Appenzeller Sennenhund (Mountain Dog)

The history of the Appenzeller Mountain Dog is up for debate. There are two theories that have emerged and become acceptable. The first theory is that the Appenzeller Mountain Dog dates all the way back to the Bronze Age as a native breed. The second theory is that the Appenzeller Mountain Dog is a descendent from Molossus and the Romans brought them into Switzerland. They are a herding dog and have been used to pull carts to bring goods to the merchants in the towns from the farms in the valleys of Switzerland. The Appenzeller Mountain Dog is only one of the four recognized Swiss Sennenhunds; they are also the rarest. The Appenzeller Mountain Dog is not a lazy dog, they are happiest when they have a job to perform. The Appenzeller Mountain Dog appeared in the book “Tierleben der Alpenwelt” in 1853. In 1895, Max Siber commissioned the SKG or Schweizerische Kynologische Gesellschaft which is the Swiss Cynological Society, to support the breeding of the Appenzeller Mountain Dog to set breed characteristic traits. In 1898 the Appenzeller Mountain Dog was shown at that first international dog show. In the same year, the intention breeding for pure-bred Appenzeller Mountain Dogs began. These dogs are loyal and happy companions but do not warm up quickly to strangers. When meeting strangers, the Appenzeller Mountain Dog prefers to take their time before approaching. While not known to be aggressive, the Appenzeller Mountain Dog can exhibit aggressiveness if they feel their livestock or property is being threatened.