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AKC: Saint Bernard breed overview

Working group · Switzerland

Saint Bernard

Also called St. Bernard, Bernhardiner

A gentle mountain giant whose size, drool and cold-weather coat shape every part of daily life.

The Saint Bernard comes from the Great St Bernard Pass in the Swiss Alps, where monks kept large dogs as guards and guides for travelers. Today it is a calm, kind family dog, but one that can outweigh an adult human, drools heavily and lives a shorter life than most smaller breeds.

Original AI-generated breed illustration

Weight

54 to 82 kg

119 to 180 lb

Height

65 to 90 cm

at the shoulder

Life expectancy

8 to 10 yrs

Activity estimate

30 to 60 min

editorial daily planning range

Adult-size estimate

30 months

approximate model input

Life with a Saint Bernard

Size is the first thing that decides whether this breed suits you. A grown Saint Bernard fills a hallway, can rest its chin on the kitchen table and needs a vehicle with a large boot to reach the vet. Every piece of equipment, from crate to bed to car ramp, comes in the biggest size, and every gap in early training is magnified by 70 kg of dog.

The breed took shape at the hospice on the Great St Bernard Pass between Switzerland and Italy, where records mention dogs from around 1700. The monks kept them as companions and watchdogs and took them on patrols to find travelers lost in snow and fog. Dogs of that era were lighter and mostly short-coated; long-haired crosses were tried in the 1800s, but the heavier coat collected ice and proved less useful in deep snow.

Temperament is the good news. A well-bred Saint Bernard is patient, sociable and slow to anger, usually friendly with visitors and tolerant of children. Adults are calm indoors and content to doze for much of the day. Adolescents are a different matter: between about 6 and 18 months they are clumsy, strong and playful, and a 50 kg youngster that jumps up can flatten a child or an older adult.

What stands out

Puppy growth

Saint Bernard puppies grow at an astonishing rate. A puppy may weigh 7 to 9 kg at 8 weeks and 40 kg or more by 6 months. Most of the height is in place by about 18 months, but chest, head and muscle keep developing until 2 to 3 years of age.

Read the full puppy growth guide

Illustrative model, not observed breed data or a healthy-weight standard. Use actual measurements and veterinary advice to assess growth.

A great match for

calm households with space and a big enough car
families whose children are taught to be gentle
cool climates
owners who prefer relaxed walks to intense exercise

Think twice if

heavy drooling, especially after drinking
real danger of overheating in warm weather
high costs for food, vet care and equipment
shorter lifespan than most breeds
enough strength to pull an adult over if lead manners slip

Personality and needs at a glance

Living together

Good with children

Good with other dogs

Open with strangers

Apartment friendly

Copes with alone time

Energy and character

Energy level

Playfulness

Easy to train

Barking

5 means very vocal

Care and climate

Grooming needs

Shedding

Drooling

Handles cold

Handles heat

How much a Saint Bernard eats

Illustrative calculations for neutered adults at midpoint breed weights, with food at 370 kcal per 100 g and 100 g per cup. These are not measured breed requirements. Use actual weight, the food label and veterinary body-condition advice.

Dog	Weight	Calories	Dry food
Female, relaxed lifestyle	62 kg	2170 kcal	585 g (5.8 cups)
Female, typical pet	62 kg	2470 kcal	670 g (6.8 cups)
Male, typical pet	73 kg	2800 kcal	755 g (7.5 cups)
Male, very active	73 kg	3500 kcal	945 g (9.5 cups)

Full Saint Bernard feeding guide Calculate for my dog

Care guides for the Saint Bernard

FeedingGiant breeds need careful feeding rather than simply large amounts. An adult of 70 kg (154 lb) with gentle daily walks often eats around 700 to 900 g of a typical dry food a day, very roughly 7 to 9 cups, but needs vary widely and many Saints burn less than their size suggests.Read more ExerciseAdults need moderate exercise, usually 30 to 60 minutes a day of steady walking with time to sniff and some gentle play. They are not built for jogging, long ball-chasing sessions or agility jumps.Read more GroomingBoth coat types shed, and both have a heavy seasonal blowout, usually in spring and again in autumn. Brush smooth coats once or twice a week and rough coats two or three times a week with a slicker brush and an undercoat rake, paying extra attention to the feathering on the legs, behind the ears and on the tail.Read more TrainingSaints are willing and gentle but rarely quick to obey for its own sake. They learn best with patient, reward-based training and plenty of repetition, and can dig their heels in when tired or bored.Read more HealthLike most giants, the Saint Bernard has a shorter life, often 8 to 10 years. Known predispositions include hip and elbow dysplasia, bloat, dilated cardiomyopathy (a disease of the heart muscle), bone cancer, and eyelid problems such as entropion and ectropion.Read more

Things owners are often surprised by

1The hospice where the breed developed sits at about 2,470 m (8,100 ft) on one of the highest road passes in the Alps.
2The most famous hospice dog, Barry, is credited with helping save more than 40 people and is preserved in the Natural History Museum in Bern.
3The brandy barrel around the neck is a myth spread by paintings, not a working tradition.
4Rough-coated and smooth-coated puppies can turn up in the same litter.
5A large male can stand 90 cm (35 in) at the shoulder and weigh over 80 kg (176 lb).

Saint Bernard questions

Did Saint Bernards really carry brandy barrels?

No. The image comes from 19th-century paintings, notably work by the English artist Edwin Landseer, and was repeated in cartoons and advertising for decades. The hospice dogs worked as guides, companions and search dogs, and there is no reliable record of them carrying alcohol. Giving alcohol to someone suffering from cold is a bad idea anyway, so the myth is best left in the paintings.

How much do Saint Bernards drool?

A lot, although it varies with the shape of the lips. Dogs with looser, heavier lips drool more, especially after drinking, eating, or when excited or hot, and many owners keep a drool cloth in every room. If drooling suddenly increases sharply, particularly alongside pawing at the mouth, retching or a swollen belly, that is not normal and needs a vet.

Are there still Saint Bernards at the Great St Bernard Pass?

Yes. Since 2005 the breeding kennel has been run by the Fondation Barry, which took over from the monks. Dogs still spend the summer months at the hospice, where visitors can meet them, and winter in the valley at Martigny. Helicopters and avalanche dogs of lighter breeds now do most of the real rescue work in the Alps.

Can a Saint Bernard live in a hot climate?

It is difficult. The breed was developed at high altitude and copes poorly with sustained heat. Owners in warm regions need air conditioning, shaded outdoor space, cool floors and a strict routine of walking only at the coolest times of day, and heatstroke remains a real risk even then. If your summers are long and hot, a lighter, shorter-coated breed may be the kinder choice.

Smooth or rough coat: which is easier to live with?

Smooth-coated Saints need a little less brushing and carry less mud and snow indoors, but they still shed heavily. Rough coats need more attention on the legs, ears and tail to stop tangles forming. Temperament and health are the same, and both types can appear in one litter, so choose on breeder quality first and coat type second.

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