Four small, naturally short-tailed cattle dogs stood before Professor Albert Heim at a Langenthal show in 1913. Following his report, the Entlebucher entered the Swiss Dog Studbook as the fourth Swiss mountain dog breed. Previously, few distinguished it from the Appenzeller. Today it is the compact member of the group.
| FCI | Group 2 (Pinscher and Schnauzer, Molossoid and Swiss Mountain Dogs), Section 3 Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs, Standard No. 47, without working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Switzerland |
| Size (height at the withers) | males 44 to 50 cm (tolerance to 52 cm), females 42 to 48 cm (tolerance to 50 cm) |
| Weight | not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | double coat: short, harsh, glossy, close-fitting outer hair with dense undercoat |
| Colours in the standard | tricolour: black ground with preferably symmetrical tan (yellow to brownish rust-red) and white markings; narrow white blaze, white from chin to chest and on all four feet |
Origins
According to the standard, the breed comes from Entlebuch, a valley in the cantons of Lucerne and Bern. Its first description as Entlibucherhund dates from 1889. The Swiss breed club was founded on 20 August 1926, followed by the first standard in 1927. Numbers grew slowly and remain small. Closest relatives include the Appenzell Cattle Dog and the much larger Bernese Mountain Dog.
Temperament
The standard describes liveliness, spirit, confidence and fearlessness, good nature and affection with familiar people, slight suspicion towards strangers, an incorruptible guardian, cheerful and able to learn. This is a dog for people who enjoy doing things together. Long or naturally short tails are equally acceptable under the standard.
Exercise and activity
As a cattle dog, agile and enduring. Daily exercise and a job are needed, perhaps agility, obedience, tracking or treibball. Without enough activity, the dog finds work, often as a doorkeeper. Learning to rest belongs in training from the beginning.
Grooming
The short, harsh double coat is straightforward. Weekly brushing is enough, more often during shedding.
Health
Ectopic ureters are the main breed concern: they do not enter the bladder in the correct place. A Swiss study of 552 Entlebuchers found normal openings on both sides in only one-third (32.9 percent); 19.8 percent had at least one opening outside the bladder, with males more often affected (Fritsche et al. 2014). Breeding dogs have undergone ultrasound screening since 2008. The proportion with openings outside the bladder fell from 24 percent in 2005 to 2007 birth cohorts to 1.4 percent in 2015 to 2017 cohorts (Merz et al. 2022). Inherited eye diseases occur too: among 285 Swiss Entlebuchers, 20.4 percent had cataracts and 6.3 percent progressive retinal atrophy (Kuster et al. 2011). Ask for the parents’ ureter and eye results.
Who is an Entlebuch Cattle Dog right for?
Active families and couples wanting a medium-sized, weather-resistant dog keen to work and train together.
Who should look elsewhere?
People with little time, anyone seeking a quiet city-flat dog or unwilling to examine breeding dogs’ health findings.
Assess whether an Entlebucher suits your routine through the breed quiz or our book “Which Dog REALLY Suits You?” (book in German). New to puppyhood? The free Puppy Starter Pack helps. Bring your Entlebucher to the wall through our dog portraits from your own photo or a poster in a wooden frame.
Further reading
- Bernese Mountain Dog: why time together is so short
- Housetraining your puppy: the first 4-week plan
- The first 30 days with a puppy: a plan for weeks 1 to 4
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI Standard No. 47 Entlebucher Sennenhund (fci.be, version dated 28.06.2002); Fritsche R et al., Inheritance of ectopic ureters in Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 2014; Merz F et al., Outcome of selective mating in the Entlebucher Mountain Dog for reduction of ureteral ectopia, Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde 2022; Kuster N et al., Hereditary eye diseases in the Entlebucher Mountaindog in Switzerland, Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde 2011; McMillan KM et al., Scientific Reports 2024 (Entlebucher not analysed).
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