Dufenhof Swissies

Swissies were originally bred to help the farmer with a variety of tasks.  Although today’s Swissy owner is unlikely to ask their dogs to haul a cart full of milk & cheese to market, or follow the cows out to the pasture, that doesn’t mean they need to be relegated to warming the couch. There are a lot of activities that Swissies and their owners can pursue to both show off the dog’s natural abilities and to enjoy spending time together. Not every Swissy will enjoy or excel at every activity, but figuring out which activities to try can be part of the fun.

Here is a list of many of the activities enjoyed by modern Swissies & their owners along with a brief description of each activity. 

As with anything else, it is up to the owner to take the time to understand what to expect and make certain they and their Swissy are properly prepared. Responsible Swissy owners must evaluate their dog's suitability for the activity, train their dog properly and make sure that their Swissy is physically ready for any endeavor.

Conformation:  This is what we think of as a “dog show”. The purpose of conformation dog shows is to evaluate breeding stock. The dogs are judged on their overall appearance, their structure and movement.  The ideal dog is described by the breed standard, and the judge uses that information when determining which dogs best “conform” to the standard of their breed on that particular day.  Unlike most other activities, in order to compete in conformation the dogs may not be spayed or neutered.

Drafting or Carting:  Cart pulling is what Swissies were bred to do! Whether for fun or competition, most every Swissy can learn to pull a cart if their owners take the time to learn the basics themselves, teach their dog some basic obedience and patiently get the dog used to the harness & cart. Done correctly this is an activity that can provide a great deal of enjoyment for both the dog & their families for many years.

Obedience:  Obedience trials showcase dogs who have been trained to behave well at home, in public & around many other dogs. The classics of Sit, Down, Come, Stay, & Heel are the key elements that must be taught. Each level of obedience competition (novice, open, and utility) requires the dog & handler  to master a specific set of skills, which increase in difficulty, before advancing to the next level.  Although not a typical “obedience breed” with time, effort, skill & true dedication on the owner‘s part, most Swissies are capable of being trained for the Novice level of Obedience and earn a CD.

Rally: This is obedience with an extra twist of fun. The dog and handler must complete a course designed by the judge -- and until they get to the trial the handler won’t know just what that course will include. There are more than 20 different rally skills the judge can choose from, and they select 10-15 to create that day’s course -- things like “sit“ and “down“ are interspersed with exercises like u-turns and the handler circling the dog while the dog stays in position. There are signs along the course that provide instructions about each skill that the dog & handler must perform. Think of it as an “pop quiz” for dog & handler. Scoring is not as stringent as in traditional obedience and perfection is not required. Happily, unlike traditional obedience, handlers may talk to their dogs and encourage them throughout the course. 

Agility:  This is an activity that combines obedience with a variety of fun elements such as jumps, tunnels and other obstacles. The owner & dog are a team with the dog having learned the various elements of a course, but following cues from the owner to run the course in the desired sequence.  It is fast paced and provides the dogs with both mental and physical exercise (and a lot of fun).  As with obedience, there are different levels of agility with a corresponding increase in the level of difficulty. 

Weight Pull:  From their earliest days, Swissies used their physical strength to help with a variety of work around the farm. Modern-day Swissies may not need to help to haul freight on the farm, but through Weight Pulling they demonstrate their abilities to perform this traditional task.  While this activity does require the dog to be physically fit and have a great deal of sheer physical strength, the dog’s desire to work for their owner is equally important. The GSMDCA offers three levels of Weight Pulling titles.

Pack Dog:  Hiking & backpacking (and sometimes camping) with your dog can be an enjoyable way to spend the weekend. Most dogs love the chance to get out in the woods or hills and enjoy the many different sights & smells while spending time with their owners. Pack hiking involves the dog wearing a specially fitted back-pack to help carry the supplies.  The GSMDCA offers Pack Dog titles to Swissies and other breeds who participate in specially organized hikes. Care must be taken to ensure that the back pack is properly fitted & balanced and that the dog is in appropriate physical condition to avoid potentially serious spinal injuries.

Herding:  Swissies are not a typical high-energy herding breed like their cousins the Apppenzellers or Entlebuchers, but historically as an all-purpose farm dog they were expected to help the farmer move the gentle Brown Swiss dairy cows from barn to pasture & back again. Herding tests are a way to demonstrate that the dog can safely move livestock from one area to another under the guidance of the handler or “shepherd”. Most AKC or AHBA herding events use sheep as the livestock rather than the docile Brown Swiss cows, but the dogs don’t mind a bit. 

Tracking:  Tracking focuses the instincts & abilities of a dog to follow a scent trail. The dogs learn to follow the designated scent trail over different surfaces and various distances while ignoring other smells and distractions. Tracking requires some basic obedience for control, but relies mostly on the dog’s own abilities. Tracking is the foundation of Search & Rescue training.   

Search & Rescue:  Search & Rescue (SAR) is a major component in locating missing people. Whether the people have gotten lost while hiking, been abducted or are missing after a natural disasters or mass casualty events, dogs can provide valuable help in locating them. The dogs are trained to work in every condition and in any type of location from urban neighborhoods to remote wilderness areas. The dogs & handlers undergo extensive and continuous training to keep their abilities sharp and to be ready at a moment’s notice. 

Canine Good Citizen: The AKC offers the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification program as a way to demonstrate that a dog is well trained enough to reliably behave in simulated everyday situations. It is a noncompetitive program open to all dogs, whether purebred or not. The purpose of the test is to ensure that all dogs, especially larger dogs such as Swissies, are welcome members of the community and are trained to act politely at home, in public places and in the presence of other dogs. With proper training & socialization almost any Swissy should be able to earn their CGC certificate.  
http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/program.cfm

Therapy Dog Work:  A therapy dog is trained to provide comfort & affection to people in nursing homes, hospitals & schools. They can provide beneficial comfort to people recovering from an illness, coping with emotional or learning difficulties, and in stressful situations, such as following a traumatic experience or disaster.  The most important characteristic of a therapy dog is a sound temperament. A successful therapy dog must be friendly, calm, gentle, well-mannered and be at ease in a wide variety of situations. Therapy dogs also must enjoy human contact and be content to be petted and handled by strangers.

Junior Showmanship:  Junior showmanship, or Juniors, is actually for kids age 9 - 18, rather than for dogs, but without the dog it doesn’t exist. Juniors is an event where kids demonstrate their ability to show their dog. Unlike regular conformation classes, it is the handler and not the dog that is judged. Although not a typical “juniors breed” many Swissies have accompanied their young owners in the Juniors ring. The dogs should be well suited to both conformation showing -- structurally & mentally -- and to the child. The dogs should accompany the children to handling classes well before entering the juniors ring so that both parties are prepared for what is expected of them.  Junior showmanship can be fun for everyone, but it is definitely harder than it looks, and requires training, commitment & parental involvement. For more information regarding Junior Showmanship go here:     http://classic.akc.org/kids_juniors/jr_faq.cfm



These are some of the more common activities Swissies and their owners enjoy, but there are still more activities you can try with your Swissy. While they may not be for everyone, Freestyle Obedience, Dog Dancing, Skijoring, Sledding, Treibball, Flyball, Dock Diving & Lure Coursing are just a few of the many interesting activities out there that you and your Swissy might want to try.