Independent dog care guides · Sourced from veterinary references · Written for owners everywhereHow we workPet insurance
Straight answers for dog people, everywhere.
Hound Handbook
Insurance guide
Breed profile

Entlebucher Mountain Dog

The smallest Swiss mountain dog: a compact, tricoloured cattle dog with endless energy and a strong attachment to family.

Weight
18–30 kg40–66 lb
Height
42–52 cm17–20 in
Lifespan
11–13 yrs
Group
Pastoral / Herding
Origin
Switzerland
Popularity
#178 US#197 UK · 2025

Known for: Working dogsLow grooming

Energy
Shedding
Trainability
Barking
Good with kids
Flat-friendly

Temperament

Energetic, Loyal, Self-assured, Wary of strangers.

Health problems to know about

  • Hip dysplasia
  • Progressive retinal atrophy
  • Patellar luxation

Ask breeders for the parents' health test results, and check what your national breed club recommends screening for.

Daily care

An hour or more of exercise and a job to do: herding, agility or obedience. A weekly brush is enough for the short double coat.

A good fit for

Active families, people who enjoy dog sports, homes with a garden.

Probably not ideal for

Flats, people out all day, owners who dislike barking.

Sources

  1. American Kennel Club: Entlebucher Mountain Dog
  2. PetMD (vet-reviewed): Entlebucher Mountain Dog
  3. Wikipedia: Entlebucher Mountain Dog

Popularity: AKC 2025 registration rankings (US); Royal Kennel Club 2025 registrations (UK, ranked by us). Breed traits are tendencies, not guarantees. Individual dogs vary, and mixed breeds and rescues can be wonderful fits too.

Similar breeds

All breeds
A blue-mottled Australian Cattle Dog with tan legs stands in profile on a gravel path by a field

Australian Cattle Dog

Tough, tireless Australian drover with a sharp brain. Devoted to its own people and happiest with a job; an idle one will invent its own.

Blue merle Australian Shepherd with pale blue eyes looking at the camera in a snowy garden

Australian Shepherd

Despite the name, an American herding breed: brilliant, intense and always on.

Black and white Border Collie panting with its tongue out, close-up portrait outdoors

Border Collie

Probably the most trainable dog on earth, and the most likely to invent its own jobs.

Mudi

A quick, wavy-coated Hungarian farm dog that herds, guards and learns fast. Keen, vocal and happiest with a job to do.

Related guides

Fluffy white Bichon Frise on a rock beside a lake, with the Manhattan skyline behind
Breeds

Best Dog Breeds for Apartments: 12 Honest Picks (and What Matters)

The best apartment dogs are calm and quiet, not just small. Twelve breeds with honest pros and cons, why mixed breeds are worth a look, and building pet rules.

9 min read · 8 sources