Official ICCF Breed Description
Historical Summary
The Sennenhunds are ancient Swiss working dogs that developed in the Alpine regions, where they were used for guarding farms, driving cattle, and transporting goods. Their ancestors are believed to include large Molosser-type dogs that accompanied Roman legions and later interbred with local herding dogs. In the harsh mountain environment, only the strongest, most enduring, and most even-tempered dogs survived—those capable of working all day and protecting livestock from predators. Over time, distinct regional types emerged across Switzerland, differing in size yet sharing the same functional purpose and temperament. In the early 20th century, selective breeding began, leading to the official recognition of the Bernese Mountain Dog, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Appenzeller, and Entlebucher Sennenhunds. Today, Sennenhunds are valued as reliable working and family dogs, preserving their historical character and natural devotion to humans.
General Appearance
The Sennenhund is a large, strong, harmoniously built dog with a powerful skeleton, deep body, and well-developed musculature. The format is slightly elongated, with smooth, stable body lines. The head is broad and proportional, with an intelligent, calm expression. The chest is deep, with long ribs that provide significant lung capacity. The back is straight and firm, the loin broad and muscular. Limbs are straight, strong, with well-defined joints, providing stability on uneven terrain. The coat is thick and double-layered, protecting from cold and moisture. Movement is confident, broad, and steady. Overall, the Sennenhund presents the appearance of a powerful, reliable, and stable working dog. Signs of weakness, softness, or poor proportions are unacceptable.
Important Proportions
The body length slightly exceeds the height at the withers, forming a stable, strong outline characteristic of Alpine working dogs. The chest is deep and broad, its lowest point reaching the elbows or slightly below. The head is proportional: the muzzle and skull are approximately equal in length. The neck is muscular, of medium length, blending smoothly into the withers. Limbs are straight, parallel, with strong bone. The tail reaches the hock or lower. All proportions must emphasize balance, strength, and stability, enabling effective movement across mountainous terrain and performance in herding and guarding roles. Narrow format, insufficient bone, or weak angulation are considered serious faults.
Behavior and Temperament
The Sennenhund has a calm, balanced temperament, marked by strong devotion and high reliability. It is confident, friendly, yet attentive to its surroundings and always ready to protect its owner or territory. The breed possesses a well-developed guarding instinct, but unjustified aggression is not typical. Its working nature is expressed through endurance, obedience, and intelligence. Sennenhunds work well in teams, enjoy cooperation, yet are capable of independent decision-making. Shyness, nervousness, panic reactions, or uncontrolled aggression are unacceptable. Correct temperament is confident, calm, friendly, and stable.
Head
The head of the Sennenhund is massive yet harmonious, proportional to the body, with a broad, slightly convex skull and smooth outlines. The skull is relatively wide, with a faint median groove and a gentle stop. The forehead is rounded but not coarse. The muzzle is powerful, straight, well-filled throughout, without narrowing. Jaws are strong and deep; scissors bite, with large teeth. Cheeks are moderately developed and must not protrude. The skin on the head is tight, without looseness; slight mimic folds may appear but should not be heavy. The head must reflect strength, confidence, and calmness. Excessive lightness, dryness, a narrow muzzle, abrupt stop, weak jaws, or loose skin are undesirable.
Foreface
The foreface of the Sennenhund is powerful and broad, with a well-formed straight nasal bridge and a large nose. The nose is black or dark brown, with wide nostrils. Lips are tight to moderately pendulous, without excessive looseness; the lip line is clearly defined. Jaws are strong, and the width of the muzzle emphasizes the working character of the breed. The chin is noticeable but not coarse. The skin is tight, with no deep wrinkles. In profile, the skull and muzzle must form a harmonious balance. Light pigmentation, weak lower jaw, narrow or pointed muzzle, excessively pendulous lips, or asymmetry are unacceptable. The foreface must appear stable, confident, and functional.
Eyes
The eyes are oval, medium-sized, set moderately deep, with a friendly, calm, and confident expression. The preferred color is dark brown, though slightly lighter shades may occur. Eyelids are tight, dry, well-fitting; looseness or wetness is unacceptable. The expression must reflect balance, attentiveness, and friendliness typical of the breed. Round, protruding, or overly light eyes, weak eyelid pigmentation, or signs of irritation or moisture are faults. Correct eyes create the characteristic Sennenhund expression of calmness, confidence, and attachment.
Ears
The ears are medium-sized, triangular, with softly rounded tips, set high but not too close together. In repose, they hang freely and lie close to the head, creating a gentle, friendly expression. When alert, they rise at the base and tilt slightly forward, emphasizing attentiveness without harshness. Oversized, heavy, overly long, or outward-turned ears disrupt breed type. Erect ears, rigid cartilage, asymmetry, or lack of proper contact with the cheeks are unacceptable. Proper ear shape and placement complete the harmonious head and reflect the balanced character of the Sennenhund.
Neck
The neck is strong, muscular, of medium or slightly increased length, smoothly blending into the withers. Its strength reflects the breed’s working nature, while the moderate length allows free movement and a noble head carriage. The skin is tight; a slight dewlap is acceptable but must not be excessive. Musculature should be well developed but not coarse. A short, thick, weak, or overly loose neck with abrupt transitions disrupts harmony. The correct neck enhances the impression of confidence, stability, and working ability.
Body
The body is strong, massive, harmonious, reflecting the power and stability of a mountain working dog. The chest is deep and broad, with long ribs reaching the elbow or slightly below, providing excellent lung capacity. The back is straight, firm, of medium length. The loin is broad, muscular, smoothly connecting to the croup. The croup is slightly sloping, broad, contributing to a strong thrust and stable movement. The abdomen is moderately tucked. The body must convey strength, stability, and confidence. Narrow chest, looseness, weak musculature, short body, sagging topline, or excessive length are unacceptable.
Tail
The tail is medium to long, thick at the base, set level with or slightly below the topline. In repose, it hangs naturally; in movement, it rises to the level of the back but not higher, maintaining a straight or slightly curved shape. It should be mobile but not overly active, complementing the steady character of the breed. The coat on the tail is dense and protective. Kinks, excessive length, ring tails, or high carriage are faults. A correct tail completes the silhouette and contributes to balance and expression.
Forequarters
The forequarters are straight, strong, with substantial bone, placed parallel. Shoulders are long, sloping, muscular, providing correct angulation for free movement. Elbows lie close to the body, directed backward without deviations. Forearms are straight, massive, able to bear significant load. Pasterns are short, strong, slightly sloping, providing shock absorption on uneven ground. Feet are large, round, with tight toes and strong pads. Weak pasterns, toeing in or out, insufficient bone, or weak feet are unacceptable. Forequarters must demonstrate strength, stability, and endurance.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters are powerful, broad, with well-developed musculature and correct angulation. Thighs are long, deep, massive. Lower thighs are strong, forming a clearly defined stifle angle. Hocks are low-set, strong, moving on a single axis, ensuring powerful thrust. Metatarsi are short, vertical, offering stable support. Feet are oval, compact, with durable pads. Weak ligaments, straight angulation, cow hocks, barrel hocks, or narrow stance impair thrust and stability and are unacceptable. Correct hindquarters provide strength, endurance, and efficient movement on mountainous terrain.
Gait / Movement
The gait is confident, broad, powerful, yet surprisingly free and economical. Movements must reflect the strength and stability inherent to a mountain working dog. At the trot, the Sennenhund moves evenly, with good forward reach and strong rear drive, maintaining a straight topline. The body remains balanced without sway or lateral deviation. When speed increases, the stride becomes wider while maintaining coordination. Short stride, stiffness, crossing limbs, weak ligaments, or imbalance are unacceptable. Correct movement showcases endurance and the breed’s ability to perform long tasks in difficult conditions.
Coat
The coat is thick and double-layered, providing strong protection against cold, moisture, and wind. The outer coat is of medium length, straight or slightly wavy, dense, and lies close to the body. The undercoat is soft, dense, and insulating. Coat must be even across the body, with increased density on the chest, neck, and hindquarters. Sparse coat, lack of undercoat, excessive softness, curliness, or bald areas are unacceptable. The coat is a critical functional element of the breed.
Permissible Colors
Sennenhunds traditionally display a tricolor pattern: black as the primary color with clearly defined rust markings and white markings. Rust markings appear above the eyes, on the cheeks, chest, legs, and under the tail. White markings are required on the chest, feet, and tail tip; often present on the muzzle and forehead. Color must be clean, bright, and contrasting, with well-defined borders. Blurred markings, incorrect placement, excessive white, or lack of contrast are faults. Non-typical colors—solid red, gray, blue, brown—are disqualifying.
Size
The Sennenhund is a large, powerful breed whose size reflects its working purpose. Height at the withers for males is typically 64–70 cm; for females, 58–66 cm, depending on the variety (Greater Swiss, Bernese, Appenzeller, Entlebucher). Weight ranges from 25 to 60 kg, but the dog must remain balanced and strong. The body format is slightly elongated. The chest is deep and broad. Bone must be strong but not coarse. Excessive lightness, weak bone, or excessive heaviness/shortness are unacceptable.
Faults
Faults include any deviations from breed type and functionality: weak bone, narrow chest, insufficient depth, looseness, weak topline, excessive length. In the head: coarse skull, narrow or weak muzzle, light nose pigment, round or pale eyes, loose lips. In movement: short stride, stiffness, crossing limbs, weak thrust, instability. In coat: sparse undercoat, excessively short or soft outer hair. In temperament: shyness, unjustified aggression, nervousness, or lack of confidence.
Disqualifying Faults
Disqualifying faults include severe structural, behavioral, or color defects: aggression, extreme shyness, panic reactions, unstable psyche. Serious anatomical deformities: incorrect bite, multiple missing teeth, severe limb deformities, lameness, spinal disorders. Unacceptable colors: solid red, gray, brown, blue, pure white, or incorrect tricolor distribution. Blue eyes, lack of nose or eyelid pigmentation, ring tails, strong kinks, significant alopecia, or skin disease are also disqualifying.
Important Notes
Judges must consider the breed’s historical role as a versatile mountain working dog, which requires strength, stability, endurance, and balanced temperament. Young dogs often mature unevenly, which may temporarily result in insufficient body fill or muscle development. Movement must be steady, confident, and balanced. Temperament is a key aspect: the Sennenhund must remain calm, confident, non-aggressive, and deeply bonded to humans. Coat quality and color contrast are essential for breed type. Nervousness, weak ligaments, structural imbalance, or looseness negatively affect functionality.
Conclusion
The Sennenhund is a powerful, confident, and devoted working dog, combining the historical qualities of a herder, guardian, and household assistant. Its structure reflects functionality: strong body, stable topline, expressive head, strong limbs, and a dense protective coat create a dog adapted for mountain conditions. Its temperament is friendly, stable, and reliable. The Sennenhund must remain balanced, capable, and strongly bonded with humans. Breeding should preserve proportions, strong bone, stable temperament, and bright tricolor markings. A well-bred Sennenhund is both an effective working partner and a dependable companion, embodying the strength, confidence, and loyalty that made the breed famous.
