Entlebuch Cattle Dog

Basic colours most often seen of this dog are black, tan and white in a tricolour pattern.

Topcoat short, harsh and shiny; undercoat dense and wavy. 

Dark brown to hazel.

A square-shaped yet well-proportioned dog is the Entlebucher. Its ears are small and triangular set high on the dog’s powerful and robust skull. The muzzle is strong and powerful. The dog is covered in abundant tricolour fur. 

The Entlebucher is a self-assured, devoted and affectionate dog. 

This dog is happy and playful and retains a puppy-like joie de vivre well into its juvenile years. It enjoys playtime and will seek attention.

A calm and self-assured dog; the Entlebucher does not get overly excited or agitated.

The Entlebucher is an extremely intelligent and has an incredibly strong desire to work. It is best occupied by new tasks and lessons centred on obedience. 

Entlebuchers are immensely territorial but are not generally bred to hunt and kill.

The Entlebucher can be shy around strangers and may take a while to become friends with new people. 

This is a wilful dog that will test the boundaries of the household’s hierarchy whenever it can. 

The Entlebucher tolerates a degree of solitude. 

This is a dog that is very quick to learn. It is also wilful and stubborn and may play to its owner’s weaknesses. 

The Entlebucher readily barks. It enjoys the sound of its own voice. 

A well-trained Entlebucher will respond to your recall command without hesitation.

If it is unhappy or stressed the Entlebucher will be destructive.  

This dog is known to be greedy and will eat anything it thinks is edible. 

The Entlebucher is an exceptionally alert and territorial dog. It makes an excellent watchdog.

A Entlebucher’s willfulness may get the better of the first-time owner. Confidence and consistency of training is called for. 

The dog will not be happy to live in a flat or to only have access to a small confined garden. 

The Entlebucher is far better suited to a rural existence.   

The Entlebucher is comfortable with travel. 

This dog will tolerate a cat that it is familiar with but it may not be so of other cats and small animals.

The Entlebucher is reasonably friendly around other dogs. 

This dog is careful and gentle around children but it can be boisterous. It will try both to herd children and assert its dominance. 

The Entlebucher is a good choice of dog for someone of senior years. 

The Entlebucher sheds throughout the year. 

The Entlebucher is not renowned for its healthy constitution. Years of inbreeding have caused congenital defects to become more often seen. 

The Entlebucher is strong, agile and adventurous. 

The Entlebucher is prone to heat stroke.  

The double coat of the Entlebucher keeps the dog warm in cold weather. 

Weight gain is seen of any dog that is not exercised as regularly as it should be and is fed too much human or substandard food. 

• Haemolytic anemia
• Hip dysplasia
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy

This dog is thought to be descended from a general Sennenhund breed brought to Switzerland by Roman armies in the first years of the first millennium. The dog as it is known today was first recorded in 1889 and it was often mistaken for the Appenzeller Sennenhund because of the similar appearance of the two dogs. The breed was almost extinguished during the First World War but is now gaining popularity around the world.