Entlebucher Mountain Dog
The Entlebucher Mountain Dog is the smallest of the four Swiss mountain breeds, from the Entlebuch valley in the canton of Lucerne, and unlike its heavier relatives it was…
About the Entlebucher Mountain Dog
The Entlebucher Mountain Dog is the smallest of the four Swiss mountain breeds, from the Entlebuch valley in the canton of Lucerne, and unlike its heavier relatives it was principally a cattle driver rather than a draught animal. It is fast, agile and considerably more demanding to own than its size suggests.
Dogs stand 44 to 50 cm, long-cast and low-set, with a short hard tricolour coat, black with symmetrical tan and white markings that the standard describes closely. Many are born with a natural bob tail. The breed is confident, noisy and strongly attached to its people, and it will attempt to herd anything that moves. A stud should be sociable, since an Entlebucher that has not been taken about can be sharp with strangers.
Ask for hip and elbow scores and a current eye certificate, since progressive retinal atrophy and cataract are recorded in the breed. Urinary tract malformations present from birth, including ectopic ureters, have been reported in Entlebuchers and are worth a direct question about the line. The British population is small, so ask what the coefficient of inbreeding for the mating would be and where the stud's parents were bred.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Entlebucher Mountain Dog
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA test — prcd-PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 11 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 8 dogs scored — indicative only, from a small sample). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Entlebucher Mountain Dog stud dogs
No Entlebucher Mountain Dog studs are listed right now
When an Entlebucher Mountain Dog on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Entlebucher Mountain Dog litters
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Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
