Greater Swiss Mountain Dog puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Greater Swiss 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 giant breed puppy at eight weeks is already heavy and will keep growing for up to two years. Controlled growth matters more here than in any other size class, so a large breed specific puppy food and no overfeeding. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. 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.

• Splenic torsion, which occurs more often in this breed than in others and needs emergency surgery
• Gastric dilatation volvulus, a surgical emergency, risk rises with deep chests
• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
• Shoulder osteochondrosis, screened by a shoulder evaluation and confirmed on x-ray
• Urinary incontinence, which is fairly common in puppies and spayed bitches and is usually treatable
• Epilepsy, diagnosed by ruling out other causes of seizures, with no genetic marker yet identified

From Greater Swiss Mountain Dog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/greater-swiss-mountain-dog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Greater Swiss Mountain Dog puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Giant for a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 38.6 to 63.5 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other giant breeds

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