Working Dog Group - Saint Bernard

Saint Bernard is a dog that will be a perfect watchdog and a great, loyal companion for children. Known to be bred by Tibetan monks, this dog was a crossbreed and named after St. Bernard de Menthon. These dogs were popular as watch dogs and often were used to save people from snow avalanches. With their astounding sense of smell, they were able to smell people who were buried under the snow and with their size, they were able to pull them out of the snow and haul them to a safer place. In some cases, these dogs saved the patients from frostbite or colds by licking them or lying next to them to give the human body the warmth to survive.

These dogs are fairly large in size and can grow up to approximately 25.5 to 35.5 inches in height. They are also heavy and weigh around 140 to 200 pounds approximately. They have a huge head, with medium sized, droopy eyes. They have a big nose with large nostrils and black colored lips. Their basic color is white, with a combination of tan, red, deep maroon, brown and black combinations of the coat. They have a very shaggy and thick coat of hair that is usually smooth.

These dogs are very patient in nature. They are very social and love people. They are very understanding with children and slow moving. They can tend to be high spirited as puppies; hence you need to exercise firm discipline. They are also known to be highly intelligent, with a great sixth sense related to impending dangers. They can be inclined to be playful in their puppyhood and love to express their affection by jumping on people. Therefore, you need to coax and train them out of this habit as it might pose a serious problem when they grow up to be adults.

Saint Bernard proves to be a good watchdog, owing to its size that is often fearful to those who are unknown of the qualities of this breed. They have a tendency of drooling when they drink water. They can survive nicely in an apartment, if they are given a fair amount of exercise. They are not very active hence they do not require a huge yard. They can prove to be a problem to the small kids as they might knock the latter out with their size.

They do not prefer to play and live outdoors, as they are family oriented dogs. They should be taught about the rules that they are expected to follow at home, else they can pose problem to the owner in future by their boisterous behavior. These dogs have been descendants of those dogs who hail originally from the snow clad areas. Hence, they are used to living in cold conditions.

They are intolerant towards heat and feel very uncomfortable in summers. This discomfort towards heat can extend up to their travel in cars and warm rooms. These dogs have a natural tendency to breathe with difficulty and also snore at times while sleeping.

While they are called as savior dogs, Saint Bernards are perfect companions.