Contrary to what you might think, the Saint Bernard dog breed was not named after the religious St. Bernard. Actually, they are named after the Great St. Bernard Pass, which is a dangerous, snowy mountain pass between Switzerland and Italy. Their remarkable sense of smell and unusual ability to hear low-frequency sounds made them ideal for locating people buried in snow after avalanches.
Yep, they are the original search and rescue team! They were also bred to herd livestock, pull carts, and other tasks around the farm. Today, they are affectionate and beloved companion dogs.
| Weight (pounds) Male: 140-180 Female: 120-140 | Height (inches) Male: 28-30 Female: 26-28 | Lifespan (years) 8-10 | Dog Breed Group Working breed |
Characteristics Ratings
We rate 19 characteristics for each breed, divided into three categories:
Highest Rated – Characteristics for which this breed is rated 4 or 5 stars (on a 5 star scale).
Neutral Rated – Characteristics that rated 3 stars.
Lowest Rated – Characteristics that rated only 1 or 2 stars.
Highest Rated
- Good Family Dog
- Kid Friendly
- Good With Other Dogs
- Low Drooling
- Protective Nature
- Handle Change Easily
- Low Amount of Barking
- Tolerates Cold Climate
- High Intelligence
Neutral Rated
- Low Shedding
- Friendly to Strangers
- Likes to Play
- Easy to Train
- High Energy Level
- Suitable for Small Yards/Apartments
Lowest Rated
- Good for Novice Owners
- Tolerates Being Left Alone
- Tolerates Hot Climate
- Good General Health
General Overview
These gentle giants (they can weigh up to 180 pounds!) are perfect family dogs. They are well known for their gentle and affectionate nature with all members of their families – adults, kids, and other pets. Just remember, their immense size means it’s important to train and socialize them early so that they learn to control all that strength.
With children, they are gentle, loving, and display almost unlimited patience. That said, these are awfully big dogs and unintended accidents can happen just because they are so large, so they should always be supervised around the small kiddos.
On the plus side, their massive size enables them to easily handle rough play and they seldom react to being climbed on and pulled. Still, it’s important to teach children how to properly play with dogs this size.
Strangers can be a bit of a different story. While Saint Bernards are generally friendly towards strangers, they are also somewhat wary. Early socialization is important to ensure good behavior during unfamiliar encounters. Properly trained, they will quickly become friends with new people they meet.
This does mean that they are not the best guard dogs. However, they are very loyal to their families and will instinctively guard them if they sense danger. And their large size and impressive bark will almost always ward off any potential intruder.
Very few people are willing to challenge a 175-pound barking dog!
It’s a different story when it comes to strange dogs. Saint Bernards are not aggressive or territorial and get along well with other dogs. Their gentle and friendly nature makes them an excellent choice for households with multiple pets.
From a maintenance standpoint, they can be a bit challenging. Their thick coat does a fair amount of shedding, especially during the warm weather shedding season. Frequent brushing will help minimize this.
Their large jowls and loose skin around the mouth means that they do quite a bit of drooling. You’ll want to keep a towel handy, especially at meal times.
Since Saint Bernards get so attached to their families, they do suffer from separation anxiety when left alone for long periods. As with many breeds, this can result in anxiety that leads to destructiveness, which can be particularly bad with a dog this strong.
When it comes to living arrangements, Saint Bernards are not a good fit for apartments or houses with small yards. They take up a lot of space and need to be able to stretch their legs. However, with sufficient exercise, regular walks, and mental stimulation, they can adapt to apartments and small yards.
They are only medium-energy dogs, which helps them adapt to smaller spaces. Although they still need sufficient exercise and stimulation, they would rather lie on the couch than go for a run.
And in fact, their sheer size means that excessive exercise can lead to joint problems. It’s a balancing act in this regard with Saint Bernards.
Like most of the giant breeds, Saint Bernards aren’t the perfect choice for novice dog owners. However, their gentle and friendly nature makes them an okay choice. That is, so long as you have patience, dedication, and do proper research on how to handle this breed.
When it comes to intelligence, Saint Bernards get high marks. They learn new commands very quickly and have excellent problem-solving skills. Combine this with their excellent sense of smell and intuition and you have the makings of exceptional search and rescue dogs.
Speaking of training, Saint Bernards are easy to train with some caveats. They are not as eager to please as some breeds and they have a streak of stubbornness. Consistent and positive reinforcement training is needed with these intelligent giants.
As to health, Saint Bernards do struggle a bit. As with all giant breeds, joint problems and obesity are common, along with heart problems. Bloat and gastric torsion are also problems in larger breeds.
Proper diet and exercise, along with regular check-ups, can help extend their normal lifespan of 8-10 years.