Overview: The Saint Bernard isn't a very energetic dog, however it does love to play and just loves being with its owner. It gets along well with other breeds and very well with other pets and animals. Strangers aren't usually a problem around this dog. It is relatively easy to train and is accepting of obedience lessons. It doesn't make a very good watchdog and has no aptitude for a protection dog tasks. Grooming does take a patient owner as its coat needs attention every week. It is very resistant to the cold, but doesn’t do very well in hot climates.

Temperament: Quite the calm and laid back breed, the Saint Bernard is good around children although it doesn't like to play with them very much. It is willing to please but only when it chooses to do so. It may be stubborn.

History: The Saint Bernard's roots are probably connected to the Roman Molossian dogs. It was around the 1660's that the breed truly began to develop into an excellent dog that was used for saving lives. Around this time the first of this breed was taken to St. Bernard Hospice. This place was a refuge for travelers who were crossing between Switzerland and Italy. At first this breed was used for pulling carts and turning spits for the monks. However, after some time, it was apparent that this dog was good at finding trails through and finding lost people in the snow. When a person was found it would lick the face and lie next to this person until the warmth would transfer into the body, thus bringing the person back from a possible frozen grave. For over three hundred years this was this breed’s duty, saving well over 2,000 lives in the process. A very famous St. Bernard known as Barry is thought to have saved 40 lives before it retired. Before this time the breed was known by many different names, however after Barry died the name was changed to Barryhund to honor the greatest St. Bernard. In the early 19th century many of this breed was due lost to weather problems, sickness, and inbreeding. Some of those that remained were mixed with Newfoundlands in 1830. Because of this the first of the long haired St. Bernard breed began to appear. Although it would appear that long hair would help in the cold environments that it was used to, it only slowed the dog down as the ice would get stuck on the hair. Because of this the dog was no longer used for rescuing. The first of the Saint Bernard breed was brought to England around the beginning of the 19th century with different names including Sacred Dog. It wasn't until 1865 when the name St. Bernard was common for the breed. 1880 was the year it was accepted as the official name. Around this same time the breed was being noticed by dog fanciers in the United States. By the 20th century it was very popular and is still one of the most popular giant breeds.

Names: The St. Bernard is also known as the St. Bernhardshund and the Alpine Mastiff.

Groups: The St. Bernard was formally recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885 and assigned to the Working Group.

Physical Characteristics: The average adult St. Bernard can be 25 to 27.5 inches in height and can weigh between 120 and 200 lb. This breed has two types of coats. One is a very thick, smooth, and short coat. The other can be long, straight or wavy hair. It will either be white with red or red with white in color. It is muscular, yet not to exaggeration.

Care: This dog needs daily exercise to stay in shape. Moderate walks or short runs should suffice. It is best to let it live outside and keeping it away from slick surfaces. If the puppy is overweight and it lives indoors it is more prone to hip problems later on in life. It likes cold temperatures and doesn't like to be in warm or hot climates. It can live outside but should have access to the indoors as it needs human interaction. The coat needs to be brushed weekly and more so when shedding. All Saint Bernards drool.

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