FAQ about Saint Bernards

Saint puppies weigh about one and one-half pounds at birth and grow rapidly during the first year, although it may take as long as three years before they reach full maturity. Adult males may reach a height of 28-32 inches at the shoulder and will normally weigh between 140 and 180 pounds. Females are somewhat smaller at about 26-28 inches at the shoulder and typically range from 120 to 140 pounds.

Generally speaking Saints are excellent with children, though they may accidentally knock over smaller children.  Because we don’t always know the history of the dogs that come into rescue, we are very careful about what Saints we place in homes with young children.  Children should always be supervised with Saints just as with all dogs.

Because of the size of the animal, Saint Bernard MUST be trained and this must be done early in his life. Saints benefit greatly from an environment with consistent training.  They are quick learners and also very sensitive – they benefit most from positive reenforcement training. Fortunately, Saints are eager to please and will begin responding to commands as soon as they understand what you want of them. Their level of intelligence and willingness to co-operate make them a joy to train and spend time with!

Yes. Twice a year, usually in Spring and Fall, they lose much of their coats to help them adjust to the changing seasons (Saint people call this blowing the coat… the phrase is very descriptive!) For the remainder of the year there is seldom much annoyance from shedding.

Yes. Depending on the weather, the level of excitement, and the shape of the dog’s jowls, most Saints will drool on occasion. Technically, there is no such thing as a dry mouthed Saint, but most Saints do not drool to an offensive degree.

Absolutely not! Saliva helps dogs digest their food. By clipping the saliva glands, you put the dog a great risk of bloat as the kibble is not able to digest as easily. The only way a dog is able to release body heat is by sweating, but dogs don’t sweat like people. They sweat through the pads of their feet and by panting, which produces saliva. If you clip the glands, you take away their only mechanism to cool off. If you dislike the drool, look for other tighter-lipped breeds.

The Saint’s size and bark will discourage most intruders, yet he will learn to recognize your friends and receive them cordially. If an intruder gets by the size and barks, your Saint may decide to lead him straight to the family silver since he would much prefer to be a friend to all. The one exception to this is when a member of the family is being threatened. The Saint’s instinct to protect those he loves becomes very apparent at this time.

The original Saint Bernards were all short-haired dogs. Over 150 years ago, the Monks in Switzerland found it necessary to bring some new blood into their breeding and interbred the long-haired Newfoundland with their Saints. Today, the influence of that breeding is still with us and we have both long and short-haired Saint Bernards. Both are of equal value and both shed.

The Saint by nature does not require acres and acres to roam. They are not as active or nervous as some breeds and are content to remain close to home for the most part. Consequently, a small fenced yard or kennel run is enough just so long as there is some place for regular exercise. The apartment dweller must be walked frequently to make up for the exercise he would normally take at his leisure.

This is strictly a matter of personal preference. Both are equal in pet qualities. The male, being larger, is more impressive when first viewed. The female, however, must be considered his equal in all other respects. Modern veterinary practice recommends neutering of non-breeding animals of both sexes as a means to a healthier, better pet.

The dog will do well as long as there is a cool dry place to nap and plenty of fresh cool water. He will cut down both his food intake and his amount of activity. It must be remembered that going from an air-conditioned place into the boiling heat can be disastrous. Abrupt changes in temperature are extremely hard on a Saint.  Some people feel that shaving a Saint in the summer helps them stay cool.  This is not true!  Saints have a double coat, which helps insulate them against both cold and heat.  Saints should never be shaved except for medical reasons.

There is a lot of confusion over this because Saints are bred to perform rescues from avalanches. A rescued dog doesn’t do this. A rescued dog has been abandoned by his/her family, for any one of a thousand reasons – he got too big; he drools; he sheds; he plays rough with the kids; he’s dug up the backyard; he barks; the owners want a pool, but can’t have one with the dog living back there; he’s unruly; he’s not housetrained, etc.  This is where rescues such as CSBR come in – we take these dogs, address any medical issues, and place them with a forever family.

A rescue (or rescue worker) takes in the above-mentioned abandoned dog, and teaches him manners, provides medical attention (spay/neuter, bringing shots up-to-date, heartworm testing and treatment, etc.), provides security and love to dogs that, many times have not had any real human contact in all the years they’ve spent chained to the doghouse in the backyard. Rescue workers take in the dogs that have been abused and neglected to the point where the general public thinks they’re hopeless cases and we work with these dogs to help them forgive and forget their mistreatment. Dogs are incredibly forgiving creatures… they just need a gentle hand to remind them that they can forgive.

Those people doing rescue aren’t doing it for money.  CSBR is an all volunteer organization – our dedicated volunteers do not receive any money for the hours we put into rescue.  Do the math: Call your vet, and ask how much he charges to spay/neuter a 150-pound dog. Then, ask him how much he charges to treat that same dog for heartworm. While you’re at it, ask the cost of heartworm preventative, worming, the basic shots including rabies, and the office exam. Then, remember that we also feed and re-train these dogs while they’re in our possession – which sometimes takes months. This is why rescues request an adoption donation. Every once in a while, a dog comes into rescue not needing anything done before placement; they’re rare, but they do come along occasionally. These dogs help to pay the way for the dogs needing intensive treatment or is paid by the rescue worker out-of-pocket. Most rescues operate in the red… we rely on the donations of necessities to continue in our work.

For the same reason that many people work with children or elderly people on a volunteer basis: we love these dogs. They’re defenseless creatures (yes, really!). They didn’t ask to be brought into this world and only ask to be allowed to adore their people… they ask very little in return. We work to help these dogs find their forever homes because it is the right thing to do.  Humans domesticated dogs for their own use – it’s our responsibility to demand humane treatment and responsible ownership.

Meanness or aggression is a particularly dangerous trait in a dog the size of a Saint Bernard.  Rehoming a giant breed dog that has bitten a person or seriously injured another dog is passing the problem on to another person and carries serious liability.  For this reason we are unable to accept aggressive dogs into rescue, though we will assess and may take dogs that have fear based aggression issues, or dogs that simply cannot live in a multi dog house into rescue on a case by case basis.