The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog belongs to the second group in this classification: Pinscher and Schnauzer type dogs – Molossoids and Swiss mountain and cattle dogs. It is obviously part of the section of Swiss mountain and cattle dogs. Members of this group are guard and defense dogs. They have a powerful, muscular and deterrent physique accompanied by a strong temperament.

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has ancestors spread throughout Europe: powerful tricolor dogs, sometimes black and tan or yellow, known as “Butcher Mastiffs”. These dogs were used for guarding, protecting property and herds. At the end of the Middle Ages, they accompanied the Swiss Confederates in combat. In 1908, two “Short-haired Bernese Mountain Dogs” were exhibited and it was the cynologist A. Hein who recognized in them survivors of the Great Mastiffs of the butchers or Great Cattle Dogs which were then endangered. This is how, in 1909, they were recognized as a distinct breed by the Swiss Cynological Society. Subsequently, other subjects were found in the canton of Berne. A breeding program was established by the Swiss Club of the Grand Bouvier Suisse, created in 1912. A few years later, in 1939, the F.C.I. published the standard for this breed for the first time. It was through knowledge of the numerous services rendered by this dog during the Second World War that it attracted public attention, which subsequently promoted its expansion.

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is one of the large breeds with its 65 to 72 cm and 60kg max. in the male and its 60 to 68 cm for the female. It is a robust dog, with powerful bones and strongly developed muscles. Despite everything, he remains very agile with his elongated gait. His body is powerful without being massive. Its neck is stocky but without dewlap. His back is strong and straight, his chest broad and well set. The sternal region is particularly wide in this breed. Its rump is long and wide. Its belly and side are not very raised. Strong feet complement its solid limbs, full of robustness. His fingers are clenched and arched. Its tail, which reaches the hock, is quite heavy. It is carried hanging by the animal when it is at rest. The head of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is like this dog, powerful but without heaviness. Its skull is broad and flat. Its muzzle is powerful and its lips black. Medium in size, the eyes of these dogs are almond-shaped, hazel to brown in color. Its triangular ears are medium sized and set high. They hang flat against the dog's cheeks. The coat of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is described in its standard as a black background with red-brown lights and symmetrical white markings. The tan markings are positioned between the black and the white markings on the cheeks, above the eyes, on the inside of the ears, on the sides of the plastron, on all four legs and under the tail. The white markings, for their part, sit on the dog's skull in the shape of a star, the chamfer in the shape of a list, on the throat, on the chest, on the feet as well as at the end of the tail. His coat is tight and of medium length. Finally, its undercoat is dense, dark gray to black.

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a robust dog, which has a lifespan of around eleven years. Thanks to its double, dense and tight coat, it resists very well to difficult climatic conditions (but not extreme either!). The breed presents some predispositions to tumors such as mastocytoma or adenoma. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is also subject to essential epilepsy, which we call this because we cannot identify obvious causes for the appearance of convulsive seizures. The first seizures occur between the ages of six months and five years, but these can go unnoticed. During these attacks, the dog falls on its side, unconscious and exhibits pedaling movements. In the case of partial seizures, the difference is that the dog falls without losing consciousness. The diagnosis is made on the basis of a differential examination aimed at excluding any other possibility of damage to the nervous system and the brain. The tests are cumbersome (CT scan, MRI, etc.) but as a practically incurable disease, it is necessary to diagnose affected dogs so as not to use them in breeding. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog can also present a lack of entropion when the edge of the eyelid rolls inwards. This concerns both the upper and lower eyelids and can be limited to a portion or the entire edge of the eyelid. More or less pronounced inflammations in the eyes are a consequence of this defect. When it comes to maintenance, he needs regular brushing.

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, despite its imposing size, is a super friendly and family dog. He is a faithful and gentle companion, who is also very gentle with children. He is very enduring, attentive, vigilant, calm, easy to train, in short, he is a versatile dog. It was and still is sometimes used to herd cattle, pull loads, guard farms and houses, save human lives in the event of an avalanche. This is not a dog made for the city because it requires large spaces as well as regular exercise.