should never be abundantly thick, abundantly long, or silky. A slight wave is acceptable.
Coat Color or Pattern: CKC recognizes two color varieties of the Entlebucher Mountain Dog breed: the standard color and nonstandard color variety.
Standard coat color variety: Tricolor, black, or Havana brown with as symmetrical as possible tan/rust points on chest, cheeks, over eyes, on the lower legs, vent, and underside of the tail, all with a distinct white blaze from the bridge of the nose, or muzzle, running up to the skull. White markings should also be on all four feet; tip of tail, and from chin to chest without break, white on nape of neck, or in half collar, or full white collar permissible.
Nonstandard coat color variety: Anything other than tricolor, white extending beyond standard color parameters, or insufficient white.
Movement
Powerful drive from hindquarters with a good reach in forequarters, as pace increases single tracking may be seen. Limbs move in a straight line while trotting. The movement is energetic, efficient, and effortless. The characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The Entlebucher is confident, being neither shy nor aggressive, with an active, lively, determined demeanor. Owing to his job as a cattle dog and flock guardian, the Entlebucher may be reserved towards strangers. He is very intelligent and capable of learning many commands and tricks with proper motivation. However, he is most responsive to his owner. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
