Appenzeller

Appenzeller worked as a keeper in difficult mountainous terrain. Thanks to this, it is very resistant, durable, agile and clever. Appenzeller feels best in the countryside, but is not suitable for keeping in the pen.

Nature

Appenzellers are energetic, cheerful and smart dogs. They learn willingly and quickly, although … they can surprise with ingenuity. They have a great need for movement and mental activities. Without stimulation, they can create problems: overly guard the area and objects or family members, destroy them.

Appenzeller feels best in the countryside, but is not suitable for keeping or in a pen. He must have constant contact with people because he likes to accompany them in their daily activities.

If the owner devotes a lot of time to play and training, the dog will adapt to life in the city. When his needs are met, he behaves calmly at home and does not impose himself.

Skills

Appenzeller is fast, agile, willing to cooperate and endowed with perfect reflexes. Physically durable and resistant to harsh weather conditions, they successfully practice agility, flyball, frisbee or obedience. They also work as rescue dogs, blind guides, and even as therapists.

Appenzeller. Training and education

Appenzeller has the strongest connection with one person he considers a guide, but he is loyal to the whole family. He loves playing, so he is the perfect – and amazingly delicate – companion of children’s games. He has a strong herd instinct, and the herd includes not only people, but also pets.

These strangers are rather distrustful towards strangers, but remain well socialized without showing fear or aggression. They rarely get into conflict with strangers.

For this breed, careful socialization is important. Deprived of her appenzeller, he may grow into a nervous savage. These dogs are growing up slowly; they are usually only mentally mature at the age of three. They need consistency, but they endure hard treatment badly.

Who is this race for?

The representative of this breed needs a wise guide who will be able to direct and use his energy.

Appenzeller. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

• unsophisticated can destroy
• poorly socialized can show anxiety and even aggression

Advantages

• cheerful
• learns quickly and willingly
• brave

Appenzeller. Health

Although the appenzeller has gained fans and is not extremely rare breeds, the breeding base is very narrow. All registered dogs come from just 11 founders, so the breed is heavily inbred. Therefore, selection in terms of health is extremely important, which the Swiss succeed.

For a breed bred in such a close relationship, appenzellers are amazingly resistant. They owe it to strict selection and to the fact that they have missed fashion and are still a natural race. Like many dogs, however, dysplasia occurs.

Breeding a breed probably also affects life expectancy. Many dogs of this size live over 14 years, and appenzellers live on average 12-13 years.

Care

The appenzeller robe only needs brushing. Except for molting time every two weeks, and even daily during this period.

Appenzeller. History

This breed combines the features of spitz and shepherd. Appenzeller as the only of four Swiss Shepherd Dog breeds (large Swiss Shepherd Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog, entlebucher and appenzeller) has a typical spitz tail and can be found in chocolate. However, it is much rarer than black.

Appenzeller was described for the first time in 1853 in “Das Tierleben der Alpenwelt” (Animal life in the Alps): “loudly barking, short-haired, medium-sized, multi-colored shepherd dog, in a fairly even spitz type, used to guard the bypass and herd cattle”.

In 1895, the popularizer Max Sieber appealed to the Swiss Kennel Club for help in the development of appenzeller. In 1898, a councilor of the canton of St. Gallen allocated 400 francs to separate the farm. A commission was established, breed characteristics established, and nine dogs and seven bitches were found at the Altstatten market.

In 1899, eight appenzellers in the mountain dog class were shown at the Winterthur exhibition. Thanks to the initiative of prof. Albert Heim, the Appenzeller Club was founded in 1906. After the obligatory registration of puppies in the pedigree book, planned breeding in pure breed began. In 1914, prof. Heim developed the first binding standard.

Interestingly, in the homeland of 95% breeders are farmers still using these dogs in their traditional role. In addition to Switzerland, appenzellers are popular in the Netherlands and Germany. They also have a lot of lovers in Austria, France, Belgium and Denmark. They are becoming more and more popular in the United States and South America.

Template

Appenzeller –  Group II FCI, section 3, reference number 46

• Origin: Switzerland
• Character:  confident and brave; slightly distrustful of strangers, incorruptible guard
• Size: dogs 52-56 cm, bitches 50-54 cm, tolerance +/- 2 cm
• Weight: 20-30 kg
• Coat: double-layered: hard coat, bony and tight, undercoat dense
• Ointment: basic black or chocolate with symmetrical rusty brown tan and white markings
• Lifespan: 12-13 years
• Vulnerability to training: high; learns quickly and willingly
• Activity: quite high
• Resistance: very resistant; occasional iliac dysplasia
• Possibility of buying a puppy: not many kennels work, you usually have to wait for the puppy

Interesting facts

The name of the breed comes from the canton of Appenzell in Switzerland. One of the main theories about its origin is that it is a native breed, based on dogs living here in the Bronze Age.

The second says that the appenzeller, like his larger cousins, is a descendant of dogs brought by the Romans. Perhaps both are true and the blood of dogs of different origins flows through the veins of appenzellers.