St Bernard breed

[blowinahoolie]

Looking into buying a St Bernard puppy next year. Off to visit a breeder at some point in near future when it's safe to do so with Covid 19 restrictions. Been to see a breeder in September and her dogs were amazing, fantastic temperaments. We all got on great. DC loved the dogs.

Pros/cons to the breed for those who already have a St Bernard?

have never had a st bernard but did always have great dane/great dane crosses

big dogs come with their own challenges (you need bowls higher up, they do tend to be a bit drooly, you need to teach not jumping up v early on etc.), vet bills are expensive and everything costs more (!) but they are actually far less energetic than some of the medium sized dogs and don't need as much exercise as you might think (they take longer to reach maturity)

what stopped me getting another is big dogs don't live as long :( and I couldn't bear that again

I'm guessing the coat might take some handling but I've never had a proper longer haired dog!

good luck, they are absolutely adorable puppies and family pets!

Thanks, HappyThursdays. The breeder we are going to visit does offer life long support and also training too if we need help which is good to know. Also boarding if going away etc.

It's the rough coated ones, so yes, grooming will be a must. We have visited one of the breeders puppies who was bought by a family in the local area so had a chance to meet a typical St Bernard puppy. They are really beautiful dogs. Their last St Bernard lived to almost 12, which is unusual in this breed.

Lots to mull over...

Not had one but from friends who habe a Burmese mountain dog consideration are

• size - you need to think about the car you drive - will they fit it in it?
• cost - everything is more expensive with a giant breed - food, vet bills, even dog beds crates etc
• the poo!
• being stopped every two seconds when our walking as everyone loves them
• smaller dogs can be a bit reactive which is sad to see

I adore them by the way - would love to have a giant breed!

We already drive a cabin crew van so loads of space for a crate in the back.

Priced up vet bills, food, accessories, training fees. Have made allowances for all these costs.

If all goes to plan, really look forward to getting out and about on small walks. Ha, the one we met with the breeder drew loads of attention in September when meeting at a public park. Everyone kept coming up to her beautiful dog!😂

Oh the poo thing...we did have a greyhound briefly and DS (13) didn't mind picking up his large poos. St Bernard poo might be just slightly bigger...

I'd love a St Bernard, I bloody love giant breeds especially the hairy ones.

I don't have one myself but I have another large breed and the hair and the slobber is the worst thing.

You need to make sure they are really well trained as keeping a huge dog under control on a lead is hard if they're not trained and obedient.

How exciting! ❤️

Yep, training is essential. We have been advised we need to start early which we expect anyway.

Not houseproud so don't mind all the slobber MrGorsky

It sounds like you’re all set! Am a little envious - would love to have a giant breed myself - my shihtzu thinks he’s a giant but it’s not quite the same

We have leonbergers which are on average 70kgs each.

I would say the most important thing to mention is that you won’t be able to go anywhere without being stopped. Mine attract crowds which I don’t mind but it’s important they are socialised to this from a young age and taught not to jump up as they can flatten a grown man. Sometimes it does get wearing after the 100th person that day but it’s what I signed up for when I got one to an extent.

I find most dogs are aggressive to giants. I spend every walk protecting mine from savage little cockerpoos who apparently have never been aggressive before but are intimidated. It’s made me hate walking around off lead dogs as my poor giant beasts can’t save themselves and it’s awful to watch

I’ve also found that being so large makes them quite lazy so they aren’t as easy to motivate as some of the more agile breeds. This has made some bits of training hard but they are very food orientated which helps.

Also don’t underestimate the amount of mess and wear on your house. I’ve had plenty of dogs but none have been as messy as the Leo’s. The volume of shedding is 10 times that of a normal dog, my shark hoover died within months. The giant paw prints are allover my house. The nose at bench height. The mud smears at waist height up every wall. My grass has sank from the weight of them running on it, they can dig 6ft deep into the garden in half the time of a normal dog. Also when a normal dog chews something it does not do anywhere near the damage that a dog of this size can and if they ever get unwell or have an accident it’s a nightmare!

I’m sure you’ve already worked out the cost of feeding and insurance. I spend around £200 per dog on feeding and insurance then training on top. They eat a lot when growing especially. I also had to get a new car as they couldn’t jump into my old one.

Saying that I adore mine and love having giants!

Beautiful dogs Leonberger. Tried looking for Leonberger breeders but had no joy as they would have been a strong contender too.

Yes, I am hearing you about the mess. We are not houseproud ( have four boys!) Used to a lot of chaos and mess here. Mud and crumbs are a constant. It's why I have never bought new carpets. We don't have any expensive furniture either. Back garden laid to lawn but it's just plain, no landscaping or anything so if they decide to dig that's fine.

One of the breeders has recommended a blast dryer for drying them off after a walk. Hadn't considered something like that.

How do you feel about the social aspect of it, previously mentioned by @Leonberger? People stopping and staring, being a kind of local celebrity, being asked questions all the time, people taking photos etc?
A person lives locally with a massive dog and it takes her twice as long as anyone else to go places because of all of the attention. People literally stop walking to gawp. She takes it with good grace but I would hate it!

@blowinahoolie Leo’s are out there and there are litters planned for this year however the breed is quite closed off and it’s hard to get one unless you can find a breeder to let you in! Probably rightly so as every giant breed needs a certain type of slightly crazy person
I think the main difference is that Leo’s are closed lipped so don’t drool wheras saint do but if you don’t mind drool then I would go for it!

I also forgot about the temperature. It’s not that big of a deal but mine hate being warm. It means they are uncomfortable in the house if I have the heating up and they prefer to lie outside so I tend to keep the house colder than I would like. They do sleep on the kitchen and bathroom tiles as it’s cooler but I do have to turn the heating off at night or they won’t sleep

Blasters are great, blasts out all of the wet and mud otherwise they stay filthy for days!! Mine can still be wet the next morning if I haven’t dried them.

The walking issue isn’t that big of a thing for me. I just smile and keep waking most of the time but I have had my dogs grabbed by children (and adults!!) on multiple occasions. I do try and stop and let people speak to them on occasion just to be polite and avoid crowded areas unless I have lots of time!

Don't mind too much, domestic as I enjoy talking to people when out and about. As Leonberger says you can smile and keep walking if in a hurry without being rude.

Ah, the heating. I hadn't thought of this but I will just wear more layers 😂

Giant breeds come with their own challenges. Get good insurance. Careful on the exercise with a pup. Avoid stairs when little. Know the health issues in the breed.
And breeders? Never search online to start. Go through the breed club. People can seem nice and promise all the support in the world but still be shady breeders. You don’t want a giant dog that’s had a bad start!

Can we see pictures please @Leonberger?

@SparklyGlitter95 they are hard to get photos of because when they aren’t on a walk they look like this

A man near me has had several Pyrenean Mountain dogs over the years. He seems to really enjoy the social aspect of having a giant breed as the dogs attract people and he’s just gracefully given in to it and walks very slowly round the park with a gang of dogs/people. They don’t go anywhere quickly.

Say hi to Rosie!
I grew up with giant breeds (Saints, Newfs) so it was a no brainer for me when choosing a family dog to go with a Saint. They are the most dopey, loving breed. Also very playful which some giants might not be.
They CAN be stubborn but Rosie is very food oriented so wasn't too difficult to train.
I've only had one who was excessively slobbery- in fact Rosie doesn't drool much at all unless you happen to be eating sausages in front of her However I still go on a daily slobber patrol around the house just in case!
At the moment there are a LOT of scams going on with the breed. Research the breeders! There's a great FB group, Saint Bernard UK, where you can get recommendations, advice and chat to breeders. Everyone is very happy to help.

Also prepare for the "you could put a saddle on it!" Or "it's Beethoven!" comments. We don't mind people approaching and having a chat- they are a show stopping breed

I don't have a giant breed but I do have a drooly one and my top tip would be to get your dog used to having his face/mouth wiped early (as well as having teeth/ears inspected). When my dog shakes his head to get rid of a drool trail it can hit people in the face several foot away and he's under 3ft so I'd imagine the range (and quantity) will be a lot greater with a St B.

I will never forget speaking a woman with a St. Bernard at a dog show - I asked his name - and her absolutely fed up reply “he’s Beethoven - the kids names him”.

@rooarsome I generally tell people that no one sits on my baby girls.

@rooarsome that’s my most heard! Along with you need a sledge so they can pull you and you’ve got your hands full there

What a beauty Leonberger!!! Stunning dogs. Lots of work and dedication to get them well trained. Looking forward to that part of it.

roorsome Rosie is beautiful!! Getting all excited now about visiting the breeder we have been talking to. She has been breeding them for 11 years and keeps in touch with all the families her pups go to. That is part of the deal. She likes to know how they are getting on, also if you need help with training etc.

Sorry rooarsome😂 misspelt your username.