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If You Think You Want a Saint,
Then Learn About Saints!
Owning one of these dogs is a
responsibility that is commensurate with the size of the dog -- it's your
responsibility to find out what makes the Saint such a special breed.
1 -- There are
long-haired and short-haired Saint Bernards -- neither is more valuable, and BOTH
VARIETIES SHED -- the term that "Saint people" use, is "blowing their
coats" -- it's quite descriptive.
2 -- Saints drool -- some more than others, depending on
level of excitement and the shape of the "flews" -- there
is NO SUCH THING as a "dry-mouth". Level of
excitement can include such factors as how happy they are to see someone, how badly they
want whatever food you happen to be eating, and, with some, whether or not they're awake!
3 -- Life expectancy is between 7 and 12 years -- the same as
for any other giant breed.
4 -- My Rescued Saints are spayed or neutered BEFORE they are
placed -- dogs that are adopted through me can still be shown in Obedience Fun Match
events , and altered dogs make the best pets.
5 -- Read all papers before signing them!! A Saint is a
commitment for his lifetime. You must read and understand all aspects of ALL paperwork
before taking the dog home. Your adopted dog is CONTRACTED to be an INSIDE dog, and there
are other specifications as well, of which you need to make yourself aware.
6 -- Remember -- I AM HERE IF YOU NEED ME. If you need advice
on training, grooming, discipline, feeding, socializing, ANYTHING -- call me. I didn't
learn EVERYTHING in a single day, and I DON'T expect you to. You will have my phone number
and e-mail address, and I EXPECT to be notified BEFORE any problem gets out of hand --
chances are, I had your dog BEFORE you did, and can act as a guide in dealing with his/her
personality.
DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME!!
**Please Note** There are lots of unscrupulous people out there -- they make
claims of breeding Saints that are "dry-mouthed", or "hypoallergenic",
or "non-shedding". If you believe them, chances are, I'll
be rescuing your dog, when you learn the truth. When
purchasing a pure-bred dog, just as in anything else, the rule to follow is "Buyer
Beware"!!
Like More Information About Adopting?
GREAT!! That's what I'm here for -- Rescue
NEEDS more people to over-look what many consider to be the faults of this noble breed.
These are the kindest, gentlest animals God has seen fit to bestow upon the earth, and we
LOVE them. But, Saint Bernards are not for everyone, and I spend a lot of time trying to
instill this in people.
I don't want to place a dog, only to have to re-home him 6 months later, when you see that
I was, in fact, being truthful. You have to be willing to:
1 -- invest your hard-earned money -- they don't eat any more
than the more active large breeds, but cost more in the area of veterinary care that is
based on weight (See Can I Afford to Adopt?).
2 -- invest your time -- my dogs are my constant companions
-- people are often AMAZED that I can take them anywhere -- it's because I take them
everywhere (see the article on the importance of Socialization).
3 -- obedience train -- because of their eagerness to
cooperate with their people, these are one of the easiest breeds to train. Because of
their size, it's IMPERATIVE that they be trained.
4 -- open your home -- they can't take the heat, so they need
a cool place to nap during the hottest part of the day. These are COMPANION animals --
they CRAVE the presence of their people.
5 -- NOT be a neat-freak -- if you're obsessed with neatness,
don't even consider it. Look at one of the smaller, neater breeds.
You've Decided on a Saint -- But do you really want a Puppy?
You may initially think that you DO. You may feel,
as many do, that by raising a dog from a puppy that you can better control the temperament
of the dog. THIS IS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION. A Saint puppy's temperament is decided
at conception. Many people begin with these good intentions, but very quickly come
to realize that:
1) the puppy has to be housetrained -- a fairly easy task if you're at HOME all the
time. You ARE at home all the time, right?
2) Puppies go through chewing stages. They HAVE to -- this process is comparable to
the teething process that babies go through. Lots of people think that they can stop this,
through use of proper discipline -- THERE IS NO PROPER DISCIPLINE FOR TEETHING. It is
necessary -- you're not going to stop it. You can control it somewhat, if you're at home
all the time, through the use of proper training and the right kinds of physical AND
MENTAL stimulation.
3) Puppies NEED to be taught basic manners in a way that they can understand.
Especially if they're to be kept in the house -- if you're not willing to keep him in the
house, DON'T GET A SAINT BERNARD!! If your idea of owning a dog is to tie him to a stake
in the back yard and throw him some food once in a while, do yourself AND THE DOG a favor.
Get a Chia Pet, instead.
If you're heart's STILL set on a puppy (under the age of 18 months), I can get you one. As
an active participant in National Saint Bernard Rescue, I can obtain a puppy, providing
that your application and references check out. At any time, you can call me, and I'll get
the network to come together to bring you a sweet, pleasant, pet quality puppy, for a
nominal fee (about half -- or less than half -- the breeder rate). These puppies' health
are not guaranteed, and can never be shown in Conformation, because they will be
SPAYED/NEUTERED before you take possession.
Well, what about an older Rescue Saint? I can get one of those for you, more readily than
a puppy. With some, you'll have the same training problems as with puppies, because no
one's ever taken the time. On the plus side, an older Saint will learn much more quickly
than a puppy -- their attention span is better, they can hold their urine longer, they're
not teething, and they're not as active. Sometimes, we get dogs that we call "owner
surrenders", that have been trained to a reasonable degree. These dogs have to be
placed in new homes because of circumstances beyond the control of the owners. Divorce,
health reasons, housing conflicts -- there are many reasons that these dogs are given up.
Others are strays, and are evaluated in as many situations as humanly possible, to
determine the best possible setting for each. They are vet-checked -- spayed or neutered
if needed, wormed, given their vaccinations, and tested for heartworm and other parasitic
infections. In many ways, these older dogs (many from the ages of about 2 years and up)
are much more adaptable than the younger ones, because they've already been through so
much.
So, Now You Need to Understand the Health Issues
First, EVERY breed of dog is prone to its own
variety of genetic problems. They are also prone to various types of cancers, glandular
disorders, and skin irritations. Saints are prone to all of these, plus:
Hip and elbow dysplasia, which are forms of arthritis,
and affect all large and giant breed dogs to varying degrees. Weight maintenance and
exercise help a great deal in reducing the strain on joints, also how and where you
exercise your dog.
Bloat is a life-threatening emergency. Every owner of
every large or giant breed dog needs to be aware of the symptoms of this condition, as
medical attention is required IMMEDIATELY at onset. Death can occur within 4 hours of
onset, and it is a hideous, painful death. Surgery is only about 50% successful. Once a
dog bloats, chances are, it will bloat again.
Entropian and Ectropian are conditions of the eyelids, and are
correctable using varying degrees of surgery. (All "droopy-eyed" breeds are
prone to this condition, as well as a condition commonly known as cherry eye.)
Saints are also rather high on the predisposition list for epilepsy,
which causes seizures.
In addition to these conditions and diseases, Saints are EXTREMELY susceptible to heatstress and heatstroke. Special precautions must
be taken when the temperature begins to climb (See the article entitled Jeez, It's Hot! for ideas on keeping your Saint
safe and comfortable, this summer). If it goes above 80 degrees, you cannot play catch
with your dog. The consequences could be tragic.
There is some very affordable medical insurance
available for pets -- I use Veterinary Pet Insurance
for my dogs. It doesn't cover the hereditary things like dysplasia, of course, but
it has helped tremendously.
Thinking
of Breeding Your Dog?
How to
Assess for Temperament
Saints
Available for Adoption
You Can Help the Rescue Effort
Learn More About St. Bernards!!
St.
Bernard Club of America HomePage
Index of
St. Bernard Sites
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