St Bernards

[itsme123]

I went to see a friend today who I havent seen in a while, only to find she;s got herself the mosr adorable St Bernard bitch. I don't think I have ever met such a docile, loving and stunning dog in my life...


anyway, the bitch very clearly is purebred but old owners claim to have lost her pedigree papers (she got her after the old owner moved somewhere where she couldnt keep dogs).

Friend would like to have bred a (singular!) litter from her, but was concerned about the lack of paperwork. Are we right in thinking that no St Bernard breeder will put this bitch to their stud dog without her having her paperwork??

Just interested to know really, TBH there are no stud dogs nearby (I think the nearest is about 70 miles away) but raised an interesting point in that does a bitch need to have paperwork in order for the owner to use a stud dog?

PS the other half is now getting nagged about me wanting a St Bernard

I never realised they ate so little (I think probably about the same as a lab) were so docile and that they drooled quite so much. Friend said you need an umbrella when hers has a shake!! LOL

 

[CorvusCorax]

No reputable breeder would put their dog to a bitch (or vice versa) of unsuitable breeding (ie any lines which would carry hereditary problems) or without the required health checks and tests. In an ideal world every breeder would seek these reassurances, but as we know, that doesn't happen.

So, without papers, no.

In my breed, for example, you would need assurances/scores for hips, elbows, haemophelia etc. Not sure about SBs.
The yard where I started learning to ride had one, a lot of the smaller kids used to ride her like a pony, she was a great yard dog.

 

[BBH]

I've had a st Bernard before and he was fab but mine did eat a lot, he was very drooly which after a while becomes tiresome and they don't live generally past 8, having said that if you have the space and money they really are a true friend.

It is a dog I would seriously think about before buying one, if you can overcome the negatives and give him a home for life then go for it.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Of course there's always people more likely to look through the fingers with f. ex. following rules than others. The thing is if they're that sort of person, I would be tempted to think that there might be other things they're not so careful with either, such as whether their dog really has such a good temperament, really is the age they say etc.


According to SKK (and FCI the international dog "club") the ideal height for Labradors is Dog 56 - 57 cm (22 - 22,5 ins), Bitch 55 - 56 cm (21,5 - 22 ins). But St Bernard's height is Dog 70 - 90 cm (I think that = 27.56 - 35.43 ins), Bitch 65 - 80 cm (I think that = 25.59 - 31.50 ins). So you might be in for a surprise, regarding the size.

In Sweden St. Bernard stud dogs and brood bitches must have x-rayed elbows with an allowed result for the puppies to be registered, but you need to find out what St. Bernards are more prone to in UK (

besides the slobber). Thanks to the author Astrid Lindgren using a St. Bernard in two of her books, that was transferred into TV-series and movies in the sixties, the St. Bernard is a rather commonly loved breed in Sweden. Incredibly enough portrayed in a loving but still enough unglamorous way to not make "everybody" actually run out and get one of their own.


Good luck.

 

[itsme123]

we've been seriously thinking about getting a dog for a couple of years now, and had whittled it down to a labrador, a greyhound and now a st bernard

Whatever dog we get wouldnt 'reside' in the house, but we have a large enough garden to have room for an ample kennel and run, plus I;m at home all day anyway and we live in open countryside. OH's specifics on a dog is that it must have a purpose (so no lap dogs lol) ie must be able to bark loud enough to ward off intruders, be large ( don't ask!) yet be friendly and good with children.
I've spent the last two days reading up on the breed, and am now convinced nothing else will do

They're large, hairy, clumsy and they slobber all over you, but hey ho, so does my daughter's pony