The Swissy is not suited to apartment or condo life. Because he's a large, working dog, he needs room to roam--a home with a large, securely fenced yard is ideal. You won't need to sign up for a marathon, though; he needs just a moderate amount of exercise.

With his Swiss heritage, this breed is a natural fit for cold climates, and he loves to romp in the snow. The flips side is that he's prone to heatstroke. Don't let him exercise strenuously when it's hot; during hot spells, limit your outings to cool early mornings or evenings. During the heat of the day, keep him inside with fans or air conditioning. If he has to be outside, make sure he has shade and, of course, plenty of water.

You'll need to take special care if you're raising a Swissy puppy. Like many large breeds, the Swissy grows rapidly between the ages of four and seven months, making them susceptible to bone disorders and injury.

Keep your Swissy pup on a high-quality, low-calorie diet that keeps him from growing too fast. Don't let him run and play on hard surfaces such a pavement, do a lot of jumping, or pull weights until he is at least two years old and his joints are fully formed. Normal play on grass is fine, and so are puppy agility classes.

Like all dogs, the Swissy needs to be socialized--taught to be friendly to other dogs and people--beginning in puppyhood. Puppy kindergarten and obedience classes are a great way to socialize your Swissy and teach him good canine manners.

Now, as for housetraining: while every dog is different, Swissy fans say that the breed generally takes to housetraining slowly. The reason isn't exactly clear. But if you use crates and stick to a good housetraining routine, your Swissy will grasp the general concept of housetraining within a week or two of arriving at his new home. But don't count on him to be completely reliable in the house until many months later.

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