Breeds / Medium
Entlebucher Mountain Dog puppies
Bold, agile and enthusiastic, the Entlebucher Mountain Dog is a Swiss cattle drover with high energy, a loud voice and a strong bond to its owner.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin Switzerland
- Adult weight 18.1 to 29.5 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 40 to 65 lb
- Adult height 42 to 52 cm
- Energy level Very high
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Typical lifespan 11 to 13 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Reliably good
Where these come from:
About the Entlebucher Mountain Dog
The Entlebucher is the smallest of the four Swiss mountain dogs, an Alpine drover that moved cattle between valley farms and high summer pasture. It is a compact, hard muscled dog with a short tricolour coat, small folded ears and a bright, busy expression. Entles are quick, vocal, physically bold and stubbornly cheerful. They herd by pushing and nipping at heels, and that instinct comes with the dog whether or not there is any livestock for it to use on.
This breed needs at least an hour of hard exercise a day plus something structured to think about, and it makes a good partner for runners, cyclists and hikers. Grooming is minimal, a damp wipe down and a brush, though it sheds more than a short coat suggests. Rated three out of five with children, it needs supervision and early socialisation, because the heel nipping lands on running kids. Owners who treat it as a low maintenance farm dog end up with a bored, noisy one.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Entlebucher Mountain Dog puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire it out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Entlebucher urinary syndrome, a misplaced ureter diagnosed by ultrasound and other imaging
- Hip dysplasia, screened by x-ray evaluation of breeding stock
- Patellar luxation, graded by a veterinary orthopaedic exam
- Progressive retinal atrophy and other inherited eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist eye exam and DNA testing where available
From Entlebucher Mountain Dog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/entlebucher-mountain-dog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Entlebucher Mountain Dog puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Entlebucher Mountain Dog.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 18.1 to 29.5 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other medium breeds
Previous: English Toy Spaniel · Next: Estrela Mountain Dog
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.