I want a St. Bernard so badly!!

They're very big. I hope you have tons of space.

Please rescue Cosmo from that hideous baby-talking Frau.

Hip problems and they don't live as long as small or medium sized dogs.

Also be sure you save up at least $5,000- 10,000 for the dog's medical care.

Common health issues with these dogs include canine hip dysplasia (CHD), elbow dysplasia, gastric torsion, osteosarcoma, distichiasis, entropion, and ectropion.

Most are dead by 8 years of age.

Good luck!

They're a barrel of fun.

Prepare to do a lot of mopping.

I've always been a terrier/small dog person, though not purse type dogs. I can't imagine having something so huge.

They slobber. A lot.

My brother had two. Get use to slobber, hair over ever inch of your furniture, clothes, house, vents, etc. and major vet bills. Other than that they are very cute.

Not very active, though. And if you live in a warm climate, they will be miserable outdoors, anyway.

This is their origin, OP. There used to be several on the slopes everyday at Zermatt, for the ambiance and photo ops, but now they've banned them. People still have them for pets in the Alps. It would be cruel to have this in some locations with the hot summers we are all having. They are magnificent dogs of course and very social. Best to have in a family. They need to have a job to do. That's why it was kind of silly to ban them for the photo ops because it gave them a purpose. It's one of my favorite dogs along with the equally enormous and short lived Irish Wolf Hound.

Where do you live? I had cousins that had one, and it was a horribly miserable dog because a St. Bernard can't be happy outside in the heat of a Southern summer.

They bark and shit. God, they're nice.

They are enablers.

Not to hijack the thread, but what is a good breed for a single person who works?

I have a townhome with a small yard (not enough for a lab or similar dog). I've been looking at beagles, but I worry about leaving them alone for 8-10 hours.

I always had dogs as a kid (labs) but we had a large yard, and random wildlife (squirrels) to keep the dogs entertained.

[quote]but I worry about leaving them alone for 8-10 hours.

As you should.

Why did they ban them at Zermatt?

People who work a 9-5 job should NOT own dogs.

The dogs get disturbed and became a nuisance to neighbors.

I love beagles. Great dog but need social contract or they will eat your furniture. Get someone to come in to walk a dog or get a cat.

[quote]People who work a 9-5 job should NOT own dogs.

Unless they have someone they trust who they can put them with in the day.

There are day care places as well.

Cosmo (the dog in the video) is so cute! And so lazy!

Why do they let him drink out of the toilet?

They are not banned in Zermatt the town, but they banned the people who took them on the slopes for photo ops with skiers. There's another dog that's a treat to meet - the Sennenhund - a herding dog in the Alps. The people I know who have St. Bernards have largish houses/chalet with easy outdoor access. They have tile or wood floors and big kitchens and the dogs are often in the kitchen where the drooling and the shedding is easier to deal with. They have big dog beds - they don't sleep on furniture or human beds - yuck. You have to have MONEY to feed them.

I dog sat one once. He was sweet but he did the following: 1. Slobbered in huge ropes of saliva that drenched my shirt. 2. Tore a hole in the wall. 3. Jumped on me and scratched my face 4. Pooped the size of a basketball 5. Covered me with fur 6. Pulled so hard on the leash I thought I’d dislocate my arm.

Other than that, fine and dandy. Some breeds should be out in the wide open wilderness.

Rofl R23.

Sounds cute, but sort of nightmarish.

It's amazing how quickly Cosmo took to his new family.

No trepidation, whatsoever. What an adorable dog.

There was a hilarious (eye-roll) comedy duo in England that featured one called Schnorbitz (more hilarity).

Proof of how funny they were.

The frau is annoying with her nasal voice and how sure she is that Cosmo has never experienced anything close to the domestic bliss that she is now bestowing on him. She must spend her days vacuuming and getting allergy shots.

I'm surprised that the other dogs don't eat the giant rabbits, R28.

Dogs eat rabbits.

She has flat out vocal fry. Cosmo is grateful, and judges quietly, like the Swiss.

They shed like hell and their poop is bigger than some dogs' entire bodies.

Cosmo's new dad is a hot DILF!

Have to disagree R18.

Dogs should not be left indoors alone from 9-5 but they can be fine if given an area to roam and things to chase/look at. Most breeds should not need 24/7 attention. They are evolved wolves after all. I can't count the number of times I've seen people keeping large dogs as pets, and perhaps keep them company 24/7, but these poor things are kept "confined" 24/7 in apartments.

No breed of dog can be left for 10 hours +.

If you get a dog, you will need to factor in at least 1 hour of walk and playtime with a dog walker.

Dogs are social and suffer if left alone for long periods of time.

I worked about 8- 9 hours/day in NYC and hired a great dog walker who lived nearby. I payed $20 a day for a hour long walk/play session. And my dog had a cat to play with, so wasn't alone.

They make great rescue dogs!

R15 unless you are able and willing to pay for doggie daycare, stick to a stuffed animal.

Not to give you undue shit R34, but this is exactly the type of situation I was referring to. Dogs are outdoor animals. Keeping them indoors for extended periods is just not good, even if you are with them.

Certainly not saying the dogs are suffering, but that is not how dogs are meant to live.

[quote]I dog sat one once. He was sweet but he did the following: 1. Slobbered in huge ropes of saliva that drenched my shirt. 2. Tore a hole in the wall. 3. Jumped on me and scratched my face 4. Pooped the size of a basketball 5. Covered me with fur 6. Pulled so hard on the leash I thought I’d dislocate my arm.

2, 3, and 6 (and possibly 5) are all the faults of its owner. Sounds like he was just a poorly trained/poorly groomed dog.

It’ll are probably right R36. As a kid my dog had 1+ acres to roam and keep occupied when we were away. Even a small dog would get bored with a patio yard pretty quickly.

Sigh.

I just miss having a dog. I’ve had a cat, and he was fine (and oddly loving for a cat) but just not the same.

Large dogs are great, but they tend to have shorter lives. Great Danes only live on average to be 7. That can be rough emotionally, if you're partial to that breed. I currently have a 10-year-old Yellow Lab, but he's fit as a fiddle, so a lot depends on if they get proper nutrition, regular medical care, and lots of exercise.

I prefer large dogs but they often have more frequent vet visits and they die earlier. But big dogs are always the cutest.

Funny story, years ago we were at our vet. This couple brings in two HUGE St. Bernard dogs. Renee, vet receptionist, was so excited and yelled, ‘Those were two of the dogs used in Beethoven.’ Seriously, these dogs were very well maintained, brushed, flea free, etc. perfect specimens.

Drooooooooooooool!

[R38] You are right about that. The family was a hot mess. Pure chaos. I was covered with bruises and scratches and looked like I had been lost in the wilderness after being at that nightmare house for a day.

r15 I know a Scottie breeder who said you could crate one for 8 hours. A teacher had one in her mud room while she worked until she retired. Life’s too short not to have a Scottie!

Howcome the St. Bernard at R43 has short hair, but the one in the op's link has long hair?

Are there different types in the breed?

It's like the difference between a Golden Retriever and a Golden Lab.

I have a giant breed, OP, and there are a lot of misconceptions in this thread.

GBs do not cost a fortune to feed - ours eats less than our more active mid-size because it has a lower metabolism. Dogs generally are fine being left for a workday once they are past puppy crazy. Having said that, I do not crate our dogs and would not for 8+ hours. But I do not feel bad leaving them uncrated for the work day - when I work from home, they just sleep all day anyway.

GBs do have lower overall life expectancies, but this is mitigated by choosing a very responsible breeder (puppy heart and hip checks before they send them home with you) and feeding very high quality food and supplements. If you choose a rescue, most of which are not pure bred, please prepare yourself for anything as their health may not have been as cared for before going into rescue. This is nothing against rescues, which can be great - just different things to consider.

GBs do cost more to groom, board, etc., but do not need a ton of exercise. They do love attention, but our GB actually hates walks and just gets exercise roaming our fenced in yard. She also loves children per the typical breed, and when she was a puppy we paid our next door neighbor child to play with her after school with her mom’s supervision and that was a great hit on all sides.

Best of luck, OP! They are good dogs and not that daunting.

R35, is it a rescue dog?

[quote] their poop is bigger than some dogs' entire bodies.

Some compare it to the size of a basketball.

When will it find its forever home?

Make sure their dog house is air conditioned.

Try to have yourself cured of OCD first, OP.

Cosmo isn’t confused or afraid of stairs. He has hip dysplasia and pain from climbing and has no way of telling the owner, except to be fussy about not wanting to take the stairs. The same for getting in and out of the damn car. That’s quite a jump for a dog with bad hips.

I was a German Shepherd in a previous life, so I know these things.

OP, have you considered a rescue moose? It’s an underserved community.

My partner's sister and husband had one. He was such a sweet dog - he really liked people. But he was an outdoors farm dog, and he always stunk so bad. They had him groomed maybe 1-2 times a year, so most of the time he was matted, dirty and smelly. I always felt so sorry for him because he didn't get the attention he craved. He died at age 6-7 of a heart attack. My grandparents had one that lived to age 8-9, but she was an abused dog before they got her, which made her mean. When they brought her home to the farm, she killed just about every cat, chicken or other small animal in sight. My grandfather managed to soften her up and get her to stop killing things, but she was never a dog that seemed to like affection. I'd just say don't get any kind of dog unless you're committed to its needs. And understand, first, the unique needs of the breed, whichever breed you choose. They're not all the same.

R55, your grandparents’ dog was a real bitch by the looks of things.

Why are St. Bernards so lazy?

Also, I have a more serious question. How do you "dispose" of them, when they die? They're almost the size of a human being. It's not like you can just call the coroner.

Must be kind of gruesome.

If you have a backyard, decent size, they can stay out if the climate is warm enough. They won't have issues. All they need is water and something like an open garage if it rains and they'll be fine.

Of all the breeds, they seem to be the most "in tune" with humans.

They're just adorable.

[quote]When they brought her home to the farm, she killed just about every cat, chicken or other small animal in sight.

Amateur.

r60

Yeah they'll do that.

The OP probably thinks they are like this.

The OP probably thinks they are like this.

Dawwwww

copious amounts of slobber and drool. Giant poops. totally gross breed. get a little bitch pomeranian.

Why would anyone want a little yappy Pomeranian or something like that, when they could have a soft and cuddly St. Bernard?

So adorable, R64.

Remember in old cartoons when they'd have that thick, syrupy XXX beverage in a wooden dispenser around their necks? They'd feed them to freezing travelers. What was that about? Anyone know the history there? Feels like something outdated... also felt strange at the time to see what was clearly alcohol use in cartoons.

CUTE DOGS!

Here you go, R68.

Nine puppies!

They make HUGE piles of shit.

Saint Bernard pooping.

Aaaaaaaackkk!!!

Soooooo cuuuuuuuute!!!

They're cuter as adults than puppies strangely.

The slobber is a genetic thing. I had a female SB, she didn't slobber at all.

The male that I have now on the other hand... The bottom half of his water bucket is always slime.

It’s interesting that most dogs will let you play with their puppies, even when they are very young. Sometimes you can see that the mothers get nervous, but usually they know that people are “top dog” and they might try to hide their pups, but they don’t snap at people.

Contrast that with bear cubs, or moose cubs, etc. Those Moms will claw or stomp you good.

English painter Landseer portrayed a St. Bernard with a barrel. It was a flight of fancy but the image took off. The dogs are traditional rescue dogs - or were. They could track and find a lost human, and they are powerful and large dogs. They could warm up a cold human a bit. No brandy. But it's a nice idea.

Here’s an interesting one. Flo, the Cow, needed help from a strange human with her calf, so apparently cows have been breed to allow humans to interact with their babies without freaking out.

Don’t try this with monkeys, or lions!

St. Bernards are angels!

♥️

Ugh ! There is nothing cute about a full grown St. Bernard.

We had one in our neighborhood.He was always escaping, and chasing the younger kids. What grossed me out was the constant slobbering and slime hanging from his mouth.

Those massive, overgrown dogs remind me of sloppy old drunks.

OP Be very careful, have you followed the thread about the guy who found a kitten? The kitten fucking killed him in the end, after a really bad drug soaked fuck session. So Gods knows how kinky a St Bernard will be in bed

[quote] Contrast that with bear cubs, or moose cubs, etc.

How did Mother Moose react to human interaction with baby Christmas Moose?

Why would anyone film and publicly post the video at R72?

R72 was the real inspiration behind the [italic] Squatty Potty.

One thinks one should consider a more regal breed.

If you want a big dog get a Great Dane. They are highly trainable, they are lap dogs (train them not to sit on you or you'll have a 200 pound dog on your lap) and they follow you around and love cuddles.

Best thing of all they usually live between five and ten years, so long before you tire of them, they're dead