Is an Entlebucher right for you?
Whilst we absolutely love Bernese and really appreciate their qualities and pitfalls after they have consumed our lives for the last 40 years, we have quickly come to appreciate the virtues and differences in their little cousin, the Entlebucher, over the last few years with our first Entlebucher, Betty.
In this section we will cover the realities of living with an Entlebucher as we have found them and some of the key things we think families will need to consider.
1. Size
Although the smallest of the 4 tried coloured Swiss Mountain Dogs, Entlebuchers are described as medium sized. They are deceivingly heavy for their size due to their strong body muscle mass.
Although it is true in most breeds, to us it seems a little more marked in Entlebuchers that the males are larger than the females. Typical weight spread would be quite broad about 18 - 25 kgs for bitches and from about 22 up to about 30kgs for the larger males.
According to the UK Kennel Club breed standard heights, measured at the withers, (approx top of the shoulder/base of the neck), should be dogs 44-50 cms (17½-19¾ ins); bitches 42-48 cms (16½-19 ins). An upper size tolerance of 2 cms (¾ in) acceptable.
2. Living Environment
Firstly, owning any size or breed of dog requires a level of commitment to care for them more than any specific facilities or space. Having said that, there are also some basic requirements of the environment they are brought up in that will make life much more straightforward.
Entlebuchers are very clean dogs, easily house trained but will still need somewhere to go to the toilet when not going out for a walk. It is not about having a big house and large garden just because you have a dog. A small sized home and any sized garden can be sufficient as long as the dog gets exercised daily, ideally several times, outside of this environment.
More importantly than the size of the garden is the security of it and gardens need to be private and fully fenced (minimum 5ft) with secure gates. Although only small, Entlebuchers are good jumpers and if they wanted they could clear a surprisingly high fence.
Floors – Thought needs to be given to the floors you have in your house and particularly, the slippier wooden, tiled, laminate, lino type floors and whether additional nonslip mats may be required as slippy flooring can cause injuries to energetic developing puppies.
Layout – Entlebuchers are family dogs and like to be with you, so it would not be a suitable breed of you intend to keep them in a kennel or confine them to one room away from you.
Garden – whilst not breed related it is worth noting that there are quite a lot of common plants that are toxic to dogs and if you have these in your garden they may need to be removed.
Likewise, bitch’s urine often leaves brown patches on the lawn and males can wee up your patio furniture, plants etc. It’s also worth us commenting here about the mud in winter. Entlebuchers are highly active and running on wet grass can easily destroy the growth. Our garden in winter can become a mud bath and some people are now using at least areas of astro-turf to try and prevent this.
Car – The highway code sets out that legally your dog should be secured when transported in the car (see link for more info). This can be by use of a dog harness or a secure caged off area. We do not believe shut away in saloon car boots is an appropriate place for dogs so the following comments refer mostly to estates or hatchbacks where the space is open to the main car area where the family will be. Before embarking on ownership of any dog it is essential to consider your vehicle. Some things to note are;
- Rear space: Entlebuchers require room to sit, stand and lay whilst travelling. If you have family items that normally travel, then it is worth thinking about where else these could go (roof box etc).
- Entlebuchers can easily be lifted in and out of rear areas whilst young and once old enough will easily be able to jump in and out to here or onto a seat.
3. Grooming
After our lifetime of long coated Bernese, Entlebucher coats are comparatively low maintenance but of course this does not mean absolutely ‘no’ maintenance. Whilst the short haired coat seems to stay smooth and sleek with little grooming, any dog as active as your Entlebucher is going to collect dust and mud at times and need to be kept clean, especially the white chest area and feet which clearly show any dirt. Entlebucher’s do moult a couple of times a year for a few weeks and will require extra brushing and maybe washing during this time, but there is very little hair lost between these moulting seasons.
We do not recommend using deshedding tools on their coat but a simple rubber brush and boar bristle brush will keep them looking good. If needed, extras like nail trimming are worth having done regularly by a trained professional at a small cost although an active Entlebucher walking on hard surfaces will keep his or her nails naturally short.
In summary Entlebuchers are very good at keeping themselves clean and it is fair to say that, generally speaking, their coats must be about as low maintenance as (coated) dogs can be.
4. Temperament
You may read about the Entlebucher being a demanding and intense dog but for us this has only been experienced in a good way. Like the rest of the Swiss Mountain Dog family the Entlebucher has a strong inbred family bond. The farms they were developed on were not enclosed areas so a strong home instinct was essential. This was enhanced by their need to be with their family, they do not take kindly to being away from their owners, they are not a dog to shut in a kennel or run. They are therefore very endearing and eager to please, intelligent and thoughtful they will be loyal and faithful family dogs ready to enthusiastically engage with their family at all times.
We’ve found Entlebuchers to have a fairly good on and off switch, they ultimately want to do whatever you are doing. They love nothing more than relaxing with you but likewise love a good play, walk and game. This makes them great family dogs as they are very versatile and are suitable for homes with children.
In terms of activities, we feel with your Entlebucher you could seriously tackle any of the standard canine working activities. Obedience, agility, flyball etc would all make good use of your Entlebucher's physical and mental abilities. Properly trained, there is no reason why he or she could not be extremely successful at any such activity you and he/she applied themselves to.
5. Exercise
For their size Entlebuchers are extremely energetic, very mobile and possess great natural stamina. They do not tire easily and don't be deceived by those shortish legs. Working together with that muscular body the combination means this is a breed that, despite appearances can run, jump and play with most other breeds, easily holding their own. Your Entlebucher will welcome any chance to run energetically and freely.
So, the answer to ‘how much exercise will they need?’ is probably ‘they will take as much as you can give’.
The more important question here is perhaps, ‘how much can they do without’ if they don’t get a really good run will they be tearing up the house instead? In our experience, no. As long as they are with you that will do as a substitute for exercise. However, for their well being they will need plenty of regular exercise but they will not become an uncontrollable, frantic problem if they temporarily do not get it.
6. Day Care
Once mature Entlebuchers can probably be left as much as any other breed but with a few caveats. The main one of these is that no dog should be left unattended ALL day, it isn’t fair.
For any breed you MUST build up to lengthy spells alone gradually. If spoilt with attention for the first few months of their life and then suddenly alone for long periods as owners have used up their annual leave and have to return to work, her/she is bound to get stressed and feel abandoned. This can lead to destructive behaviour as well as make training much more difficult as he will be learning and reinforcing bad behaviour and stress.
If considering Day Care either at a doggy day care centre or dog walkers attending to walk him during the day, this will be well received. In your absence your Entlebucher will get on well and love to play with other breeds and of course will love to go for a walk or play with anyone if you are not an option.
7. Finance
Reputable breeders who health test and KC register their puppies, are charging around £2,500 for a well bred puppy. In terms of finding a breeder please contact us for more information.
With properly health tested parents, and therefore less likely to develop any of the breed’s particular set of problems, Entlebuchers should be a fairly robust breed who will not require too many visits to the vets.
Insurance: In spite of the above, we recommend (for any breed) that people insure their Entlebuchers on the best policy you can afford. If encountering problems people are sometimes surprised how high vet’s bills can be nowadays, which explains how expensive insurance can be. For example, diagnosis using MRI scans can run into thousands before treatment even starts. Always know what your insurance excess is and ensure you can have this money available.
Food: Whether you choose to feed raw or a good quality complete food it is still a cost that should be considered as it can cost anywhere from £2 - £4 a day. Which even at the lower end is circa £60 a month.
Grooming: For an Entlebucher to be groomed professionally it can cost anything between £25-£50. However, due to their short coats they are fairly easy to do yourself at home, (see above), especially if they are trained from a puppy to comply with this. Get your breeder to give you advice on this.
Items and Consumables: Entlebuchers should not be too destructive with toys and chews but they will need to replace these on a slow turnover basis, so budget a few pounds a month. Once set up leads, bowls, brushes etc should last a lifetime so once bought there should not be much ongoing cost.
Training: Puppy training classes can be extremely helpful for you and your dog, especially for your first dog, but can be expensive often £60-£100 for a 6-week course (1 hour a week) and then up to £40 an hour for private 1-2-1 training if needed.
8. Health
All breeds of dogs can be affected by some general and breed related health conditions and Entlebuchers are no exception. As is increasingly the case in our modern world, buyers and breeders can increase the chances of healthy dogs by testing for certain conditions prior to breeding decisions and then using the health reports to influence breeding choices as much as possible. Whilst some conditions can be eliminated in this way, others can only have the odds of encountering them reduced. There can never be absolute guarantees of a completely healthy puppy in ant breed. The Entlebucher community is generally very strict about health testing and clubs insist on specific criteria being observed prior to approving breeding.
9. Availability
Due to the low numbers present, not just in the UK but generally across the world, Entlebucher puppies are very hard to find. If you are interested in owning an Entlebucher please complete our contact form and if we are unable to help you with a puppy we may be able to advise other breeders we can recommend and work closely with.
Some general observations of Betty that we find are quite common for Entlebuchers; whilst playful, tough and single minded in some contexts, she really likes her home comforts and likes to be warm and cosy. She loves to be the centre of attention and is always up for play or anything involving running round. She is loving and loyal and very trusting of us and a great family dog and makes a natural watch dog with her alertness and concentration. If you are careful with your selection and your breeder has health tested and acted wisely, you should have a good chance of avoiding most of the hereditary conditions and you, like us, should get a great, easily trainable all round, family dog who can turn their hand to anything.
We will be happy to assist with any Entlebucher enquiry we feel we can help with so please use our contact form if you have any query.