Appenzeller Sennenhund - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The history of the Appenzeller Sennenhund is not clear and there are two theories about it. The first say, that they are descendants of Roman Mollosers dogs, but the area from which they originated never had Roman roads or towns. The second theory suggest, that this is a native Swiss breed and that their history dates all the way back to the Bronze Age.

2) Purpose
This is an active breed who loves to work and they were used for many purposes. Originally, they were kept as livestock guardians and cattle herding dogs, but later they were also used as draft dog for pulling small carts and as farm dog in general.

3) Swiss Mountain Dog
As i said in the beginning of this video, this is one of the four Swiss Mountain dogs. The next three are Greater Swiss Mountain dog, Entlebucher Mountain dog and the famous Bernese Mountain Dog. The Apenzeller Sennenhund is the rarest one.

4) Coat
Typical feature of the Appenzeller Sennenhund is their shiny, thick coat. It is a doublecoat and it is in the distinctive black or brown with tan and white markings color variation. The tan markings are symmetrical and they are on the cheeks, eyes, legs and chest. The white markings are on the face, chest, all four feets and tail tip.

5) Watchdog
According to the breed standard, this should be a dog that is alert and suspicious towards strangers. That is a reason why they can be trained to make good watchdogs and protectors. But of course, this can be vastly influenced by early training and socialization. On the other hand, when they are around their family, they tend to be very affectionate and big attention seekers. They also typically do not have problems with other pets in the family.

6) Maintenance
If we are not talking about the exercise, than this is pretty low maintenance breed, but even though they have a relatively short coat, they do shed all year long. If you want to minimize the shedding and keep the coat in good condition, regular brushing is required. Other than that, you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clip them or clean them when needed.

7) Exercise
Since this breed was used for centuries as a hard worker, you should not be surprised, that they have high exercise needs. And not only that they are highly active, they are also very intelligent, which means that if you are not using them for work, you will have to stimulate their mind and body differently. Daily longer walks are a must, just like training sessions or task oriented playtimes. Or you can try some dog sport with them, Appenzeller Sennenhund is doing great at Schutzhund, obedience and flyball trials and in agility.

8) Size
This is a medium sized dog with muscular and heavy build and with average height between 19-23 inches which is 50-58 cm and weight is typically between 49-71 pounds, which is 22-32 kg. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males.

9) Name
The Appenzeller Sennenhund has a very descriptive name. The Appenzeller describe a region where they come from and the word Sennenhund loosely translates to “dairy farmer’s dog”. They are also known as Appenzeller Mountain dogs or Apenzeller Cattle dogs.

10) Health
The breeding of Appenzeller Sennenhund was always very careful, which is a reason why they are extremely healthy dogs. Their average lifespan is between 13-15 years and there are no big health issues associated with this breed. Sometimes they do suffer from allergies and they are sensitive to anesthesia