Livestock guardians

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 54. Chapters: Mule, Komondor, Kuvasz, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Leonberger, Tibetan Mastiff, Central Asian Shepherd Dog, Dogue de Bordeaux, Kangal Dog, Armenian Gampr dog, Karakachan Dog, South Russian Ovcharka, Tornjak, Maremma Sheepdog, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Akbash dog, sarplaninac, Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Livestock guardian dog, Karst Shepherd, Rafeiro do Alentejo, Hovawart, Slovak Cuvac, Spanish Mastiff, Estrela Mountain Dog, Carpathian Shepherd Dog, Majorca Shepherd Dog, Mucuchies, Polish Tatra Sheepdog, Can de Palleiro, Guard llama, Mioritic, Vikhan Sheepdog, Himalayan Sheepdog. Excerpt: The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (German: or French: ) is a dog breed which was developed in the Swiss Alps. The name Sennenhund refers to people called Senn or Senner, dairymen and herders in the Swiss Alps. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are almost certainly the result of indigenous dogs mating with large Mastiff types brought to Switzerland by foreign settlers. At one time, the breed was believed to have been among the most popular in Switzerland. It was assumed to have almost died out by the late 19th century, since its work was being done by other breeds or machines, but was rediscovered in the early 1900s. The breed is large and heavy-boned with incredible physical strength, but is still agile enough to perform the all-purpose farm duties it was originally used for. Its breed standard calls for a black, white, and rust colored coat. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is sociable, active, calm, and dignified, and loves being part of the family. It is relatively healthy for its size and tends to have far fewer problems than more popular breeds in its size range. Among the four Sennenhund, or Swiss mountain dogs, this breed is considered the oldest, and is also the largest. A painting of an Alpine Mastiff which was brought to Britain in 1815.The origin of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is not definitively known. The Swiss people themselves cannot be clearly defined as belonging exclusively to one of the European tribes; they are inhabitants of a typical transit country. Beginning in 1515, the remote valleys of Switzerland were more or less isolated from world history for three centuries. Specific dog breeds were created by inbreeding, and puppies were given to neighbors and family members. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog was developed in the Swiss Alps. There are several theories regarding the origin of the four Sennenhund breeds. The most popular theory states the dogs are descended from the Molosser, a large Mastiff-type dog, which accompanied the Roman Legions on their