Testimonials

"Heidi, I just wanted to say, I am so happy you chose me to receive one of Stella's puppies. I couldn't be more pleased with my Eva. She has brought much joy and companionship into my life. My vet is very impressed with both her temperament and her health. At 6 months of age, she has just graduated Puppy Kindergarten and it is easy to see that she is maturing nicely into an intelligent, even-tempered dog.

Eva is absolutely adorable and I get plenty of comments on her beauty when we are out on our walks. I am often asked what breed she is and I am happy to introduce Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs to people who have never heard of them before. She is a wonderful companion animal, so loving and friendly. To Eva, every stranger (human or dog) is just a friend she hasn't met yet. She is becoming more well-known in the neighbourhood than I am and I've lived here 11 years! I am so glad I met you and Eva's older half-sisters at that local dog show in January. Thank you again for breeding such wonderful GSMD puppies and introducing Canadians to this amazing breed."

~ Carolyn McNall - EVA - Carl X Stella Dec. 2008

"Here are some pics, I have to show them off because we love them sooo much.

By the way, if we were to ever get another Swissy or know of anyone who wants one, you would be the one we'd go to or refer. You were great to deal with, and know. You care greatly about the well-being of your dogs."

~ Alice & Paul Brand - Justus X Stella Dec. 2007

"We can't thank Heidi enough for letting us adopt one of her beautiful pups. Heidi makes sure that she matches the right puppy with the right family and she made a perfect pick for us! Our pup has excellent health and temperment, he is a great example of the breed. We are impressed with how she raises the pups (home raised) and you can tell how much she loves each one. Heidi is truly dedicated to the Greater Swiss breed."

~ Jennifer Lopes - OTUS - Carl X Stella Dec. 2008

"Dear Heidi,

I am so glad that my children talked me into getting a Swissy. And all I wanted was a little dog. What was I thinking? I have this 100 pound puppy that I have fallen in love with. She is so sweet. She is the most gentle, calm dog imaginable, just as we were promised. She has now graduated from two training levels and catches onto instructions so quickly.

Darcy's happiest moments are when she is surrounded by her people. As long as she is near us and getting attention she is happy. And how can you help but pay attention to Darcy. She is so beautiful.

Her other favourite time is playing with other dogs. Darcy is very social and loves to play with dogs of any size. She is very popular at the park each evening with dogs and dog owners alike.

So our Darcy is here to stay and a very welcome part of our busy family.

Heidi thanks for all your assistance and patience any time I called with big or small questions. You have been wonderful to deal with."

~ Martha Robinson - DARCY - Carl X Stella Dec. 2008

"I got my male Swiss Mountain dog, Tonka, from Heidi's first litter in February 2008. Prior to getting my dog, I boarded my horse at her family's business, Tannenfels Stables, so I had the opportunity to see the great care that was provided to all the animals on the farm. Heidi was nothing but professional, forthcoming and knowledgeable, which clearly illustrated her love for the breed. She was honest in answering my questions and we have kept in close contact since Tonka came home.

After a lot of research into different breeds, I decided on a "Swissy" and have not been disappointed. Tonka has a very mild temper, is very friendly and although he is a gentle giant, he serves as a great guard dog. He is great around other dogs, cats and has been a popular and loved addition to the pet store I work at (customers often come in asking for Tonka even when he's not 'working')! He has a humorous personality, loves to put on a show and be the centre of attention!

Everywhere I take Tonka, whether it is for a walk, to work or to the cottage (he loves to swim!), I get stopped by people passing by who want a chance to pet and be introduced to the breed. Many people are not familiar with the Swiss Mountain dog breed and I am always proud to show him off! Tonka always receives compliments for being such a unique, big and handsome looking dog.

Tonka is a great addition to my family of six and we could not imagine our life without him! I would recommend Heidi and the breed of Swiss Mountain Dog without hesitation to anyone looking for a loving dog."

~ Taryn Scott - TONKA - Justus X Stella Dec. 2007

Milo "It was apparent from the first moment arriving at Swiss Peaks and meeting Heidi that this was not merely a dog breeding business. Thier love of the breed particularly, and animals generally is obvious. Swiss Peaks has taken great care in choice of breeding lines that produce a happy and healthy Swissy. Our Milo is unbelievably intelligent, caring and beautiful. He immediately became part of our family. These traits, we are sure, came from the Swiss Peaks family and their positive approach to breeding.

On a daily basis cars literally stop in the road and people get out and want to meet this our Swissy. We always tell them if you are considering a dog there is no better breed and and no better breeder."

~ Jeff, Annette, Max, Tim & Milo Abate. Buffalo, New York - MILO - Justus X Stella Dec. 2007

"Heidi, We can not thank you enough for letting us adopt Hogan. Hogan is a perfect addition to our family. He has the sweetest disposition and absolutely loves spending time playing, walking and cuddling. We feel that Heidi had a direct effect on Hogan's personality with the personal care and attention she provided him within his first few months. He is adored by our family, friends and our neighbors. He is a real hit with other dogs and loves being able to run and play with his friends.

He is incredibly smart and catches on to teaching very quickly. Hogan has completed puppy school and was often called "Mr. Perfect". In addition to Hogan's character and abilities, he is incredible, gorgeous and has all the beautiful traits assorted with the breed.

Heidi has been incredibly supportive and has been available since day one to answer any questions we have. She has provided us with a great deal of information on the breed and tips on raising the perfect Swissy. It is clear that she cares very much for each puppy. She is a fantastic breeder and we would recommend her to anyone looking to adopt a Swissy.

Thanks so much for your ongoing support Heidi and choosing us to raise Hogan!"

~ Angel and Chris Sheran - HOGAN - Cooper X Stella August. 2009

Zeus "In July of 2009, I lost my Bernese Mountain Dog, Max, to cancer. He was only 8 years old. He was undoubtedly the best dog I have ever had and I've had dogs all my life. I had known about the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog but never had one. In researching them I discovered they had many of the characteristics that I loved about the Bernese but the Swissy had not genetic health issues. I managed to find a breeder in Maryland and visited them on a trip I was making in Sept. My wife and I both thought what we saw was wonderful and a Swissy was certainly what I wanted. On returning home I discovered Swiss Peaks Kennel and Heidi Frei on the internet. I was in touch with Heidi within the week and the rest, as they say is history.

We visited Heidi and saw her adult breeding Swissies. The beautiful dogs and the puppies were "so cute" (my wife's enthusiastic response). In Mid-October we picked up Zeus, our new puppy.

I took him to my Vet who checked him out and he told me I had "perfect puppy." He has confirmed that assessment in the visits we have had since that first one in October." ... Continue reading.

~ Jack Cox - ZEUS - Cooper X Stella August 2009

"Heidi & Jason,

Jonathan & I cannot thank you enough for bringing Tilo into our lives! After doing some research on Swissy’s, Jonathan & I knew that a Swissy would be the perfect fit for us & for our German Shepherd-Husky Riley. We were so excited when we found Heidi’s website & contacted her immediately.

We were a bit unsure of what to expect when we first visited Swiss Peaks as we had never been to a breeder’s before but knew that it was very important to find a breeder was going to be right for us & although we had heard amazing things about the breed, we had never seen a Swissy in person before! Once we arrived at Swiss Peaks we knew that we would be welcomed. We were initially welcomed by Cooper, Stella, Prada & Gucci! Shortly after we met Heidi & Jason who also warmly welcomed us! Heidi, Jason & the dogs were amazing! The dogs were so friendly & laid back & we knew that everything we had read about the breed’s temperament & demeanor was true!

Heidi & Jason took time to answer all of our questions & were very straight forward & honest about everything from Swissy’s in general to their own dogs & past litters. Although we had several questions we never felt rushed & knew that when we left that we would be welcomed back in the future. We were ecstatic when we got the email saying that were given the opportunity to adopt one of Stella & Cooper’s puppies! In subsequent conversations about the puppies it became clear that Heidi takes the time to understand each puppy’s temperament & personality so that she can match them to the right home & family. It also became abundantly clear that health was of the utmost important to Heidi & via facebook we were always kept up to date on all of the puppies with were plenty of photo’s to view & see the puppies grow! We were also given the opportunity to come and see the puppies & again we never felt rushed or that we were on someone else’s schedule. Heidi understands how important & exciting adopting a new puppy is & takes time to answer your questions & let you get to know all of the dogs.

Jonathan & I were so excited to finally bring Tilo home. Heidi walked us through the paperwork & answered any of our final questions. We were also surprised to receive a gift bag with toys & treats as well as a very helpful book of information about Swissy’s.

When we brought Tilo home to meet Riley we were so surprised about how smooth the introduction was! Tilo came so well socialized & fit right in! Now at 7½ months Tilo is amazing! He is so sweet & happy go lucky & loves playing both with his brother & on his own! He is also a HUGE snuggler!
We are so happy with Tilo & the relationship that we have built with Heidi that we will be a Swissy household from here on out!"

~ Andrea & Jonathan Atkinson - TILO - Stella X Cooper litter 2010

"Kobe Cooper, our wonderful Swissy, came home to us in Sept of 2010. We visited Heidi twice at the farm before we brought Kobe home and she wasvery approachable in answering any questions or giving advice. Our first visit was to meet the breeding dogs, which was a bit intimidating because they seemed so big!! But immediately you could see how well behaved,and gentle they were. All the dogs were wonderful to see, but Cooper stole the show for us. The second visit was to meet the pups. They were so cute and it was evident how much Heidi cared for them. We were so excited for the next visit when we were able to bring Kobe Cooper home!!!

He has been everything we could have hoped for. His temperament is wonderful, and he loves being with people. Kobe is so easy going, he's a joy to have around whatever the situation. He's also a great fit with our large family.

He's 8 months now and 111 pounds, but he has the heart of a lap dog. He makes us laugh everyday because he can be quite goofy.He's truly a great family dog, and a joy to have in our lives. I would recommend the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog to anyone thinking of a large breed and Heidi is the person to see!! :)"

~ Lorraine Lund - KOBE COOPER - Prada X Cooper litter 2010

"My husband and I always talked about getting a dog but we never agreed on what breed to get. We actually bought the annual breed issue and looked at EVERY breed. Unbelievably, the ONLY breed we both liked was the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. We researched extensively and found Swiss Peaks Kennel.

When we went and met Heidi, Jason and all their dogs—we were BLOWN AWAY! The dogs were everything we wanted—friendly and expressive, full of personality, watchful and attentive. Heidi and Jason are awesome! They were informative and realistic when it came to discussing Swissys and I appreciated it so much. Not only did they tell you all the pros of the breed, they also discussed the limitations and challenges of being a swissy owner.

My husband and I left the farm completely IN LOVE with the breed and obsessed with the idea of getting one of our own. I pretty much stalked Heidi via e-mail prior to getting a dog. Heidi NEVER neglected to answer my questions and never seemed bothered by getting yet another e-mail. We welcomed Buckles into our home September of 2010 and our lives have never been the same. Buckles is the most loving, friendly, handsome and quirky dog I have ever met. He is a local celebrity at the pet stores, vet and dog park. Everyone in the neighbourhood knows and loves his precocious nature. I am now known as “Buckles’ Mom” and I love it!

Heidi is passionate about her dogs and ensuring they go to a loving home. She is very thorough in preparing owners for all situations that could arise. I cannot count how many times Buckles had an issue and just looking in the booklet Heidi gave me—my question was answered. She is literally JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY! What other breeder would interrupt her honeymoon to call you back about a concern? (yes....Heidi did that).

There is literally NO other breeder that I would recommend. Not only is the GSMD the best dog in the world...but Swiss Peaks is the BEST breeder. Don’t even think of going anywhere else. Getting a dog from Heidi was the BEST decision I ever made. Buckles enriches our lives and makes us laugh every day and we have Swiss Peaks Kennel to thank for that!"

~ Melody and Andrew - BUCKLES - Stella X Cooper litter 2010

"Remsen is now a little over seven months old and he has become a wonderful part of our family. He is a gentle soul with a loving heart who has captured both of our hearts in a short period of time. He is playful, fun loving and loves the outdoors and his family. By four months of age we no longer kept him in his kennel when we left him alone in the house. He has never once chewed anything but his own toys.

Ramsen is a perfect gentleman while we are away and thrilled to see us on our return. He slept through the night the day we brought him home, at 8 weeks of age, and has continued to do so without interruption.

Ramsen loves our little farm and endlessly will walk with us around our ponds, to the barn, over the hills.He also loves the woods and weeklywe take long hikes in the deep woods and he can't stop smiling. He has boundless energy, amazing athletic ability over logs, through streams, and up steep hills, yet a great peace in his demeanor.We have trained him to respond to voice & hand commands with little effort. He amazes our friends at how smart and well trained he is at such a young age. To us, he just seems like Remsen.

We love our boy! Thanks!"

~ Christy and Dave Best - RAMSEN - Prada X Cooper litter 2010

For months, I have been trying to figure out the best way to articulate how much we love our Abbey. From the time I spoke to you (Heidi) that one evening in July 2010, I have not been able to stop thinking how lucky we were to have connected with you and how the timing was so impeccable!

We knew we wanted a dog but needed it to be the “perfect” family dog. Like many others, we researched & researched; Labs, Boxers, German Shepherds, and came across the Bernese which led us to the Swiss Mountain Dog. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (even though our only “sight” was a bunch of computer pictures)! For the life of me, I could not figure out why more families did not have a Swissie. But I soon discovered it was because there was a lack of decent Swissie breeders. Not so the case with Heidi and Swiss Peaks Kennel and our search ended there. Heidi’s website was organized and professional, Heidi’s dogs were beautiful and champions, and, most importantly, Heidi genuinelyloved her dogs and the breed. We were ecstatic when we were invited to meet her, Jason and the adult dogs. They were the most gorgeous gentle giants.

Abbey was finally welcomed home in September and we could have not been happier! The easiest and calmest puppy anyone in our family has ever known – Abbey, in all her glorious clumsiness, is a complete joy to have around EVERY DAY! Abbey is everything family. She comes with us everywhere she is allowed – family functions, parks, day trips. Everywhere we go, we get stopped and Abbey is admired by complete strangers and at the dog parks: her beauty, her calm and happy disposition, her BIG PAWS.

Abbey has slept through the night in her crate since the third day of bringing her home. And although we’ve allowed her to sometimes sleep in our bed (which usually ends up in a disaster because she believes she is owed a place on the pillow right next to our faces), she is always happy to return to her crate for a good sleep.

Having so many children of various ages around us all the time, we are so pleased that Abbey is great with all children and naturally gentle. It’s unbelievable, really, to see how appropriately she plays with children and dogs of all ages and sizes. Besides our son (age 6), Abbey’s other best buddy is a 13-pound Daschund!

So Abbey has her fair share of quirks: (i.e. counter sniffer, food stealer, barking at anyone/anything that walks by the home, and believes she’s still the size of a hamster, trying to fit herself on the smallest couch, in between two adults) – BUT IT HAS ALL BEEN WORTH IT! She’s never been rough, never shown her teeth to anyone or anything, and just the sweetest puppy we’ve ever known.

We all love Abbey so much and Abbey has fit in perfectly here at our home. We are ever so grateful to have found Heidi & Jason’s Swiss Peaks Kennel and that Heidi picked ‘pink’ (now ABBEY) for our family.

~ Tracey, Dave & Sebastian - ABBEY - Richmond Hill, Ontario - Prada X Cooper litter 2010