Adoption Considerations
By Debbie McDonald & Pam Henry
Are you thinking about getting a Saint Bernard puppy? By now you have done some research and are aware that this cuddly, adorable ball of fur will soon weigh well over 100 pounds and may drool like a water spigot! They will shake their head and send sticky drool strands to hang from your ceiling, land on your dinner plate, and wrap around the faces of your guests. They will shed excessively, no matter if they are a smooth coat or rough coat variety and leave hair balls all over your house, your furniture, your clothes, your car, on your food and everywhere else you can’t even imagine their hair could get! If none of this discourages you, and you want a dog that will bond to you and your family more closely than any other animal, will attract attention wherever you go, will protect your children from harm and will give you unconditional love, then this is the dog for you!
Just remember that small ball of fur should be treated as if he or she is already a full grown 100 plus pound dog. It is never too early to train your new puppy as he will soon outweigh a small child. Proper manners and a friendly disposition will mean lots of love and attention for your puppy as he grows. A Saint Bernard will learn quickly how to please people as he or she is rewarded with your love and attention. It takes only twenty minutes of repetition at a time to have your dog quickly trained to mind you and have manners. Make certain you send the proper message to quickly discourage any bad habits before they become permanent.
You should never allow your Saint Bernard puppy to do anything because they are cute and “it is just a puppy” unless you want your full grown dog to do the same thing. Even as puppies, do not carry them or allow them to lie in your lap, or otherwise act like a small dog. They do remember these enjoyable experiences and will expect to be able to do the same for the rest of their lives. Give affection to your puppy by sitting on the floor with them while they curl up next to you.
One adorable little Saint puppy that we knew grew to be about 200 pounds of solid muscle. The owner’s best friend, even though he was told not to, allowed and encouraged the cute puppy to get away with jumping up on him in greeting. One evening he stopped by their house dressed in a suit on his way to his wedding rehearsal dinner and the then full grown Saint ran and jumped on him to congratulate and share his joy. Oops! Don’t let this happen to you!
Train your Saint to be aware of his size and surroundings as he grows so that he can be a member of your family and live in the house with you. Saints want to be with their people at all times and do not make good “yard” dogs. If you don’t intend to allow your Saint to share your home and life, please adopt another breed of dog, or better yet, a cat.
Most of all, remember your new puppy requires your time and effort to become a good dog in all situations. If not given quality time with you, your puppy will get bored and become destructive. Before getting angry with your puppy, think about your own commitment to raising a well-trained dog and make the adjustment in yourself.
As your Saint gets older, you will have a wonderful companion to watch TV and be lazy with. Few adult Saints will ever want to go for long hikes or jogging excursions. They require minimal exercise and will sleep approximately 20 hours per day. The motto that we have given the Saint Bernard is, “Why stand if you can sit? Why sit if you can lie down? Why stay awake if you can go to sleep?” That pretty much sums up an adult Saint Bernard. Pound for pound, the Saint Bernard eats less food than any other breed because of their slow metabolism and easy-going lifestyle.
Best of luck with your new St. Bernard puppy. With your knowledge of the breed characteristics, and commitment to training and socialization, your new puppy will be welcomed by friends and family alike and will never end up abandoned in a shelter, or relinquished to a rescue organization because, “It got too big”, “It drools”, “It sheds”, “It doesn’t like strangers” or “It’s totally out of control” … all excuses that we and every other Saint Bernard Rescue organization have heard repeatedly over the years.
Obviously, we encourage everyone to adopt instead of shop, and rarely do young Saint Bernard puppies come into rescue organizations, but if you’re willing to adopt a slightly older puppy, adult or senior Saint into your home, rather than buying a young puppy, there are many, through no fault of their own, that are just waiting for a family to love and call their own. Please consider adopting one of these “older” homeless Saints. Most of them are already housebroken, leash trained and many already know their obedience commands.
Originally published at Perfect Puppy Care
Are you thinking about getting a Saint Bernard puppy? By now you have done some research and are aware that this cuddly, adorable ball of fur will soon weigh well over 100 pounds and may drool like a water spigot! They will shake their head and send sticky drool strands to hang from your ceiling, land on your dinner plate, and wrap around the faces of your guests. They will shed excessively, no matter if they are a smooth coat or rough coat variety and leave hair balls all over your house, your furniture, your clothes, your car, on your food and everywhere else you can’t even imagine their hair could get! If none of this discourages you, and you want a dog that will bond to you and your family more closely than any other animal, will attract attention wherever you go, will protect your children from harm and will give you unconditional love, then this is the dog for you!
Just remember that small ball of fur should be treated as if he or she is already a full grown 100 plus pound dog. It is never too early to train your new puppy as he will soon outweigh a small child. Proper manners and a friendly disposition will mean lots of love and attention for your puppy as he grows. A Saint Bernard will learn quickly how to please people as he or she is rewarded with your love and attention. It takes only twenty minutes of repetition at a time to have your dog quickly trained to mind you and have manners. Make certain you send the proper message to quickly discourage any bad habits before they become permanent.
You should never allow your Saint Bernard puppy to do anything because they are cute and “it is just a puppy” unless you want your full grown dog to do the same thing. Even as puppies, do not carry them or allow them to lie in your lap, or otherwise act like a small dog. They do remember these enjoyable experiences and will expect to be able to do the same for the rest of their lives. Give affection to your puppy by sitting on the floor with them while they curl up next to you.
One adorable little Saint puppy that we knew grew to be about 200 pounds of solid muscle. The owner’s best friend, even though he was told not to, allowed and encouraged the cute puppy to get away with jumping up on him in greeting. One evening he stopped by their house dressed in a suit on his way to his wedding rehearsal dinner and the then full grown Saint ran and jumped on him to congratulate and share his joy. Oops! Don’t let this happen to you!
Train your Saint to be aware of his size and surroundings as he grows so that he can be a member of your family and live in the house with you. Saints want to be with their people at all times and do not make good “yard” dogs. If you don’t intend to allow your Saint to share your home and life, please adopt another breed of dog, or better yet, a cat.
Most of all, remember your new puppy requires your time and effort to become a good dog in all situations. If not given quality time with you, your puppy will get bored and become destructive. Before getting angry with your puppy, think about your own commitment to raising a well-trained dog and make the adjustment in yourself.
As your Saint gets older, you will have a wonderful companion to watch TV and be lazy with. Few adult Saints will ever want to go for long hikes or jogging excursions. They require minimal exercise and will sleep approximately 20 hours per day. The motto that we have given the Saint Bernard is, “Why stand if you can sit? Why sit if you can lie down? Why stay awake if you can go to sleep?” That pretty much sums up an adult Saint Bernard. Pound for pound, the Saint Bernard eats less food than any other breed because of their slow metabolism and easy-going lifestyle.
Best of luck with your new St. Bernard puppy. With your knowledge of the breed characteristics, and commitment to training and socialization, your new puppy will be welcomed by friends and family alike and will never end up abandoned in a shelter, or relinquished to a rescue organization because, “It got too big”, “It drools”, “It sheds”, “It doesn’t like strangers” or “It’s totally out of control” … all excuses that we and every other Saint Bernard Rescue organization have heard repeatedly over the years.
Obviously, we encourage everyone to adopt instead of shop, and rarely do young Saint Bernard puppies come into rescue organizations, but if you’re willing to adopt a slightly older puppy, adult or senior Saint into your home, rather than buying a young puppy, there are many, through no fault of their own, that are just waiting for a family to love and call their own. Please consider adopting one of these “older” homeless Saints. Most of them are already housebroken, leash trained and many already know their obedience commands.
Originally published at Perfect Puppy Care