Description

The St. Bernard’s massive size makes the dog as intimidating as the frigid, Alpine peaks that it calls home. As in other mastiff breeds, the St. Bernard’s head is massive and has a straight, deep muzzle that is not particularly long. The front of the skull meets the muzzle abruptly resulting in a distinct brow that gives this breed a watchful, intelligent expression. Moderately loose skin rests on the St. Bernard’s head, resulting in an arrangement of wrinkles and furrows; and a pair of floppy, triangular, medium sized ears that adorn the its head. Covering a well-developed set of strong teeth that should ideally meet in a scissor or pincer bite, are a pair of slightly pendulous lips and jowls.
The St. Bernard’s strong neck, strong, muscular back, voluminous rib cage, and strong, parallel, broadly set limbs, are all features that allow the breed to perform well in challenging mountainous terrain. The St. Bernard’s strong tail is both long and heavy, and emerges flush with the dog’s croup.

Origin: Switzerland

Look

The St. Bernard comes in Short-haired or Long-haired varieties. Both of these two types don a dense double coat made up of a dense topcoat and a bountiful undercoat. The Long-haired variety also has wavy, medium length hair covering the rump, feathering on the front limbs and a bushier tail.
The St. Bernard’s base colour is white with a mantle or number of patches that can come in varying shades or red. One of the St. Bernard’s most striking facial features is a symmetrical dark mask.
Both coat types are very easy to maintain. Patting these dogs down with a bristle brush is the only thing these dogs need to keep their coats in tip top condition. St. Bernard’s are seasonal shedders and shed heavily twice yearly.

Health

The St. Bernard is generally considered to be a healthy breed. However, some health conditions are still associated with it. These are:
• Extropion.
• Hip Dysplasia.
• Tumours.
• Cardiac problems.
• Dermatologic problems.
• Bloat.
It is recommended that St. Bernard dogs visit a veterinarian at least once yearly. St. Bernard puppies must also get their hip scores evaluated in order to determine the condition of their hip joints. Strict monitoring of a St. Bernard’s diet ensures that the dog does not add unnecessary weight that might increase the severity of an already existing condition. Feeding small meals three times daily and letting the dog rest after meals will also reduce the possibility of stomach torsion that might develop into life-treating bloat.
At Newdoggy.com we promote puppies coming from reputable breeders, who use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines. Newdoggy.com’s Health Guarantee certifies that all promoted puppies are in good health.

Learning

Due to this breed’s laid back disposition, St. Bernard dogs are an easy breed to train. Although aggression is not characteristic of the breed, socializing the dog at an early age helps prevent future distrust of other people and animals. These dogs make good watchdogs. The St. Bernard’s superior sense of smell, makes this breed an ideal candidate for search and rescue training, especially in mountainous areas.

Temperament

The patient, slow moving, St. Bernard is commonly referred to as a gentle giant, and they often do very well with families with small children. Young St. Bernard’s love nothing more than jumping onto their human family members. It is best to discourage such behaviour as these dogs do not stay small for very long, and might unintentionally hurt someone when they reach full size. The St. Bernard’s calm and obedient nature make it one of the best candidates for the role of family dog.

Living with

Since St. Bernard dogs are inactive when indoors, this breed does not find a problem with apartment life. Despite the fact that St. Bernards might look relatively lazy, it is still essential to take the dog out for a long walk. These dog’s dense coats makes them unsuitable for warm climates.