saint bernard dogs

[RALIKA]

anyone know anything about them i am thinking about getting one. Is it better to get a rescue or a puppy. I have a basset hound puppy and a doxin that is 8 years old. the doxin has to be the boss always has been. I have a smaller backyard and 1664 sq ft house. I was thinking a st bernard or lab. Which do you think would be better. Is there drool that bad. I am leaning toward the st bernard from reading online.

 

[masonsmousermom]

I used to pet sit for a St. Bernard and YES- they drool ALOT! It's rather disgusting, although I suppose if you have a love for the breed, you get over it and learn to creatively deal with it. Dunstan's(the dog I petsit for) owners carried around a hanky at all times. However, in their own home, there was dried slobber on their walls. Uck! They can be especially sloppy around their water dish. I wouldn't wish a St. Bernard on anyone that doesn't know exactly what they are getting themselves into.

Have you considered going to an animal shelter for your next pet? They have so many to choose from, and why buy a pet when so many die from a lack of homes available to them? The staff at animal shelters can usually pair you up with the right type of dog for your lifestyle.

Good Luck finding the right dog!

 

[winniedapooh]

I had 2 growing up and have had 3 since we were married, as well as Bassets. Daisy just tunred 11 and is going deaf but is a proud old lady! I love my St. Bernards and they are truly gentle giants. Daisy pants a lot and wants to go out but will go nuts if alone outside. She is an additional child. Very very easy to train but big. She was 165 pounds in her prime and is about 130 pounds now. When she steps on me to get out the door, she leaves a bruise. Not high strung at all and very laid back. As I said though she needs to be around people. She sprawls out in what ever room I am in and is more of a dry mouth, her head is large but jowls are not. She mainly slobbers when it is hot outside or she drinks. I did get 1 from a rescue and ended up selling him to a man on a farm with no children. He was way too protective of my kids and growled when my daughter would be playing with others and he thought she was threatened, we also found out after we got him home that he had bitten a neighbors child. Whatever you choose have fun and make sure you look into the breeds. Do your homework.

 

[Nana Annie]

Your Doxin's name wouldn't happen to be Mylie, would it?

Anyway, only kidding - old joke here on the boards.

Saint Bernards can be great dogs. Just make sure you go through a reputable breeder. There can be many inherent genetic diseases in the larger dogs, so you want to make sure you get one from a breeder that screens for all things common to the Saint.

A good place to start researching your breed is with its national breed club. These people are the experts on the breed. They set the breed standard and can recommend reputable breeders.

The Saint Bernard National Breed Club is:
St. Bernard Club of America, Inc.

Corresponding Secretary : Cheryl Zappala
Address: 1043 S 140th St, Burien, WA , 98168-3658
Website: www.saintbernardclub.org
Club Type: Specialty

(from www.akc.org)

Go to their website and start gathering information that you know is current and up-to-date about the Saint Bernard. Give the experts a call. Most will be happy to answer questions.

 

[minkydog]

I grew up with St Bernard's. Our first one was over 200lbWe got him as a pup from a breeder. He was a great dog, but man! Two hundred pounds of animal in your house or your car is a lot of dog. Unfortunately, he died at age 7 from intestinal torsion, a terribly painful illness in which the intestines twist and die, killing the animal. I witnessed the whole thing--it was horrible and we couldn't get the dog to the vet fast enough.

Our second Saint was a 130lb rescue. He came to us a matted mess and immediately became aggressive. Apparently while waiting at the Inhumane Society, the workers were intimidated by the dog, so they "disciplined" him with water hoses and chains. Idiots....He bit two of us before dad took him back.

Before you get a Saint, you need to be honest with yourself about your level of tolerance for mess.They drool a lot and they shed a lot. Because they are large, their care is expensive. They are sweet and laid-back, but not the brightest bulb in the box. Our Saint had to go through obedience training twice, with daily practice sessions, to "get it". And they're so big, you really must have them well-trained. They are very loyal to their family--our parents could not discipline the children with the dog in the room because the Saint would try to intervene.

 

[mylilnikita]

My ex Dh has a Saint, actually I picked her out, because he always picks crazy dogs, anywho, she is now 10 months old and she is a big goof. She does slobber, but she is so laid back, except don't even open a car door with her around, she thinks it is ride time. Ever try to get a big ol dog out of your 2 door coupe?
She comes over and the pug-wawa comes over the other dog to play with my big dogs, it is a whole lot of big dog in the yard.
And don't let them stay out in the rain, then let them in just to shake off and give you a wet dog shower.
Good luck.

 

[donald&daisy]

I had a St. Bernard growing up. He was probably the sweetest dog I have ever known, besides my current Shih Tzu who worships the ground I walk on. However, our St. Bernard, Patch, worshipped my mother. He was very lovable, and truly thought he was a lap dog. We had to put him down around age 5 b/c of severe hip dysplasia (a commom ailment in many large breeds and hard to deal with i.e. when he can't get up on his own you have to lift him and he weighs a ton). That aside he was an amazing pet, protective yet he loved all people. I didn't really think the drooling was that bad...you learn to avoid it.

 

[RALIKA]

http://www.saintrescue.org/dogs_available.htm
that is the rescue in las vegas i found only one. I can't find any local breeders here. Would it be better to get a puppy or rescue. How much would a puppy cost around?

 

[Nana Annie]

http://www.saintrescue.org/dogs_available.htm
that is the rescue in las vegas i found only one. I can't find any local breeders here. Would it be better to get a puppy or rescue. How much would a puppy cost around?

Where are you located? The Saint Bernard Club of America website (the official breed club for the Saint) has numerous reputable breeders listed on their website.

You mentioned Vegas for the Rescue. Are you close to Vegas? Because if you are, here is a breeder that was listed on the SBCA website in Utah.

http://www.aros.net/~sbernard/

Prices will depend on how old the puppy is, male or female, and whether show or pet quality.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy one from a puppy mill or a pet shop.

 

[twinklebug]

St. Bernards are wonderful dogs, but as others have said, do your homework.

One thing to note about the Saints is that as large dogs they have very short life spans. Do not expect yours to live to be 15 years old. 10 is ancient for them, and frequently, as you can see from the other owners on this thread, 7 or 8 is the limit for a quality life. I love them but will never have one for this very reason.

There are similar dogs (newfoundland etc) you may want to look into that seem to have slightly longer lives. A potential problem with the Newfies is that they LOVE the water. LOL. Not fun when you're out for a ride in the car and they escape into a pond

 

[RALIKA]

yes i live in vegas. I either want a lab or st. I was thinking of rescue cause i would love to help one. Just not sure which is more suited for my house. I have labs in the past. From researching online it sounds like st. bernards are more laid back and gentler then labs.

 

[Aimros]

My boyfriend's family has a St Bernard. She is now 4, and boy oh boy is she a lot of work. She pretty much owns the house, haha. They are very high maintenance and require a lot of attention, but if you are up for the challenge I think it can be very fulfilling as not a lot of people will take the time/money to care for a dog this size. But don't expect people not to stare - bring her into town and EVERYONE wants to pet her!

 

[Aimros]

yes i live in vegas. I either want a lab or st. I was thinking of rescue cause i would love to help one. Just not sure which is more suited for my house. I have labs in the past. From researching online it sounds like st. bernards are more laid back and gentler then labs.

Hmm...I don't know about gentler. The St Bernard I know can get pretty crazy!! She runs around the house, and barks quite a bit...so don't assume they are gentler than labs, I would definitely disagree with that!

 

[mrsltg]

A 1600 sq. ft. house with a small yard is not the best setting for what could well turn out to be an enormous dog. As others have pointed out, they can grow to be 200 pounds - that's bigger than a lot of people. Labs are great dogs but are incredibly frisky as puppies and are apt to chew and need lots of running. All things to think about before committing to any dog.

 

[bballmom56]

We just got a 3 year old female St. Bernard from a rescue group about 2 months ago. She is very sweet, very laid back - seems about the same energy level as our 15 year old dog was that we lost in October - not a high energy dog! She does a lot of sleeping, but does want to be in whatever room the people are. She is very attached to my husband. Loves to be loved. If you sit on the floor with her, she will climb into your lap! I guess she is on the smaller side - she's about 120 lbs. She is fairly messy when she eats - dog food bits all over. I really expected the slobber problem to be worse than it is. She also may have some allergy problems which we have been told is common in Saints. Her hearing has been damaged and they think it was due to allergies. She is a great dog.

 

[RALIKA]

still researching them i am so torn on which one. I love both breeds.