St. Bernard Breed Facts and Information

Coat & Grooming: St. Bernards have thick hair and they love to play outside in all conditions. This means that regular grooming is not optional. You should give your dog a thorough brushing at least three times per week. Sometimes a detangling solution will be necessary to remove mats from their hair. Extra sessions will be necessary during shedding season if you don’t want your house to fill up with hair. Drool is unavoidable with these gentle giants, so try to keep a towel on hand at all times. Sometimes the eyes need to be gently wiped with a warm washcloth to combat buildups. Ear cleaning and nail trimming is also an important part of a good grooming routine.

Shedding: If you are considering a St. Bernard as a pet, you need to be prepared to deal with a certain amount of hair in your home. No matter how thorough your grooming routine may be, St. Bernards will manage to leave hair around the house. However, if you get your dog accustomed to grooming from an early age and follow a consistent schedule, you should be able to keep things under control.

Training: St. Bernards are intelligent and personable, and usually respond well to training. Starting from an early age is essential because once they are fully grown bad habits can have serious consequences. Exposure to many different people and places helps a St. Bernard grow up to become calm and confident. As they grow, some St. Bernards, especially males, can be somewhat willful, and will attempt to wrest control from their owner. Make sure to stay firm and consistent, and this stage will pass. St. Bernards can take longer to mature than other breeds, so don’t be alarmed at occasional misbehavior. Once they are fully grown, a properly trained St. Bernard should be a wonderful companion that fits seamlessly into your family.

Barking: St. Bernards are usually fairly quiet dogs, but when they do bark, it is a deep, resounding sound that can disturb neighbors. Make sure that you expose your young St. Bernard to many different people and places to ensure that you do not raise a fearful animal prone to excess barking.

Personality: St. Bernards are known for their sweet, gentle dispositions. They are intelligent and loyal, and wish to spend as much of their time as possible in the company of their owner. They are known to be extremely patient with children. If they are well socialized, they usually get along well with other pets.

Temperament & Behavior: St. Bernards are known for their mild, gentle dispositions. They are not overly affectionate or attention seeking, but they will develop a deep bond with their owners and have a strong need for human companionship. They are sensitive to the feelings of their owner, and can display a wide range of emotions. Their lineage as a working dog means that St. Bernards love to participate in sports like tracking or cart pulling. When they are properly socialized, they are excellent playmates for children and are friendly towards strangers.

Behavior with Kids: St. Bernards are renowned for their easygoing ways around children. Patient and affectionate, they are perfect family dogs. However, their sheer size means that they could accidentally hurt a child by stepping on them, so supervision is always necessary.

Protection: The massive size of a St. Bernard is enough to act as a deterrent to most troublemakers. St. Bernards do not look for trouble and are not instinctively territorial, but if they feel like their owner is threatened, they will respond.

Life span: On average, St. Bernards live to be about 8 to 10 years old.

Inherited Health Issues: There have been many health conditions associated with the St. Bernard that either occur at an increased frequency within the breed or have a genetic association. Many of these conditions are related to the giant size of these dogs, leading to a variety of orthopedic problems. These conditions may include, but are not limited to, the following: Dilated cardiomyopathy, Callus dermatitis, Pyotraumatic folliculitis, Primary hypoparathyroidism, Gastric dilatation-volvulus, Cranial cruciate ligament rupture, Elbow dysplasia, Hip dysplasia, Osteosarcoma, Panosteitis, Osteochondritis dissecans, Congenital deafness, Idiopathic epilepsy, Cataracts, Dermoids, Ectropion, Entropion, Eversion of the cartilage of the third eyelid, Macroblepharon, Multiple ocular defects with microphthalmia, Prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid and Pyometra.

Preventive Care: Many of the common health problems found in the St. Bernard are related to the giant size of these dogs. Their huge size places additional strain on the joints, which can lead to problems both in young, growing dogs, and mature, adult dogs. It is important to strike a balance between sufficient amounts of exercise, while not overdoing things in growing St. Bernards. Maintaining a healthy body weight is of the utmost importance for these giants. Omega 3 fish oil supplements may also be beneficial for decreasing inflammation within the joints.

St. Bernards are more predisposed to developing a pyometra than other breeds, which is a serious uterine infection. Fortunately, this condition can be avoided by spaying female dogs.

As a deep-chested giant breed, St. Bernards are susceptible to developing gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), which is commonly known as bloat. With this condition, the stomach fills with air and/or food, and then flips on itself, preventing the contents of the stomach from emptying. This is a serious and life-threatening condition. A surgical procedure called a gastropexy can be performed to attach the stomach to the body wall, preventing it from twisting. Avoid exercise or any strenuous activity for at least 1-2 hours before or after meals. Feeding two smaller meals per day rather than one large meal can also be beneficial in decreasing the risk of a GDV.

Weight management is particularly important for St. Bernards since they are prone to developing a variety of joint conditions. Foods designed for weight management may be helpful in this breed, but the most crucial step in maintaining a healthy body weight is by feeding carefully measured and portion-controlled meals. Avoid offering too many treats or table foods, and consider frequent weight checks to keep your St. Bernard in optimal condition.

Daily Consumption: Average daily consumption for an adult St. Bernard is 4-6 cups daily

Energy Level: Enjoys some moderate exercise every now and then

Exercise: Young St. Bernards can be quite excitable and require extra attention, so owners need to be prepared to commit even more time to their dog during this phase. Try to keep your dog from playing on slippery surfaces when they are young, as this can cause health problems later in life. St. Bernards grow very rapidly, so owners must strike a careful balance between sufficient exercise and rest as they mature.

Once they are fully grown, St. Bernards usually become quite docile and gentle. They are happy to simply lie in the same room as their owner, keeping watch over everything. Left on their own, hey can be fairly lazy, so owners need to be diligent about taking them for walks to prevent weight gain.

Climate: St. Bernards are mountain dogs, so they do very well in cold climates. However, they can easily become overheated in hotter locales, so owners in such places must be very careful to establish a routine that keeps their pet comfortable.