ACTIVITIES TO DO WITH YOUR GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG
CONFORMATION EVENTS
MBISS GCHP CH Trout Creek's Written Onna Star RN CGC JHD HTADIs TKN NWPD "Nash" handled by Luke Baggenstos PHA & Rowan Baggenstos PHA
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The official term for dog shows is conformation — as in, the act of conforming or producing conformity. While a dog show may look like a beauty pageant, it’s not. Dogs are not being compared to each other; they’re being measured by how closely they conform to the standard of their particular breed. Why? Because the closer a dog’s appearance is to the breed’s standard, the better that dog’s ability will be to produce puppies that meet the standard. It’s also the reason why mixed breeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are ineligible to compete in conformation. GETTING STARTED & LEARNING THE BASICS
AKC GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG BREED STANDARDDOG SHOW SUPERINTENDENTS & CALENDAR |
COMPETITION OBEDIENCEThink your dog is an A+ student? Are your friends and family jealous with how well you’ve trained your dog? Then you might want to take things to a new level by participating in Obedience competitions (also called “trials”).
Developed in the 1930s, Obedience is one of the AKC’s oldest sporting events. From walking on- and off-leash to retrieving and jumping, or demonstrating your dog’s ability to stay, Obedience trials feature dogs that are well-behaved at home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs. It is essential that the obedience dog demonstrates willingness and enjoyment while it is working with the handler. Whether or not you want to compete, every dog owner should consider some form of obedience training. It’s the best way to establish good communication skills between you and your dog – and to make sure that your dog is the most well-behaved one in your neighborhood! LEARN MORE! |
TROUT CREEK'S KISKA CD CDX UD RAE2 OA OAJ "Sierra" Owned, trained & loved by Jim Franklin
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RALLY
CH Trout Creek's Onna Your Mark, Get Set, Go! RN CGC "Dash"
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As Michael Jordan, one of the world’s most famous basketball players, said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” When you participate in an AKC Rally event, you get to show off both: Your dog’s talents and the teamwork between you.
Think of an AKC Rally® event as any team sport: You and your dog navigate a course, side-by-side, as you steer him through a course of 10-20 different signs. Each of these signs provides instructions regarding the next skill that is to be performed. The dog and handler move continuously throughout the course with the dog under control at the handler’s left side. There is a clear sense of teamwork between the dog and handler both during and between the numbered signs. Although each performance is timed, having a good race time is not the goal; it’s all about working as a team while performing the skills, with the dog under control. Started in 2005, AKC Rally is a fun family sport and participation increases each year. It’s a perfect starting point for those who are new to canine sports as AKC Rally provides a challenging introduction to all AKC Companion Events for dogs and handlers to strengthen their skills. BASIC INTRO |
AGILITY
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Agility is a sport in which a dog, under the guidance of a handler, runs through an obstacle course full speed, while having to perform accurately and safely on A-Frames, Dog Walks, See-Saws and a wide variety of jumps and tunnels. Each run is timed and scored with the goal of completing the course with the highest score possible. To acquire an agility title, a dog must earn three (3) qualifying scores per class level under at least two different judges. Courses differ by level of difficulty, and number and type of obstacles.
The Swissy is bred to not only possess brawn, they are also bred to be remarkably agile for their size. Swissies continue to demonstrate their prowess on the agility course with their ability to run courses clean and under time. We hope to see more and more Swissies venturing into the agility ring in the future. Dogs earn agility titles with the American Kennel Club (AKC), Canine Performance Events (CPE), North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) and United State Dog Agility Association (USDAA). GETTING STARTED |
TROUT CREEK'S YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS CGC CD GN RAE HIT DD JHD OJP OAP NFP VGS NAC "Heidi" with owner Dorothea Sperline
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PACK HIKE
Myself with Nash and Odyssey on a 2 day back-to-back pack hike
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Strap on a pack and join the fun! Pack Dog hikes offer an opportunity to get back to nature amongst the support and encouragement of other Swissy owners. Hike intensity will vary with terrain, but this is a sport that most Swissies can excel in with just a little effort put towards preparation. Dogs need to be fit and ready to carry 20% of their body weight over a 10 mile trail. Owners must be fit enough to tag along.
Earning a Pack Dog Leg(s) towards a title requires the dog/handler team to complete a ten mile hike, 8 mile back to back hikes or a 5 mile (each way) primitive overnight camping trip. The dog carries a sturdy back pack loaded with a 20 or 30 percent of its body weight. Pack weight can only be reduced through the hike by normal consumption of water and snacks carried. LEARN MORE ON THE GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG CLUB OF AMERICA SITE I recommend the Ruffwear Palisades Pack, it fits best on the dogs and is great quality! |
DRAFT/CARTING
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Sometimes referred to as “the poor Swiss farmer’s horse,” the Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund, after helping herd dairy cows in for milking, would be hitched to a wagon or cart for the trip to market, and after the farmer’s long day, give his master a lift back home. Since their arrival in the United States, Swissies have continued this tradition. Numerous pictures exist of Swissies pulling carts and wagons (collectively called “drafting”), in a multitude of tasks – from hauling produce and yard materials on the family farm and in the suburbs, to providing rides to small children in neighborhoods and parades.
Today, we celebrate the history of our breed through draft tests designed to mimic the types of obstacles a working Swissy may have had to negotiate while pulling a cart. Standing calm in harness and working steadily, dog and handler demonstrate their proficiency to work as a team to navigate a set course and earn various levels of draft titles. Draft Swissies are also useful in yard work; hauling debris, rocks, sand, etc. And many a Swissy can be seen in local parades across the United States pulling a draft cart. LEARN MORE ON THE GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG CLUB OF AMERICA SITE I recommend the Wilczek Woodworks starter kit cart and their Siwash Harness |
CH TROUT CREEK'S TINTAGEL HCT CGC NWPD JHD "RHEA"
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HERDING
GCH Trout Creek's You're On JHD with shepherd Dave Viklund
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Strong herding instinct stems from the historical purpose of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Though bred to function as a draft dog, the Swissy was truly multi-purpose and was also used to manage livestock (primarily dairy cattle) in the mountains of their native Switzerland. Swissies demonstrate these abilities through herding trials with various types of livestock.
Different Herding Venues to Earn Titles |
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Trout Creek Swiss Mountain Dogs established in 1998
Trout Creek Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs is located in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge in Southwest Washington on the Oregon border approximately one hour from the Portland, OR metro area and few short hours from Seattle. The majority of Trout Creek swissy puppies reside in the Pacific Northwest in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, California, Utah and Nevada, however there are many throughout the United States and Canada. AKC Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs & AKC Gold Breeder of Merit
Trout Creek Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs produced well-rounded GSMDs conforming to the AKC breed standard making exceptional family members, have winning qualities for the show ring and are willing workers for the various performance and working venues. Health and wellness always a top priority, only dogs that have passing health clearances and met CHIC requirements were used in Trout Creek’s breeding program. |
