The Appenzeller Sennenhund is a Swiss breed of medium-sized working dog. It originates in the Appenzell region of north-eastern Switzerland, and is one of four regional breeds of Sennenhund or Swiss mountain dog, all of which are characterised by a distinctive tricolour coat.
History
The Appenzeller Sennenhund is the traditional working dog of the Sennen – Alpine cattle-herders and dairymen[2] – of the Appenzell region of north-eastern Switzerland. The earliest written description of it is that of Friedrich von Tschudi in Das Thierleben der Alpenwelt, published in 1853.[3][4]: 553 In the late nineteenth century Max Sieber, a forester who had seen the dogs at cattle shows in eastern Switzerland, asked the Schweizerische Kynologische Gesellschaft [de] to recognise the breed;[5] a commission was established with financing from the canton of St. Gallen[5] and the Appenzeller Sennenhund was recognised in either 1896[6] or 1898.[3][7]: 88 Eight of the dogs were shown at the international dog show in Winterthur in 1898; they were entered in a new Sennenhunde class.[5]
It has spread from Appenzell to other parts of Switzerland and to other European countries.[3] A study published in 2004 found it to be the most-registered breed in the canton of Appenzell, with 259 out of a total of 1358 registrations in the canton, or about 19%; in the whole of Switzerland it accounted for 360 of a total of 33470, or about 1.1% of all dogs registered by the Schweizerische Kynologische Gesellschaft.[9]: 226
It is the only Swiss dog breed considered to be at risk by ProSpecieRara, which lists it as gefährdet, 'endangered'. Numbers are stable but the gene pool is narrow; the association is in collaboration with the breed society, the Schweizerischer Club für Appenzeller Sennenhunde, to broaden it.[1][10]
The coat is double, the top-coat thick, straight and glossy. It is always tricoloured: the principal colour may be either black or Havana brown, with white markings to the chest, face and feet, and reddish-brown areas between those and the base colour.[11]
The tail is set high and is carried in a tight curl over the back when the animal is moving.[11] The ears are set high and are triangular and fairly small; they hang close to the cheeks when the animal is at rest, and are raised and turned forward when it is alert.[11] Among the faults that disqualify a dog from registration are a wall eye, a kinked tail, a single coat and a coat that is not three-coloured.[7]: 88 Dogs may be expected to live for some 12–14 years.[13]: 290
According to the breed standard, the Appenzeller Sennenhund is lively, high-spirited, athletic and suspicious of strangers.[8][11]
Use
The Appenzeller Sennenhund was traditionally used by the Alpine cattle-herders and dairymen of the Appenzell region both to herd cattle and to guard property.[3] It is often kept as a companion dog.[3]
Recognition in North America
In the United States, the Appenzeller Sennenhund is listed in the American Kennel Club's (AKC) Foundation Stock Service[14], and in Canada, it is included in the Canadian Kennel Club's (CKC) Miscellaneous Class[15]. The Appenzell Mountain Dog Club of America, maintains a breed registry and promotes breed standards[16].
^U. Horisberger, K.D.C. Stärk, J. Rüfenacht, C. Pillonel, A. Steiger (2004). Demographie der Hundepopulation in der Schweiz (in German). Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde. 146 (5): 223–232.
^Kooperation mit ProSpecieRara (in German). Schweizerischer Club für Appenzeller Sennenhunde = Club Suisse des Bouviers Appenzellois. Accessed August 2022.
