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Saint Bernards => Saint Bernard General Discussions => : BabsT September 28, 2005, 10:17:17 PM
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What are saints like...temp wise...I remember being a little girl and my neighbor a few houses down had a saint named Moo...Moo LOVED me which his owners though was odd because he literally hated 99% of the world.
I remember one day getting spooked (dont remember why) and ran to the gate of his yard and he kept me safe
Are they all like that?
They really are beautiful dogs, I just know very little about them...I applied to resuce one but never heard back from the resuce until it was too late, I already had m new girl
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Spotakiss is very protective of the family and the house.Ive never seen him go after anyone though.Hes also gentle around children.I made it a point to socialize him as much as possible.Plus I think the breeding has alot to do with it.Yesterday I had to pick up my son at a school function and took Spotakiss.He kept laying on his belly for people to rub it.I hope this helped ya.
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Saints can be great members of the family! I just recenlty aquired my second one (puppy named Romulus). They can be very sweet and goofy! Gentle Giants infact! ;D Of course, if they are raised badly then it can be a completely different story. >:( So long as you are prepared to have an extra large dog and are able to feed it and give lots of attention, I think you would be very pleased. Definetly do your research and good luck!
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can't say yet. mine still confuses the heck out of me...
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Saint are great.Used to breed then.Very gentle giants.Infact my now spayed female is being 'mom' to some rescued kittens.She snuggles them..but I will say she is the more agressive of my 2.My male thinks he is a lap dog at times..a big baby..hope this helps..
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I can't really classify Bubba as a gentle giant, not yet anyway. ;) He's still very much a bouncy clumzy puppy that just happens to weight 100 pounds. He definitely has no idea how big he is and still loves to cuddle on our laps. He loves everyone, I've never seen even a slight hint of aggression towards people, strangers or otherwise. He's a bit weary of strange dogs since he's been charged at quite a few times and bit once by loose dogs. But he tries to run instead of fight. He's loves kids and it great with them once he calms down. They can do anything to him and he instantly drops and rolls over for them to rub his belly.
The only weird quirk I've seen with him is that if you cover up your head with a blanket, whether trying to sleep or to dodge drool he will litterally dig you out. Like he thinks he saving you from suffocating under the big bad blanket. LOL I don't know if that's his natural instinct coming out.. or if he's just weird.
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Obviously how a saint is bred and raised will have the biggest impact on it's temperment, but most saints have wonderful temperments.
Zoey is very loving, friendly, laid back, and submissive. She is the most gregarious dog I have ever met and loves anything and everything, including things that scare other dogs like strangers, cars, the vet, etc. When we are walking and zoey sees someone, she wags her tail and then sits down to stare at them until they come over to pet her (which usually happens because she is so cute they cant resist). She is sometimes clumsy and doesn't know how much damage she could cause as big as she is (ie, I swear one of these days she's gonna break one of my toes when she stands on it without realizing it), but she would never purposely hurt anyone or anything. When she sees something she doesn't like, her instinct is to run instead of attack, so when she is kind of scaresdshe will run around in circles and when she is really scared she will pull me to the safety of the house. She barks when she hears doorbells on tv and when someone is at the door, but only when we are home (when we aren't home, she thinks it is us at the door so doesn't bark). She only growls when she is playing tug of war and then it is not to be aggressive but because she thinks that it is playful.... Basically, she is the sweetest, nicest dog EVER
There is really only one type of person that zoey truly hates, and that is a person who is holding nail clippers and going for her paws. She will struggle and bark and growl, but as soon as it is over she will go back to loving them again.
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Josh is a big lovable pile-o-dog. He is wary of strangers and will bark and snap if they get too close, but give him a treat and some petting, you have a friend for life. The trainer says he doesn't think Josh would actually bite but is just trying to scare the stranger away. Around people he knows, he is very friendly and he remembers them. He remembers my sister who he only sees every 6 months or so.
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Funny Cause my Maggie is a lot like that She is very Frendly But,If She Does not Know u,she Back's away,So What I Alway's Say Never let anyone go face Forward,She Doesnen't like that,Gentle Alway's Say Goody!!she is 10.Mo,old about 11o,maggie is So cute,A Mantel,color,and molly,is 4,mo,anout 60,pound,is Deep Brown,and Brindle!and whight,some yellow,oh she has a blue eye,Some peaple do not know how to apoach these Dog's they have never seen a dog this large Before,So what i do is stop think Before i let someone touch my dog's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! these Day's!!Molly&Maggie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It's hard to control what happens out in the world, but keeping negative experiences to a minimum with Saint puppies is crucial. With Rebecca, it literally takes only one bad experience, and she behaves as if she is permanently traumatized.
For example, she has had many, many positive experiences with the vet (treats, attention, etc.). Then something goes wrong with her spaying (much pain for her), and literally I can barely get her through the door now. The behavior has continued with the new vet as well. Or, she had many fun car rides. Hundreds literally. She gets hurt once jumping in, and now I can not get her to jump into that particular car without coaxing, and it has been months since the experience.
I look at the Saint rescues and see dogs that aren't good with kids, aren't good with other animals, not good with strangers. I am starting to wonder if what I'm describing is a breed trait...since I am seeing so many non-Saint traits described in these poor rescue babies. Rebecca is naturally good with everyone and all the animals she has met. But I fear that one very bad experience with a child or at the dog park would change that in her. Consequently I have turned into a mamma bear when guarding my girl against traumas hehe...worse than I would normally be I think. :D
Here are other things I've noticed about her.
She literally trained herself. As a small puppy she had natural decorum. She walked nicely on a leash, never approached strangers without my ok.
She will not take food from someone she doesn't know. I take her to a trendy pet store in SLO, and they sometimes have chicken jerky. If the person there keeps shoving treats at 'Becca, she will finally take it then spit it out. This doesn't impress me too much with the dry biscuits at the vet's...but chicken jerky?? Oh wow, lol.
She is very, very reserved around strangers. She would prefer not to meet anyone new at all. Last time at the vet's, a girl saw 'Becca and fell in love. The girl came and sat by her, respectfully, just talking to her and saying how pretty, etc. Rebecca moved herself as far away from the girl as possible and put her head in my lap as if to say "Oh please make it stop!" On the other hand, if people come to the house a couple of times or more, they are treated as part of the family with much love given.
She is a needy girl. So needy I can hardly believe it. I think this may be a Saint thing, because I've had other former Saint owners ask me about this trait, saying their dogs had it too. Rebecca is never left for more than 3 or 4 hours at a time, but when I come home, the greeting goes on for 10 mins at least. This is if I'm gone for only 15 mins or 4 hours. If she needs to go outside, she will hold it till the greeting is over. I always open up the back door first thing, and she'll race out, then back to me for more love, then start outside, then back to me. She acts as if she can't bear to be more than a couple feet away for those first few minutes after I get home. Wow, that girl makes me feel loved. :D
Jen
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What are saints like...temp wise...I remember being a little girl and my neighbor a few houses down had a saint named Moo...Moo LOVED me which his owners though was odd because he literally hated 99% of the world.
I remember one day getting spooked (dont remember why) and ran to the gate of his yard and he kept me safe
Are they all like that?
They really are beautiful dogs, I just know very little about them...I applied to resuce one but never heard back from the resuce until it was too late, I already had m new girl
Ive never met a saint bernard with a bad temperment. my saint bernard is great, she is VERY gentle given her size, and loves EVERYONE!
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What are saints like...temp wise...I remember being a little girl and my....
We share our home with 4 Saints. They all have their distinct personalities but are all basically sweet, velcro dogs who just wanna be where we are. They are Gentle Giants (except for our Ali who was matted fur & bones when she was dropped off here before last Christmas - she had been tied to a box outside - long story - but for all her past mistreatment & abuse/neglect, she still has a sweet disposition - gives kisses, but when you start to pet her, she just slides down & goes belly up.) Anyway, our 2 boys are BIG & like all Saints we've had, have no comprehension of their size. For that reason, some Rescues don't recommend they go to homes with small children. Saints are clueless about their size! Our 1st one jumped on my husband's lap (while he was sitting on an antique chair which broke - quite a surprise for the Both of them!) I know the question was about temperment, but lots of people don't realize how much they slobber (our 1st was a "dry-mouth" - NOT) and because of their size, their happy, wagging tails will knock things off coffee tables, etc. So if you need to have a perfect home, a Saint is not for you (which is how we came to get our first Saint from my sister-in-law; at 9 mon. and 90 lbs, Barney was not the best choice for her perfect house! My husband loved Barney; now Barney's gone, but he instilled in us such a love of the breed, we found 2 brothers - who might be Saint/Pyr mixes - thru Petfinder.com to keep Harley company (she grieved for Barney & developed fears - of thunderstorms, separation anxiety, etc., so we wanted to find a friend for her). <p>If you're looking for a Saint, I'd recommend contacting your local Saint Rescue - there are all ages - from puppies to Seniors - needing homes. I'd think the safest is getting one that was fostered. Though we've lucked out with our boys who were at a shelter near Philly - brought in for abuse/neglect. Sorry I've rambled on - this is my 1st time replying - tho I love this site!What are saints like...temp wise...I remember being a little girl and my neighbor a few houses down had a saint named Moo...Moo LOVED me which his owners though was odd because he literally hated 99% of the world.
I remember one day getting spooked (dont remember why) and ran to the gate of his yard and he kept me safe
Are they all like that?
They really are beautiful dogs, I just know very little about them...I applied to resuce one but never heard back from the resuce until it was too late, I already had m new girl
Ive never met a saint bernard with a bad temperment. my saint bernard is great, she is VERY gentle given her size, and loves EVERYONE!
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Well Look here This my Baby Do I Need To say any more??????M,l,
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As I was reading the responses to the question of how is a Saints temperment I was very shock at some of the answers, " Nice, but snappy at new people" "reserved around strangers" I think all of these are temperment of these individuals more than the ideal saint standard. I certainly am new to all of this, BUT from my understanding, The SAINTS temperment SHOULD be gentle, calm, extremly friendly, (not neccessarily outgoing, but accepting) confident.
I personally have a Saint that I rescued from the SPCA. For the first month or so, things like car rides, vets, etc. Were scary for him and he did respond with apprehension, HOWEVOR, as his temperment began to take over his senses, he quickly became accustomed to these new things and acted, calm, gentel etc. Apprehensive behaviors, I believe are allowed to be learned, not genetically enchanced due to the breed.
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Riley is the most gregarious, outgoing dog I think I've ever met. He loves everyone and thinks the dog park exists more for the attention he can get from humans than for playing with other dogs (he likes that, too). He is very submissive and wouldn't think of hurting another dog on purpose (he can be rough with Sadie or other dogs we're fostering when he gets into wrestling and whatnot). He loves to roll over for people and get belly rubs, and he loves to cuddle (he spoons in bed). He loves kids and likes to play tag with them. If they are quiet kids, he'll walk up to them and sit in front of them, leaning against them a bit, and will let them hug him. He loves to see me when I come home and gives me sad eyes when I leave. He and Sadie, my lab, will come back inside if given the chance to run out the door right when I come home-they are more interested in greeting me than going to the bathroom. LOL He likes to be with me all the time, though not quite as much as Sadie (Sadie may as well be glued to me). Riley is usually calm, though he has his moments outside. He's 8-m-old almost, so he's still a puppy. He is very gentle when he's thinking about it, but I think he doesn't know his own size. How could you if you went from about 40 pounds to about 100 pounds in 4 months?
I guess it depends on how they are raised, as with any dog. I recently visited a puppy mill, and the man had Saints that wouldn't approach the fences to see me. They were moody with each other as well. They were unsocialized, though, and kept in improper conditions without exercise or any kind of life outside of their pens.
That said, I would read as much as you can about the breed before adopting one. This is true for any dog. Going through rescue is great, but you will want to make sure you know as much as you can about the dog's history. There are a lot of great dogs in rescue, and the fosters keeping them know quite a bit about their personalities.
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Our 5 year old Saint Harley is awesome. We take him to nursing homes and hospitals to visit with the elderly and children. He is always a big hit.
We always took him to dog parks when he was a pup and he was always around other dogs, but for some reason he became dog aggressive when he was about 2 years old. Not all dogs, he like to pick on the weaker dogs, or when he hears other dogs getting into a fight he would run over and get in the middle of it. Because of his size, this scared a lot of people, including myself, so we no longer take him to the dog park. He has NEVER shown any agression to people though. He is the biggest sweetest mush mush around.
Stacie
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My saint, Barney is 8 months old. He is still a puppy - thinking that the world is his playgroud. He is such a sweetie. He does not realize that at 122 pounds he is a big guy. When he sees little dogs or kids he goes straight down to the floor to get face-to-face. He expects a lot of attention and only goes outside to do his business unless we go out with him. We have had many dogs and Barney is by far the best dog we ever owned. Yes he drools, and waits for us to wipe his face after drinking and eating. He has completed puppy and basic obedience training. Two trainers have suggested we continue for Canine Good Citizen training.
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Our family had a Saint name Clyde for 10 years. He grew up with my youngest son Tyler. He was the best babysitter. Small children were his best friends. For a dog so big (185LB) Clyde was the gentlest giant. Wherever Tyler was Clyde was always close by. Sadly he crossed the bridge last summer.
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My Saint Dolly is very clumsy, to describe her in one word! But she is sooo loving. She is very sensitive as well. We have a hard-headed Alaskan Malamute, who takes a light slap to get her to stop doing something bad. But Dolly, if you look at her wrong, she will sulk with her head down and walk away sadly. Saints are most importantly, though, big teddy bears who are gentle and love kids especially. And mine drools only when she drinks! So the Beethoven movie wasn't exactly right!
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My Maxwell is going on two now and his personality is changing a bit. He is not aloof when it comes to strangers. The moment someone comes in the house he is on them right away. He really wants to be petted by everyone and is actually getting a little mouthy. He mouths peoples hands but never bites but people who don't know him gets scared that he'll bite!! It's really becoming a problem. I'm not sure on how to get him to stop mouthing.
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Abby is the most layed back big lug. Everyone is her friend. She is a therapy dog and visits Assisted living facility's and the elementary scholl for the Read to Rover program. I would never hesitate on getting another gentle giant.
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My sweet and goofy Saint, Barney, just turned one year old. He is the sweetest and smartest dog we have ever owned. He loves everyone and wants to play with every dog he meets. If a dog growls at he, he simply walks away. When seeing little dogs or little children, he immediately lays down to be at their level. He even lets little dogs play with him like he is a trampoline. Barney likes a lot of attention and can be truely called a velcro dog. He's always at our sid - sometimes laying beside us, sometimes laying on our feet and sometimes leaning on us.
Does he drool? Yup! After he eats or drinks water, we wipe his mouth with a slobber towel - they're all over the house - so we don't have any real issues with it.
Does he shed? - Yup - He is a rough coat so I wish I could just gather up all of the spare fur and make a virtual puppy (no feeding or walking necessary) and become a millionaire.
Would I ever give this guy up? Not in my lifetime.
But we did take him to puppy school and obedience training. Also we take him out often for new experiences so he can relate to new sights, smells and sounds.
Hope this gives you a little taste of the benefits of owning a real saint
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I adopted two Saints from our local SPCA two years ago, mostly based on my previous experience with Saints, as well as their stellar reputation. These Saints were partnered before being surrendered (at investigator recommendation). Individually, I could not ask for better dogs. They're sweet, goofy, happy, and mindful. They are incredibly eager to please and want only to be near us. They love other people and ADORE children - both those they know and complete strangers. Together, they pack and can be aggressive - mostly to other dogs. This is only an issue because my male is 170lbs and if I have both of them, I can't hold them well enough to correct them. I'm looking for professional help with this issue, and am confident with the right help, I'll have two perfect dogs. If you get a Saint puppy, you can be confident of their being as the breed describes, or at least close. But if you adopt/rescue, I would prepare to do a little work. Either way, they're well worth it. Good luck!