Swissies and Children

There are several articles on the internet about the Swissy being the "ideal family dog." These articles tend to make people believe that GSMDs are little more than larger, tricolored Labradors. This is far from the truth. Typical GSMDs are by nature more independent than Labs (not to be confused with aloof, which Swissies most definitely ARE NOT). Their desire to please themselves is naturally stronger than their desire to please you. They tend to be more protective and wary of strangers than Labs, as well as larger and more powerful. As retrievers, Labs are born with soft mouths. GSMDs have a strong herding/prey drive, and many enjoy chasing and nipping at moving appendages (as well as moving little people). The photos shown here is not to demonstrate how wonderful Swissies are with children, but rather to illustrate how these large, powerful dogs stack up against a small child.