Generally, Swissys are quite easy keepers if a few basic recommendations are followed:

Dry food:  Feed a high quality dog food such as Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Nutro, ProPlan, etc. Most premium dog foods have products appropriate for the age and size of the dog, and many now have large breed puppy and adult formulas.

Swissy puppies should be fed a large breed puppy formula until they are at least 6 months but preferably 12 months old. It is recommended to feed puppies 3 times per day until they are about 6 months old. The quantity is adjusted in accordance with age and the pup's level of activity. Most Swissys will be eating about 5-6 cups per day by the time they are 6 months old.

Young and adult Swissys should be fed an adult or large breed formula at least twice daily. As with the puppy, an adult's ration must correspond with the dog's overall activity level. Many Swissy owners add a small amount of water to the food prior to feeding. A general recommendation is to limit vigorous exercise an hour or so before and after feeding.

Raw food (BARF) diet: If you decide to raise your Swissy on a natural diet of raw foods, be sure to follow nutritional guides such as the BARF (bones and raw food) diet advanced by Dr. Ian Billinghurst from Australia and other knowledgeable proponents of this feeding method. Remember, improperly formulated home made natural diets may be nutritionally imbalanced and could cause more harm than good. There are now many brands of commercially produced and correctly formulated raw food products available that take the experimentation factor out of raw feeding.

At Brush Creek, our Swissys are raised and maintained on Eukanuba. In addition, they regularly get raw knuckle bones, ground raw chicken backs, ground meat and ground up or cooked vegetables.