Temperament:
The Appenzeller is not recommended for first time dog owners.
Although they are loyal and devoted companions, this breed is not a
pet. Appenzellers are working dogs. They perform well in performance events such as agility, tracking, herding and obedience. They have also proved themselves to be very good search and rescue dogs.
They are very protective of their family, home and yard. The Appenzellers are friendly with children and other animals, if they grew up with them.
More About Their Temperament
& Character:
The character of the Appenzeller evolved from their work as in
independent livestock herding and driving dog and thereby is a very
spirited and very gladly will take the lead. The Appenzeller is
extremely intelligent, has incredible speed, strength and endurance
and needs a job to do with plently of room to run. This is not a breed
that thrives in a busy urban environment or in the suburbs, unless he
has lots of activity.
If he is not used as a working farm dog he must
be taken for really long daily walks or jogs. At the same time, this
is a breed that is very family oriented and needs to be with his
"people". This is not a breed suitable for kennelling. He prefers to
be outside and his strong herding instincts and bonding with his
territory keeps him from running off.
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With his typical piercing bark, tail
wagging and ability to jump, the exuberant Appenzeller shows
his strong-willed temperament and therefore needs an owner
that will take a positive leadership role at the outset.
Potential problems arise when owners do not assert themselves
as a consistent and confident pack leader over the dog.
Lack of leadership and or lack of mental and physical exercise
can cause a wide variety of behavioral issues with this
breed such as but not limited to obsessive barking, over
protectiveness/guarding, destructiveness, and a high-strung,
neurotic temperament.
A typical characteristic of the Appenzeller
is a certain degree of distrustfulness towards strangers.
He is very watchful and protective of his "people", home
and yard. It is very important early on that he is well
socialized with people, other dogs and animals and exposed
to a variety of surroundings and situations to ensure he
grows up to be a stable adult dog.
The Appenzeller is a breed with many
possibilities. A dog with a high drive and willingness to
please, the Appenzeller is a quick learner, and excels at
many things including dog agility, obedience trialing, tracking,
search and rescue, service dogs and of course, herding.
As a family dog, he needs to be involved with everything
you are doing at home, which can range from house work,
hanging laundry, or gardening.
Federation
Cynologique International (FCI): FCI
Standard
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