The behaviour

Nowadays, it is a multi-purpose dog used for guarding, search activities on rubble, sporting activities (sheep dog, scent game, etc.) but above all as an excellent family dog.

Its eyes are mischievous and Dr. Antonio Morsiani called it ‘the dog that talks with its eyes’. Having grown up and lived with this splendid breed for thirty years now, I would add that it is a dog that ‘talks’, that is, it responds to our requests by turning
its head. It is constantly seeking human contact, it adores the closeness of the family and when it needs a cuddle it comes close and with its nose touches the elbow.
Overall, it is a tonic, harmonious dog with a proud and attractive bearing.

A breed with great character qualities, when working with cattle it expresses intelligence, courage, seriousness, devotion and obedience to the master’s commands. In the Swiss alpine pastures, each individual had around 100-150 head of cattle in his care and the shepherd determined the area of the pasture by drawing a line in the ground with his foot.

The dog’s task was to keep the cattle within the perimeter traced by the shepherd. The working breed has a tendency to use its voice as a bark, this peculiarity was determined by the selection in mountainous areas. When herding cattle in the Swiss mountains, it was essential to use the voice as a warning to grazing animals so that they would not be frightened and accidentally head for a cliff.

I would not call him a barking dog but rather a communicator, he does not bark unnecessarily but uses different tones of voice depending on the situation he is in (work, play, guarding, cuddling).