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Our Swissy Story
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The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog:
NOT:
AKC Breed Standard UKC Breed Standard 
"It is a striking, tri-colored, large, powerful, confident dog of sturdy appearance. It is a heavy boned and well muscled dog which, in spite of its size and weight, is agile enough to perform the all-purpose farm duties of the mountainous regions of its origin."
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We were first introduced to the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog breed on a fateful encounter in the streets of west Portland, OR. We were immediately struck by the temperament, stature, and coloring of this remarkable breed. Our search for just the right family dog, that would also fit our desired farm-style home life began. As we researched the Swissy along side other breeds such as the Labrador Retriever, the Saint Bernard, the Samoyed, and the Bernese Mountain Dog, these others quickly faded in comparison to the versatility, health, and characteristics of the Swissy. It would be four years and a move halfway across the country before we could seriously indulge our fantasy of owning one of these magnificent dogs. By the time we were ready to purchase our first GSMD, we already knew that we wanted to breed them as well, as we were so in love with breed.
We purchased our first Swissy, RamsGate's Keepsake-"Pearl" from Michele Slate of RamsGate Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, an excellent breeder in Sherwood, OR. Little did we know the community we would stumble into by owning one of these wonderful dogs, both through the conformation and competition world of dog fanciers and wonderful community events hosted by the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of the Rockies. A popular breed in mountainous Colorado, we were amazed by the number of local Swissy owners and breeders, and the open arms with which we were received as we set out to learn how to show these dogs and learn the intricacies of being a dog breeder. We have received excellent mentorship, encouragement, and community from some amazing local breeders. As we have learned more about the breed and the steps to becoming a breeder, we decided to purchase another female for our breeding program. Houha’s Leavin a Legacy in Storms Wake-“Ziva” joined us in January 2016, also from another excellent breeder, Lori Houha in Rockford, IL. We have also since added I'm No Angel av Prinzenhof to our breeding program, a boy we co-own with Cornerstone GSMD. We will continue to add dogs as our program grows, some of them staying here with us and others in co-ownership with the families that love them. Please see our past/upcoming litters and individual dog's pages for more information about Legacy Creek Swissies and puppies! |
