We have taken such joy in sharing information about Saint Bernards.
This is the last of our three-part series highlighting Saints and all of their glory. Below are 15 more fantastic facts!
- There are other names for Saint Bernard puppies. They are Alpine Mastiff, St. Bernhardshund, and Bernhardiner.
- A Saints’ coat can be either short or long haired.
- Do not allow your Saint Bernard puppies to jump up and down frequently. Overactivity can hinder their bone and joint development.
- While the Saint Bernard dogs stopped doing search and rescue in 1955, the hospice kept several until 2004. At that time, the Barry Foundation purchased the remaining 18 dogs and used them in a breeding program.
- In addition to their keen rescue abilities, they are also instinctively good watchdogs. They are great at sensing danger and will alert their families accordingly.
- Always monitor your Saint Bernard puppies during the summer months. They simply can’t handle the extreme changes in temperature.
- If you can believe it, the Saint actually requires minimal exercise, so they are great as apartment dogs (if you have the space of course)!
- In addition to being great with kids, they also get along swimmingly well with other pets.
- In the sequel to the movie Beethoven, the Saint mated with another Saint producing a litter of Saint Bernard puppies. They apparently grew so fast that it required the production team of the movie to use over 100 different Saint Bernard puppies to finish filming the movie!
- The American Temperament Test Society tested 44 out of 52 Saints and they passed with a rate of 84.6%.
- The average Saint Bernard eats approximately 6.5 cups of food a day!
- A Saint Bernard named Benedictine V Schwarzwald Hof earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. He was recorded as the most massive Saint weighing in at an astonishing 315 pounds.
- Because of their size and associated health concerns, Saint Bernard dogs have a short lifespan of 7 to 10 years.
- Saints are prone to bloat. When you’re feeding your pups, use elevated bowls and do not allow them to eat too fast or too much in one sitting.
- Saints very rarely bark, so if you hear them you should check to make sure everything is okay!
