Important Considerations

Things to Consider Before Getting a Saint

Saints Absolutely Love the Snow

There have been times that I've had to fight with Odin to get him to come inside when it's snowing. He's is perfectly content to lay down and let himself get buried in the middle of a heavy storm and doesn't care if I'm freezing while trying to get him to come in. He also loves to roll around on his back in the snow. On the other hand, they don't tend to do well in the heat, so if you live in a warmer climate with a Saint, you'll want to make sure that you can provide a cool place for them to spend most of their time. Air conditioning is a must in hot climates.

They drool....a lot

I've found Odin's drool in some crazy places. Owning a Saint, means dealing with drool. As you can see here, my daughter was not exactly impressed after realizing that Odin was hovering above her and had dropped drool directly on her shirt sleeve. The drool isn't too hard to clean up as long as you wipe it up quickly, but if it's had time to dry, clean up can be much more challenging.

Saints will take over your furniture

Even if you don't allow them to be on it, they are big which means they tend to be very furry. They shed, drool, and love to get muddy, and all of this will inevitably find it's way to your nice, new couch. You can help mitigate this with proper training, which is an absolute necessity with a Saint Bernard.

Saint Bernards get very big

Unfortunately, there are many Saints that are purchased as cute little(ish) puppies only to later be left in shelters after their owners decided they were too big as adults. If you decide to bring a Saint Bernard into your home, please understand that they are not small dogs. They are considered gentle giants for good reason.

Saint Bernards don't understand personal space

Odin tends to prefer to be as close to his humans as possible. Sometimes, he's content to sit at our feet, sometimes it's just sitting beside us, and often times he prefers to sit in our laps, even though he significantly outweighs me (Odin is pretty sure that he is the size of a house cat). If you're not prepared to have a giant dog that is always as close to you as possible, a Saint Bernard might not be the ideal companion for you.

Saints are amazing at comforting their people

This is Odin just calmly letting my daughter lay on him for comfort. She was missing her Dad, and Odin was more than happy to be her shoulder to cry on. They say that dogs can smell the changes in hormones released as their human’s moods shift which helps them to recognize changes in human emotions. I've seen Odin react to various emotions in people, even when they were trying to keep their feelings hidden.

They can have really large vet bills

This is Odin after having a salivary mucocele (ruptured salivary gland) removed at 7 months old. When he was 6 months old, he'd had to have hip surgery. Between both surgeries, the cost was over $3000, and he wasn't even a year old yet. I strongly recommend pet health insurance to ensure that you aren't caught off guard and scrambling to cover unexpected vet bills.

Some final thoughts

As with any pet, a Saint Bernard is a huge commitment. It is imperative that start training early on, as they will get very big, very quickly and the last thing that anyone wants is a 150lb dog that they can't control. It is also incredibly important that they are socialized as soon as they are fully vaccinated. Odin, having had to go through 2 months of crate rest, followed by the process of slowly building up to being able to play and walk long distances was not able to be properly socialized at a very critical time. That means that while he is not at all aggressive, I have a 150lb nut job when it comes to meeting other animals. He goes absolutely crazy when he sees another dog, jumping around like a nut job, while barking his very big bark. This ends up with whatever dog he is so desperate to play with being terrified of him and either running and hiding and with the wrong dog, it could easily turn into a very bad situation. We are working with Odin to teach him how to properly greet other dogs, but it's a difficult process as he is significantly bigger than me. It is the only time he forgets all training and is difficult for me to control. Anything else that I need him to do, he does without issue, and walking him on a leash is easy as long as we don't come across any dogs.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that while you will love your Saint, not everyone will feel the same way. If you plan on traveling, and bringing your dog with you, you may find challenges when it comes to finding places that will allow your dog. If you move and need to find a home to rent, or even buy in some areas, you may run into issues with weight restrictions. And when friends and family visit, they may not appreciate the fur and drool that is inevitably going to find its way on their clothes while they are in your house. Other animals may be an issue as well, since 150lbs (in some cases more) of fur and drool coming at them full speed is bound to be intimidating.

Another thing to be aware of is to ensure that if you decide to get a Saint from a breeder, make sure that you've done all of your research to ensure that the breeder is reputable, and is breeding to ensure the health, temperament, and longevity of the breed. This means that you want a breeder that has completed genetic testing on the parents to ensure that the puppies will be free of genetic defects, which will save you a lot of money and heartbreak in the long run. I thought I had done all of my homework and had found a breeder that offered a health guarantee and had great reviews. I didn't know about the genetic testing at the time, and if I did, I could have avoided having a puppy that required major surgery at 6 months of age. Thoroughly checking out the breeder, and making sure that they are reputable can save you a lot of heartbreak later on. I would highly recommend looking up the nearest Saint Bernard club near you. You can find more information on your local Saint Bernard Club here.