They were large, muscular dogs, some with tri-colored markings, though red/white and black/tan coloring were also prevalent. By the 19th century, the ancestors of the modern Swissy were widely used in central Europe by farmers, and tradesmen, and were often referred to as, Metzgerhunde, or “Butcher’s Dogs”. Consequently, a group of dogs bred to perform a certain function took the name of that activity, such as Viehhunde, or cattle dog. Selective breeding was more commonly based on the dog’s ability to perform a particular function, such as pulling loads or guarding, rather than on any acknowledged breed standard. The early ancestors of the Swissy were used by farmers, herdsmen, and merchants in central Europe. Bernard, and Bernese Mountain Dog, are largely descended from the Roman Mollasian. As a result, several breeds, including the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, St. Whether or not a large breed was already in existence at the time of the Roman invasion of the Alpine regions, it seems clear that the Roman dogs would have been bred with these dogs. Yet a third possibility is that a large breed was indigenous to central Europeas far back as the Neolithic period. 1100 B.C.) brought a large breed of dog with them to settlements in Spain, and that these dogs later migrated eastward to influence the development of the Spanish Mastiff, Great Pyrenees, Dogue de Bordeaux, and eventually the large Swiss breeds. However, a second theory holds that the Phoenicians (c. The most popular theory states the dogs are descended from the Mollasian, a large Mastiff-type dog that accompanied the Roman Legions on their invasion of the Alpsin the 1st century B.C. There are several theories regarding the ancient origins of the Swiss Sennenhund breeds. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is considered the oldest of the Swiss breeds and was instrumental in the early development of both the St.
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