Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Azawakh - Breed ComparisonGreater Swiss Mountain Dog is originated from Switzerland but Azawakh is originated from Mali. Both Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and Azawakh are having almost same height. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog may weigh 45 kg / 100 pounds more than Azawakh. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog may live 3 years less than Azawakh. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog may have more litter size than Azawakh. Both Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and Azawakh requires Moderate maintenance.

History

greater swiss mountain dog - historyHailing from Switzerland, and one of its oldest dog breeds, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has a dubious history in that there are a number of theories as to its origin. He is closely related to the Bernese Mountain Dog, Saint Bernard and Rottweiler.

Of all the theories, the one that says he is descended from large, mastiff-like dogs is a popular one. He used to be a herding- and guard dog, but also was used to pull carts of farm produce.

It was in the 1900s that the dog’s numbers started dwindling. In 1908, canine researcher, Albert Heim recognized the dogs as being large members of the Sennenhund type, a family of four breeds that includes the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.

He wanted to see the dogs recognized as a separate breed and the Swiss Kennel Club listed the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog in 1909.

In 1968 they were brought to the United States and a club for them was formed. The dog was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1995 with the dog being recognized as a member of the Working group.

azawakh - historyAzawakh dog was bred by the nomads in Africa. They were originally bred to be a guard dog. But, they realized that their body shape and bone structure allows them to run really fast (some say that they can run at the speed more than 65 km/h. This fact made them ideal for the hunting. Nowadays, they can be found across the globe but they are still very rare kind of a dog because they can survive and adapt to very high temperatures but they are very intolerant of low temperatures. Male Azawakh is slightly bigger than a female dog, with a greater instinct for guarding, hunting and taking care of the family and the pact.

Basic Information

Group:
Working dog
Hound dog
Origin:
Switzerland
Mali
Height Male:
65 - 72 cm
25 - 29 inches
65 - 75 cm
25 - 30 inches
Height Female:
60 - 70 cm
23 - 28 inches
60 - 70 cm
23 - 28 inches
Weight Male:
60 - 70 kg
132 - 155 pounds
20 - 25 kg
44 - 56 pounds
Weight Female:
55 - 70 kg
121 - 155 pounds
15 - 25 kg
33 - 56 pounds
Life Span:
10 - 12 Years
10 - 15 Years
Litter Size:
5 - 10
3 - 7
Size:
Large dog
Large dog
Other Names:
GSMD, Swissy, Sennenhund
Tuareg, Idi, Wulo, Rawondy, Hanshee, Sloughi, Osaka, Bareeru
Colors Available:
Black, white and rust
sand, fawn, dark fawn, brown
Coat:
Short and straight to medium length, coarse and wavy
short coat, smooth
Shedding:
Moderate, Seasonal
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Territorial
Affectionate, Cheerful, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective
Grooming:
Moderate maintenance
Moderate maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
No

Description

greater swiss mountain dog puppy - descriptionSwissies, as they are often referred to as, are large, robust dogs, standing at 65–72cm and weighing anything between 50 – 70kg, with the females being slightly smaller and weighing a little less.

He has big, rounded paws, medium length floppy ears, a broad chest and a long tail. This is a heavy-boned dog, strong while still being agile.

His dense, double coat is black, white and tan or rust, with black on top of the dog's back, ears, tail and legs. There are two rust dots above each eye. The coat can be short and straight to medium length, coarse and wavy. The dog sheds throughout the year with a major shedding a couple of times a year.

Temperament:

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a sociable canine, thriving on being part of a loving human family. While he used to be a working farm dog, today he is essentially a family pet, though he loves to still be busy.

He is generally friendly with strangers, but just like with all other dog breeds, he will need to be trained and socialized to turn him into an even-tempered, obedient dog, capable of getting on well with children and pets in the the home.

azawakh puppy - descriptionAzawakh is a large dog breed placed in a family of the hounds. It looks almost like any hound we know – slim, with long and skinny legs, with a big-boned chest with a stomach placed up with the spine. They have thin and a bit longer tail, narrow nose and small skull in a triangle shape. Their body may look skinny but it is just the way they should look. Actually, you could probably see the bone structure of the adult Azawakh because they, like any other hounds, have specific muscles – very thin and flat. They can be found in many coat colours like sand, fawn or dark fawn, even brown. Their coat is very short, usually with white marks on the neck, chest and all four paws. In Africa, Azawakh can be found in a diversity of colours.

Characteristics

greater swiss mountain dog dog - characteristicsThe Swissy is an easy going dog and adapts easily into his human family’s lifestyle. He is big, but agile dog known for his gentle temperament.

While he loves the outdoors, he is a social dog and loves nothing more than coming indoors and being close to his human family.

He loves his family and won’t do well if left outside for days without human companionship. Treat him well and you’ll be rewarded with a loyal, loving 4-legged family member.

Children friendliness

azawakh dog - characteristicsOnce Azawakh is a part of the family, he will try to find his place. If you teach him that you are the main figure, they will be obedient and affectionate pet. They love children, and they will surely be always close to them, guarding them and making sure they are safe.

Special talents

canine freestyle sports, heelwork to music competitions.

Adaptability

If your Azawakh pet is trained well and socialized, they can fit in almost anywhere. Some will say that they hate cats, but there are some cases where they were raised with them and they did just fine. They will be quite tolerant of a stranger in your house. Since they get attached to the family, it is not recommendable to consider this breed as a new-owner kind of pet.

Learning ability

Once you set yourself as a pact leader, you will have almost no problems with training your dog various tricks. Azawakh is an intelligent breed, they learn quickly and they will be more than happy to show you every day what they have learned. It is necessary to start socializing your Azawakh dog while he is still a pup. They don’t respond well to harsh methods of teaching so you should really avoid them.

Health Problems

greater swiss mountain dog puppies - health problemsThe GSMD or Sennenhund, as his name is shortened to, is a fairly healthy dog breed, with very few health issues.

He has an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years, and although not likely, he can suffer from minor problems such as gastric torsion as well as female urinary incontinence. If your female dog is dribbling urine in her sleep, there are a number of reasons that can be causing it - bladder infections, a medical condition or a weakened bladder with spayed female dogs.

It is certainly time to get your pet to the vet who will recommend a urinalysis.

azawakh puppies - health problemsThe Azawakh breed is very rare and this kind of information cannot be still guaranteed. If they are bred with a healthy family, they are usually very healthy and don’t need much of the vet care. Some of the diseases that were found in a medical history of this magnificent dog report heart problems (usually caused by their super high need of daily activity), problems with the thyroid glands, and skin diseases caused by the increased secretion of the thyroid glands which causes their skin to become dry and in some cases even the loss of the hair.

Caring The Pet

Diet:

greater swiss mountain dog dogs - caringThe Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a robust dog and thrives on a diet of kibble to raw meat to some cooked home-made food such as chicken, brown rice and vegetables.

A serious issue with the GSMD is overfeeding, resulting in uncomfortable digestive problems and of course, obesity.

Exercise:

Your GSMD isn’t a dog that is going to require a lot of exercise like some of the other dog breeds there are, but still his working career of the past requires that he still be taken on daily walks, enjoys ball- and rope games and to go swimming.

Grooming:

Brush your dogs coat at least twice a week to remove loose hears. Other grooming aspects include cleaning the ears to avoid infection, clipping his nails and brushing his teeth at least twice a week.

If you’re not sure how to do all these things, there are useful accessories for dogs that allow you to do all this grooming on your own. Your vet can also show you how as these are all things that will require ongoing attention.

Feeding

azawakh dogs - caringThe Azawakh bred has a high risk of the obesity. They must be fed with special care since the food they eat can affect the thyroid glands function. They should never be overfed by average dry dog food. You will be advised to give them food with little percentage of the protein. They drink a lot of water and they like the dairy products. Their meals shouldn’t include fruits and vegetables, and some grains (millet, rice). They do not need to eat a lot of meat, but you can add some chicken in their meals.

Puppies should be fed three times per day. Their portions should be small and diverse. Keep in mind to feed them at the same time each day because their metabolism will be formed by this. Adult dogs are fed two times per day, at the same time as well. After the meal, let them rest for an hour or two and never give them meals right after high physical activity.

Points for Good Health

If you want your Azawakh dog to be healthy and happy make sure you provide them with enough space to run, explore, dig holes and always have some fresh water. They don’t need regular vet checks, but if you notice some changes in their digestion, lower activity or skin abnormalities, it is very important to take them to the vet station. They should never be kept indoors, so if you are living this kind of life maybe this kind of dog is not for you. But, if you are super active and if you have a couple of hours per day to spend with your Azawakh, maybe you can make him feel a lot better.

Games and Exercises

Since they like the warmer climate, you can take them running with you. They will be a great companion while you bike and leave them leash free but only if he is trained to stay by your side. If you have a yard, make sure to leave some areas free for digging and hiding their special toys or treats. They are extremely playful and cheerful, so they will wander off in no time. Some of the Azawakh dogs were great on the hiking trips, so you can try this daily activity once you train him to listen to you.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Samoyed vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  2. Presa Canario vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  3. Labrador Husky vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  4. Mackenzie River Husky vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  5. Pyredoodle vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  6. Lurcher vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  7. Maremma Sheepdog vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  8. Sarplaninac vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  9. Himalayan Mastiff vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  10. Mountain View Cur vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  11. Native American Indian Dog vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  12. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  13. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  14. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  15. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  16. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  17. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Alaskan Malamute - Breed Comparison
  18. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Bullmastiff - Breed Comparison
  19. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Great Pyrenees - Breed Comparison
  20. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Boerboel - Breed Comparison
  21. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  22. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Argentine Dogo - Breed Comparison
  23. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Giant Schnauzer - Breed Comparison
  24. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  25. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog vs Belgian Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  26. Bloodhound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  27. Rhodesian Ridgeback vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  28. Greyhound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  29. Francais Blanc et Noir vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  30. Saluki vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  31. Borzoi vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  32. Black and Tan Coonhound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  33. Mountain Cur vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  34. Black Mouth Cur vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  35. Rajapalayam vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  36. Plott Hound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  37. Petit Gascon Saintongeois vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  38. Otterhound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  39. Mudhol Hound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  40. Ibizan Hound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  41. Rampur Greyhound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  42. Galgo Espanol vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  43. Azawakh vs American Foxhound - Breed Comparison
  44. Azawakh vs American English Coonhound - Breed Comparison
  45. Azawakh vs Austrian Black and Tan Hound - Breed Comparison
  46. Hanover Hound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  47. Majestic Tree Hound vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  48. Chart Polski vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  49. Polish Hunting Dog vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison
  50. Grand Bleu de Gascogne vs Azawakh - Breed Comparison

View/Compare Breeds

Popular Dog Breeds