FEEDING

Feeding : Saint Bernard puppies (three to eight months old) must be fed three times a day: breakfast and dinner will be the most complete meals, while lunch can be just a light meal. You should monitor the quantity (that should be determined upon the weight and general conditions of the dog), but most of all the quality of the food.

For adult Saint Bernard has no particular alimentary problems. As the Saint Bernard is a dog of gigantic size, naturally he eats a lot: but you shouldn't think he eats like a lion or a panther. By establishing a relation between his weight and daily supplies needs, you'll see a greater size dog needs less food than a medium size one, as the smaller one moves more hence burns more calories. Of course the food must always be of best quality and of the proper type for the dog's activities: a sedentary adult (as the one living free in the garden) should not be overloaded with energy, while work-type dogs, in particular if living in very cold environments, should feed on a diet rich of proteins and fat, and the same goes for pregnant or suckle females.

The latter ones should be fed on a diet very rich of calcium, with eventual integrators aside from the usual meals. As for somministration we advise you to consult the paragraph about stomach torsion.

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HEALTH INFORMATION

Health Concern : In general, the Saint Bernard is quite healthy. However, they can be prone to Wobblers Syndrome. The correct name for this problem is cervical vertebral instability. It is common in very large, fast growing dog breeds. Wobbler Syndrome causes the dog to wobble when they walk, particularly around the back end. They may also have difficulty with their front legs which may make them take short, choppy steps. If your dog has Wobbler Syndrome, your veterinarian may recommend kennel rest for a period of time and may prescribe pain medication as well as anti-inflammatory medications.

Saint Bernard is also more prone to bone cancer than many other dog breeds, and the tendency has been found to be hereditary.
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Saint Bernard can also be prone to hip dysplasia, another problem in large, heavy dogs. Check with your breeder to find out about either of these problems in the lineage of any Saint Bernard you're considering Saint Bernards have a tendency to experience Bloat. For this reason, it's better for him if you feed him two small meals each day rather than one large one.

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TEMPERAMENT

Saint Bernard is a sweet and gentle dog. Though they are one of the larger breeds of dog, they still make one of the best pets for families. Bred originally as a working rescue dog, they are patient and tolerant of children and they are not at all prissy. They also get along very well with other pets in the home.


Saint Bernard is very intelligent and very eager to please their masters, so they are typically quite easy to train. However, because of their size and strength, adequate training is a must. They are fiercely loyal and very protective of their owners, making them a great watchdog. In fact, even though they are so even tempered and sweet, many strangers will fear them simply because of their size. They are often quite slow moving but they are extremely strong and have a great sense of smell.

This breed of dog rarely barks unless there is some real reason to do so. This is one reason (accompanied with their size) that they make great guard dogs even though they are very gentle natured. If your Saint Bernard barks, you should check out what he's barking at.

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GROOMING

Grooming a Saint Bernard is fairly simple, as their coats are not subject to getting matted or tangled, even if they have long hair. Brushing with a firmly bristled brush once or twice a week is usually sufficient. Because they are bred to withstand snow and cold, their coats have a water resistant oil to them. Over-shampooing a Saint Bernard's coat can cause them to lose this protective oil. For this reason, it's important only to shampoo your Saint Bernard when absolutely necessary. When you do shampoo him, be certain to use a mild shampoo formulated for dogs. Saint Bernard's shed twice a year, and will require more brushing during this time.

You'll also find that your Saint Bernard tends to drool and his eyes tend to water. Simply drying them with a tissue periodically will keep his eyes clean and free of irritants and keep the messy drool to a minimum. Drooling is especially frequent after eating.

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COAT AND COLOR

Coat Color
The base coat color is white, but it is well marked in tan, red, mahogany, brindle, and black. The face and ears usually have shadings of black.

Coat Type
Saint Bernards have two different coat types: rough (Long-haired) and smooth (Short-haired). Both coats are dense and warm. The Shorth-haired or Smooth-coated Saint Bernard’s coat lies smoothly over his body. The thighs are slightly bushy and the tail appears bushy. The Rough or Long-haired coat is longer than the smooth coat and slightly wavy. With the rough coat there is feathering on the legs and tail.

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GENERAL APPEARANCE

Appearance : The Saint Bernard is a huge animal with a muscular build, yet he has a very docile, almost sad look about him. These dogs come in both long haired and short haired varieties. The former has a coat of medium length, which is rough in texture. The latter has a short, close fitting coat, which is also rough to the touch. The coloring of the coat is red and white or white and red, depending on the markings. The weight of Saint Bernard is around 125-180 pounds, and in height females can reach around 25-30 inches, and males 27-33 inches.

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START TO KNOW

The ancestors of the Saint Bernard share a history with the Sennenhunds, also called Swiss Mountain Dogs or Swiss Cattle Dogs, the large farm dogs of the farmers and dairymen of the Swiss Alps, which were livestock guardians, herding dogs, and draft dogs as well as hunting dogs, search and rescue dogs and watchdogs. These dogs are thought to be descendants of molosser type dogs brought into the Alps by the ancient Romans, and the St. Bernard is recognized internationally today as one of the Molossoid breeds.

The earliest written records of the St. Bernard breed are from monks at the hospice at the Great St. Bernard Pass in 1707, with paintings and drawings of the dog dating even earlier.

The most famous Saint Bernard to save people at the pass was Barry (sometimes spelled Berry), who reportedly saved somewhere between 40 and 100 lives. There is a monument to Barry in the Cimetiere des Chiens, and his body was preserved in the Natural History Museum in Berne.

The classic Saint Bernard looked very different from the St. Bernard of today, because avalanches killed off many of the dogs used for breeding between 1816 and 1818. Severe weather during this period led to an increased number of avalanches that killed many St. Bernards while performing rescue work. In an attempt to preserve the breed, the remaining St. Bernards were crossed with Newfoundlands in the 1850s, and so lost much of their use as rescue dogs in the snowy climate of the alps because the long fur they inherited would freeze and weigh them down.

The Swiss St. Bernard Club was founded in Basle on March 15 1884. The St. Bernard was the very first breed entered into the Swiss Stud Book in 1884, and the breed standard was finally approved in 1887. "Since that time the Saint Bernard has been a Swiss national dog."

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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to my Saint Bernard dog blog. Here you will learn about Saint Bernard health care, any tips and you can find good experiences from many people who love Saint Bernard.

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