Preserving the Entlebucher Sennenhund: Data-Driven Stewardship

Over 100 years of pedigree data, dedicated to safeguarding our breed’s future

🧬 Our Mission: Moving Past the Surface

True breed preservation requires looking beyond shallow, 5-generation pedigrees. Since 2006, this independent project has hand-transcribed thousands of historical paper records line-by-line directly from the original Swiss Stud Books (Hundestammbuchs) to map the deeper ancestral structure of our breed.

Today, this living, independent registry actively tracks over 33,600 dogs. By providing breeders and owners with deep-generational data, we work to identify and help address emerging breeding bottlenecks, minimize the popular sire effect, and coordinate global preservation efforts.

🧭 Choose Your Path

Use the columns below to explore our project records, historical timelines, and the Living Pedigree Registry.

📊 Breed Studies & Analytics

Discover a growing library of multi-generation analyses examining global population trends, growth curves, effective population size, and emerging genetic pressures.

🛠️ The Living Pedigree Registry

Use the Entlebucher Pedigree Database Online (EPDO) to investigate documented pedigrees, calculate inbreeding coefficients, and run trial matings.

📖 History & Provenance

Trace the project’s development—from decades of meticulous pedigree research to an international resource for breed preservation.
View Study Reports Explore EPDO Learn EPDO History

🛠️ Turning the Tide: A 3-Pronged Approach

Reversing our current genetic challenges requires a community-wide shift:

    • Breed Clubs: Focus on recruiting and mentoring hobbyists and work to eliminate unnecessary barriers to entry.

    • Breeders: Prioritize placement in homes open to future breeding. Aim to find at least two homes/litter to preserve unique lines.

    • Owners: Receive support to confidently contribute through access to tools for cross-border matchmaking.