Rescue Dog Village Guardian, Inc.

BREED INFORMATION
Today the St. Bernard enjoys the comforts of family life in many homes across the world. He is versatile and excels in the show ring and in obedience trials, drafting (pulling a cart or wagon), and weight pulling competitions. The St. Bernard is a much-loved breed today. He’s versatile, good-natured, and a fine choice for the person or family who would like a large but gentle dog with moderate exercise needs.

CHILDREN
The easygoing Saint Bernard is gentle and patient with children if not necessarily playful. He’s great to snuggle with while reading or watching television. Gentle with children, sturdy enough to handle the heavy-handed pets and hugs they can dish out, and having a blasé attitude toward running, screaming children are all traits that make a kid-friendly dog.

All dogs are individuals. Our ratings are generalizations, and they’re not a guarantee of how any breed or individual dog will behave. Dogs from any breed can be good with children based on their past experiences, training on how to get along with kids, and personality. No matter what the breed or breed type, all dogs have strong jaws, sharp pointy teeth, and may bite in stressful circumstances. Young children and dogs of any breed should always be supervised by an adult and never left alone together, period

PETS
Friendliness toward dogs and friendliness toward humans are two completely different things. Some dogs may attack or try to dominate other dogs even if they’re love-bugs with people; others would rather play than fight; and some will turn tail and run. Breed isn’t the only factor; dogs who lived with their litter-mates and mother until at least 6 to 8 weeks of age, and who spent lots of time playing with other dogs during puppy-hood, are more likely to have good canine social skills.

PERSONALITY
The Saint Bernard is a good watchdog. Even its size is a good deterrent. Be sure you remain the dog’s pack leader. Dogs want nothing more than to know what is expected of them and the St Bernard is no exception. Allowing a dog of this size and magnitude to be unruly can be dangerous and shows poor ownership skills. Saint Bernard’s have a highly developed sense of smell and also seem to have a sixth sense about impending danger from storms and avalanches.

TEMPERAMENT
Saint Bernard’s are extremely gentle, friendly and very tolerant of children. They are slow moving, patient, obedient, extremely loyal, eager and willing to please. The Saint Bernard does not need a lot of exercise. He’s not a jogging companion and will wilt in hot climates. Saints suffer from heat exhaustion quite easily and need access to shade and plenty of fresh, cool water during hot weather. On the other hand, you’ll never find a happier Saint Bernard than one who’s enjoying a good romp in the snow.

BEHAVIOR
The Saint Bernard is a good watchdog. Even its size is a good deterrent. Be sure you remain the dog’s pack leader. Dogs want nothing more than to know what is expected of them and the St Bernard is no exception. Allowing a dog of this size and magnitude to be unruly can be dangerous and shows poor ownership skills. Saint Bernard’s have a highly developed sense of smell and also seem to have a sixth sense about impending danger from storms and avalanches.

TRAINING
St. Bernard’s are highly intelligent and easy to train; however, training should begin early, while the dog is still a manageable size. Teach this dog not to jump on humans starting at puppyhood. Bear in mind that an unruly dog of this size presents a problem for even a strong adult if it is to be exercised in public areas on a leash, so take control right from the start, teaching the dog to heel.