Nutrition
We feed and recommend raw. But, if a swissy owner is unable or unwilling to feed raw then our food of choice is Nature's Logic. This is the only commercial kibble on the market that does not contain any chemically synthesized vitamins, minerals, or trace nutrients (which always come from foreign countries with mixed safety practices - no matter what a company claims about 'made in the USA' - some of the synthesized vitamins and minerals can only be made in overseas countries). No Wheat, Corn, Rice, Soy, Potato, Peas Or Lentils and their carbohydrate/binder ingredient is millet which has a much lower glycemic index vs. more commonly used ingredients. Another great option that is close to raw but with the ease of a dry food product is ZiwiPeak.
When feeding a dry kibble product it is important to incorporate a wet/canned food with it so as to include a food with a more natural moisture content. The Nature's Logic canned or ZiwiPeak Canned are good choices.
If budget allows adding in a freeze dried raw product as a topper as frequently as possible is a great option too. I like either the Stella & Chewy's products or Primal Pet.
Can't forget treats too! You can definitely use fruits and vegetables for healthy treats but for a quick and easy training treat I like the CloudStar Tricky Trainers. And to help keep the overnight bile vomits at bay I usually give a large OMH Biscuit at bedtime or a few of the Buddy Biscuits
Supplements
Even the best quality diets can still use a couple supplements daily or on an as needed basis. Every dog can benefit from a high quality omega product. I prefer either the SeaPet (that has vitamin e with it) or Nordic Naturals and adding a Solgar Vitamin E Capsule with it. Fish oils are so important for overall health but especially for dogs suffering from any type of inflammatory issue (like joint pain or allergies). They've even been linked with helping dogs with anxiety issues.
Swissies are well known to have sensitive stomachs at times. This product can help with loose poop, anal gland issues, and more. I don't recommend giving if you aren't experiencing problems regularly...but, if you have a more 'sensitive swissy' - it's worth giving this product a try!
As a giant breed dog swissies obviously can suffer from joint issues, especially as they age. I recommend starting on a joint supplement young and staying on it for life. Nature's Farmacy PhytoFlex is by far my favorite joint supplement - you also can add on Antinol for some extra relief if needed as they get older or are visibly slowing down or sore.
We frequently see lick fits in swissies...in some swissies these seem to be linked to lower than normal B12 levels (you can test your dog's at the vet if you'd like). Giving them an oral B12 supplement daily along with a fiber supplement and ginger as a treat 2-3x a day can oftentimes help to minimize how frequently you see lick fits.
Allergy Issues
One of the most common issues people see in dogs is seasonal allergies (it's the #1 reason for vet visits in all breeds). Oftentimes the vet will recommend Apoquel or prednisone coupled with antibiotics. The issue is this affects the dog's entire immune response and oftentimes will cause more long-term issues while only masking the symptoms vs. resolving the actual problem!
Step one and the most important one in my opinion (because we need to get those allergens off their skin) is bathing the dog 2-3x a week with a good medicated shampoo - make sure to let it sit for 10-15 min before rinsing very thoroughly. I recommend Douxo shampoo.
Step two is to make sure you're washing all their bedding regularly in hot water and also potentially getting a good indoor air filter. The Rabbit air filter is my favorite and helps with both allergens and to keep doggy odor to a minimum inside.
Step three is to make sure they're eating a high quality diet and getting helpful supplements. Evaluate your main diet first and foremost. The most important supplement for itchy dogs is a high quality fish oil and adding a Solgar Vitamin E Capsule with it and then consider adding some or all of these helpful supplements as well for seasonal allergy support - Moducare Plant Sterols (they help to moderate the immune system - allergies are the immune system in overdrive) - Stinging Nettle and Quercetin supplement (Quercetin and Stinging nettle are both well known for their ability to help with allergies and this product has both in the same capsule).
The holistic approach may not give as immediate of results as the harsh medications you can get from the vet...but, it will be much better for their long-term health!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program and may receive compensation for purchases made through the links on this site. Using these links will not change your price from Amazon. We were not paid by any manufacturer to recommend their products - these are all items we personally use and find helpful with our Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs.
Puppy Go-Home Supplies
Here is a list of suggested items to make sure you get before the puppies come home. I update this list regularly as I find new toys, treats, etc. that become favorites here as well. So, check back regularly and you may find something new for your adult swissy to try too:
- Crate or Kennel - I highly recommend that you crate-train your puppy. It helps with housetraining, avoiding destroyed items, teaches them how to settle, and is just an all around great thing to have your dog/puppy used to. A swissy could probably squeeze into a 42" crate; however, if you end up with a bigger swissy then a 48" crate would be the better bet. So, if you want to be safe and not have to buy another one I would recommend getting a 48" crate. Most new crates come with a divider...if yours does not then you will want to make or purchase a divider. When your puppy comes home you will want to use the divider to make sure they only have enough room in the crate to sleep and no excess space. If they have a lot of extra room they may end up going to one end of the crate to pee or poop and sleeping in the other side (which is not a good habit to learn).
MidWest Metal Wire Dog Crate
- For a bed for their crate I would recommend getting a primo pad and a fleece bed with no stuffing – the key is to pick a bed with support but no fluffy polyfill – those are too fun to shred and ingest. Some puppies can be very destructive with their bedding and you don't want to spend a fortune on a nice bed that they are just going to ruin. These crate pads are a really good option though...they are sized to fit in a crate, they have no stuffing (so if a puppy does get destructive it isn’t as rewarding as a bed with stuffing to pull out), they’re easy to wash, and if they pee on them it will go right through the bed so they don’t have to lay in the wetness. Primo pads are IDEAL for adults or puppies and I strongly recommend getting one and then you can put other bedding on top of it to make it more comfortable. You can take out the tray of the crate and replace it with the primo pad and then zip-tie it down and it is pretty much impossible to destroy while also being easy to clean and much better on their joints than a hard plastic tray.
- While not 100% necessary – a crate cover can make your Greater Swiss puppy/dog much more happy and settled in their crate – you can use just an old sheet…but, if you’d like something nicer I would look at the Molly Mutt ones.
- Bowls for food and water - I recommend stainless steel, they are more hygenic, easier to clean, and very durable. You want a non-slip built in ring on the bottom and they can easily be thrown in the dishwasher to clean. Raised dog bowls are not recommended, they actually now think they slightly increase the incidence of bloat.
- Shampoo - the biggest thing is to watch for sodium lauryl sulfate or other drying agents. The Four Legger brand makes sure their ingredients are all natural and safe for your dog even when used reglarly. To keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy…you really should be bathing them every 4-6 weeks…not bathing them leaves all the dander, dirt, dust, etc. to accumulate in their coat and can make them more prone to skin/allergy issues.
- Cordless Dremel - the easiest way to do your dog's nails is with a Dremel tool. Swissy’s nails get really thick and trying to cut them with nail clippers can be painful for them. The dremel works the best...we can give you a lesson when you come if you would like – or this is a page with lots of detail with this video. You can use smaller clippers for the first month or two when you bring your puppy home and then start getting them used to the dremel as they get a bit older. If you stay on top of their nails then the quicks never have a chance to grow out and they are easy to keep nice and short. This is better on your floors too! I recommend doing their nails at least once every week as puppies while they’re growing super quick...and then as adults every other week is adequate. A diamond sanding drum is the best option - the Diamagroove from Whitman's is the absolute best and totally worth the price since you'll never have to replace it. But, if you want a less expensive option you can try these - they do need replaced every 4-6 months (the diamagroove lasts forever).
If you make it ‘fun’ and have someone hold them and give them peanut butter, cheese, or some other yummy treat while the other person trims their nails you can usually teach them to tolerate nail time. It is important to not let their nails get long enough to touch the floor because it will lead to flat feet, their toes splaying, and eventually arthritis in their toes. If their nails are long enough to touch the ground or you hear them when they’re walking on a hard floor…then they’re too long! This is a great video that talks about why it is not good for your dog to let their nails get too long.
- Grooming tools – I am not a huge fan of the Furminator…they can and do break coat (and so do shedding blades) and can also lead to nasty staph infections if used too frequently & vigorously. Your puppy won't be shedding much until they start to lose their puppy coat...but, it is a good idea to get them used to being brushed so they can learn to enjoy it. I really like the zoom groom - especially as a puppy but it works great for adults also and can be used during bath time to work the shampoo in. Once they’re older – honestly the best thing I have found is a good forced air dryer…they aren’t cheap but using them after a bath in conjunction with the Zoom Groom and even in between baths will do wonders to get out the loose hair, dirt, and dander.
- Styptic powder - good to have on-hand in case you snip nails too close.
- Collars - I like martingale style collars (all nylon, no chain, for a pup) because they are almost impossible for the dog to slip out of (which comes in handy when first teaching your puppy to walk on a leash). They apply a little bit of pressure when they pull, but have a limited closure so they won't choke. They will fit into a 'medium' in this brand when they first go home.
- Leash - Leather leashes are the nicest on your hands. I would never walk a dog on a nylon leash, they hurt my hands. This company makes lots of fun custom color combinations
- Dog tag - you can get these made anywhere...but the Swiss cross tags in the link are pretty cool for a swissy! Although, I will warn that the 'large' tag looks huge when they're puppies but is totally proportional once they're full grown.
- Toys - You will want to have a variety of different toys for your puppy to play with. Some dogs love plush toys and are very gentle with them. Especially as puppies most swissies enjoy plush toys; but, be careful that they don't shred them and ingest the stuffing. The Skineez toys are great because they are plush but have no stuffing...and know that not all plush toys are created equal. The Hugglehounds and Fluff and Tuff toys tend to hold up MUCH better than other plush toys and are the only brands I would recommend.
Tug toys are also a big favorite, you can go with a softer fleece type tug or the rope tugs are fun too...just be careful your puppy doesn't try to eat or swallow the toy (the tugs are best for supervised play only).
I love the Planet Dog rubber balls and the Chuck It rubber balls (never give your dog tennis balls - they destroy their teeth enamel)...they are sturdy but soft enough that the dogs love playing with them and they float for water retrieval games.
You will also want to make sure your puppy has some appropriate chew and interactive toys. Kong toys are wonderful - start as a puppy with stuffing the kong toys with a mix of peanut butter and pumpkin and putting them in the puppy's cage to keep them busy while you're gone (or let them work on a stuffed Kong while you're home but busy doing something else). I would buy at least 2 Kongs so that you can have one stuffed and ready in the fridge or freezer while they're working on one. As puppies before adult teeth are in they need 'softer' chews that they can actually work on and eat and really dig their teeth into. The best choice for a chew will be bully sticks or ligaments (I like the spiral ones because they are harder for them to swallow whole when they get down to the last half). If you get the straight bully sticks just make sure to use a 'keeper' style toy so they can't swallow it whole.
Once adult teeth are in they will enjoy the 'harder' style chews more and you can give bully sticks as a special treat. Antler chews are a great choice for chews...they're fairly long-lasting and dogs seem to enjoy them - just make sure you get them split (not whole) and big enough and throw away when they're small enough to swallow. The ‘Himalayan Dog Chews’ are a good choice also…they are fairly expensive but with puppies they last weeks or even months and they seem to really like them. The Himalayan chews are also best in a Bonehead keeper to make sure they can't swallow too big of a piece. Water buffalo horns are always a huge favorite here and our crew likes Benebones a lot as well. Dogs (and especially puppies) like to chew…so, my recommendation would be to get them a wide variety of different chew toys so that you can redirect their biting and chewing to a more appropriate outlet. Make sure you have a variety of appropriate chew toys...this is the best way to keep your puppy busy, out of trouble, happy in their crate, and to keep them from chewing inappropriate items around the house. You will go through A LOT of chews…plan ahead! Never feed any dried or smoked bones or rawhide ever (not to your puppy or adult dog) - these can splinter and cause major internal issues.
- Baby gates are a good thing to have on-hand to section off areas of the house you don't want the puppy to go in, to keep them with you in a certain room, or just to make sure they can't get into too much trouble when you're not watching them very closely. We have a retractable gate that we love because it's easy to pull out when wanted but then retracts to barely visible.
- Stain and odor remover and TONS of paper towels (be prepared - swissies are not the easiest house-trainers) – I really like the Zero Odor line of products and use them in a handy pump sprayer that makes it really easy to target big or small messes.
- Treats and/or biscuits - you can definitely use fruits and vegetables for healthy treats but for a quick and easy training treat I like the CloudStar Tricky Trainers. And to help keep the overnight bile vomits at bay I usually give a large OMH Biscuit at bedtime or a few of the Buddy Biscuits
- Kennel or crate for in the car (this can be smaller than the one used at home - as they get a little older you can use a seat belt or divider type system instead – at first though if you don’t have someone with you to supervise and make sure they aren’t getting into trouble while riding in the car, this can come in very handy)
- Bed for around the house (can also use those same fleece pads mentioned above – they’re very easy to wash in case of an accident). If you want to get something nicer right off the bat though. I absolutely LOVE the Big Barker beds...they’re SUPER supportive and will last for forever, a lot of cheap beds get flattened and don’t offer much support. I do think it’s essential to add on the waterproof liner though.
Puppy Nutritional Philosophy
Starting with our 'C' litter in 2010 all of our litters going forward will be weaned to and raised on raw only. We strongly believe that nutrition plays a key part in a dog's health, wellness, and longevity. Just like people - dogs need a variety of fresh, whole foods to achieve ultimate wellness. A bag of dog food is like us eating Total cereal for every meal of the day. Yes, it may have everything required to survive but it doesn't allow your dog to truly thrive.
We feed all our dogs using the 'prey model' of raw feeding - this means that our dogs eat lots of fresh muscle meat, some edible bone, and some organ/liver meat. Everything you need to feed your pet can be found at the grocery store (no special shopping trips required). Instead of buying a bag of processed 'cereal' (dog kibble) - you will simply pick up additional real, whole foods for your puppy/dog when you are at the grocery store for yourself. The daily cost of raw feeding your puppy/dog is about the same as what you would pay when feeding a premium kibble (about $3 - $4/day for an adult dog).
Here is a link to some great information about raw feeding
These two books are the ones I recommend to read for additional information - they both explain why raw is the way to go and why you would want to avoid kibble.
Work Wonders: Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones
Why You NEED to Feed Your Dog a Raw Food Diet: A Complete Introduction for Beginners
When getting a puppy from us we will send lots of information for you to read (including the above book) about how and why we feel it is best to raw feed your dog/puppy before you even take your puppy home. We will always be available to answer any questions you may have because we know this is a new concept for a lot of our puppy homes. Raw feeding helps decrease the occurence of bloat, cancer, and lots of other problems. There is some new research about how what we eat affects how our genes are expressed (epigenetics): video | definition - why wouldn't you want to give your pet (from the beginning) the closest to their natural diet as possible to help them live up to their full potential?
We do not require that our puppy homes continue feeding raw to their puppies once they take them home; however, we do strongly encourage that you keep them on raw to allow them to live up to their full potential of health and longevity. Again, we will be here for the life of your puppy to answer any questions you may have at any time!
If interested in a puppy from one of our litters please fill out our puppy application and we will keep it on file and let you know once we have a litter on the way. Before filling out an application please keep in mind the time committment you will need to make to raise your puppy right. A puppy's first six months is the most influential time in its life and you will want to make sure you have the time, energy, and committment to take it out to new places and to meet new people each week. Training classes are strongly encouraged for all puppies from 10 weeks thru adulthood!