Dog Breeds > Saint Bernard

The Saint Bernard

The Saint Bernard is probably one of the famous giant dogs around the world. This gentle giant is affectionate and friendly to everyone. It is also said that this dog has incredible sixth sense that lets it predict if a storm is coming.

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Fascinating Facts

The Saint Bernard was developed in 980 AD by crossing the Great Pyrenees, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Tibetan Mastiff and Great Dane. The monks of the St Bernard de Menthon gave this giant dog its name. One of the popular uses of this dog during the early days of its development was to rescue people who are trapped in avalanches. Because of its ability to hear low frequency sound, the Saint Bernard can also predict if a storm is coming.

Physical Appearance

The Saint Bernard’s fully-grown size and weight is about 25 – 28 inches and 110 – 200 pounds respectively. The head of this dog is huge and powerful; the muzzle appears shorter and broad. The nose of this dog is black with wide and open nostrils. The lips are also black in color. The ears are medium-sized and are standing on both sides of the head.

The legs of the Saint Bernard are strong. The strong pads are huge and heavy. The coat of the Saint Bernard is classified in two types – the smooth coat and the rough coat. Both types of coat are thick and can be seen with markings of white, brindle, mahogany, tan, black and red. The only difference is that the rough coat is a little longer than the smooth coat type.  

Grooming

The two coat types of Saint Bernard are easy to groom. Regularly brush the coat with hard bristles so that it would turn out very best. Make sure that you do not shampoo its coat frequently because the natural oil that protects the coat may be washed away.

Mood

The Saint Bernard is naturally gentle and patient with people especially with children. This breed moves very slowly because of its massive size. It is intelligent, obedient, patient and eager to please and extremely devoted to its master. This dog is a good watchdog. It can also live harmoniously with other household pets such as cats, rabbits, birds and other dogs.

Whenever the Saint Bernard is happy to see its master or other friendly familiar face, it instinctively jumps to show its affection on them. Train this dog not to jump over people because it could become its habit and might accidentally hurt somebody. This strong dog needs to be kept on leash in public places in order to control it well. An unruly Saint Bernard would become a huge problem because of its great strength. Owners/trainers/handlers need to properly discipline the Saint Bernard to prevent it from developing behavioral problems.

With Children

The Saint Bernard is truly patient when it comes to children. Although this breed cannot be as active as any other dogs when it comes to playing with children, it can become a wonderful companion and protector. Parents should supervise their small children when playing with Saint Bernard because the dog might accidentally knock them over during play time.

Training & Exercise

The Saint Bernard needs to have daily form of exercise to properly develop its physical and mental well being. Daily walking and jogging in a secured open place are the suggested exercise for this breed. Saint Bernard puppies should not be engaged in a long exercise because it may injure their developing bones.

When it comes to training, the Saint Bernard is one of the easiest dog breed to train because of its natural talents and obedience. It responds well to calm and gentle commands and instructions. Be careful not to raise your voice or reprimand the Saint Bernard because it is sensitive to the tone of one’s voice. Food reward challenges would greatly develop its mental well being.

Health & Life Expectancy

The Saint Bernard’s normal lifespan is about 8 – 10 years. This huge dog is susceptible to an illness called Wobbler Syndrome. It can also develop heart problems, tumors, hip dysplasia and skin problems. It can also get bloat that’s why it needs to have three small meals per day instead of one big meal a day. Make it a habit to regularly visit your veterinarian to check and monitor the health condition of your Saint Bernard.

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