Breed Group: Herding
Height: 16 to 20 inch. at shoulder
Weight: 45 to 65 pounds
Life Span: 10 to 13 years
The athletic and physical Entle makes an excellent family dog; he is known for his extreme devotion to his family. He is a great watchdog, as he is aloof with strangers and has a big bark for his size. Self-assured and determined, he is intelligent and thrives on being with his people.
Did You Know the Entlebucher Mountain Dog Needs Alot of Exercise?
The Entlebucher is one of four farm dogs native to Switzerland. He takes his name from the Entlebuch valley where he originated.
The smallest of the four Swiss mountain dogs, the Entlebucher Mountain Dog has a work ethic that won’t quit and is known for his extreme devotion to his people. The Entlebucher, or Entle, is very protective of his family. Don’t let the phrase “smallest of the four” fool you – he’s physically powerful and was originally used to herd cattle and other livestock in Switzerland.
The Entle plays hard too. He is a physical dog and may approach people by throwing himself at them. He’s best suited to a family with older children who can stand up to him.
His greatest happiness is being part of an active family that loves him and considers him worthy of doing a job, whether that is practicing his training every day, competing in agility, helping parents watch the kids, or being a therapy dog. Any type of job will do, but he has to have one.
Being a watchdog is one way the confident and determined Entle contributes to his family’s well being. Typically he barks only when he has reason to, and not just for the sake of hearing himself. He’s wary of strangers, and territorial, making him an excellent watchdog. His bark is pretty big for a dog his size, which adds to his prowess at this job. Because of his protective nature, he should be socialized to many people and places when he is quite young.
The Entlebucher needs a lot of exercise. He was bred to herd cattle, and in his current role as companion, he gets by with hours of playing hard with balls or running around. Whatever is chosen as his activity, he needs a lot of it.
Other Quick Facts About the Entlebucher Mountain Dog
There are two common pronunciations for Entlebucher: Ent’-lee-boo-ker or Entel-boo-ker. He is also known as the Entlebucher Sennenhund (which means dog of the Alpine herdsman) and Entlebucher Cattle Dog.
The Entlebucher is a medium-size dog with a compact but muscular body. Dark-brown eyes have an alert, attentive, friendly expression. Triangular ears, rounded at the tips, hang down, raising up slightly when the dog is alert. The tricolor coat is black with symmetrical white markings on the face, chest and feet and rich fawn to mahogany markings on the eyebrows and between the black and white markings.
