Entlebucher Mountain Dog puppies

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. This 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 them to use on.

This breed needs at least an hour of hard exercise a day plus something structured to think about, and they make a good partner for runners, cyclists and hikers. Grooming is minimal, a damp wipe down and a brush, though they shed more than a short coat suggests. Rated three out of five with children, they need supervision and early socialisation, because the heel nipping lands on running kids. Owners who treat them 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 them 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 they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their 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

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.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 29.5 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Entlebucher Mountain Dog

Previous: English Toy Spaniel · Next: Estrela Mountain Dog

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Entlebucher Mountain Dog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/entlebucher-mountain-dog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Leuchtender Hund, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.