Is my dog a Saint Bernard?
Red and white, a dark mask, a huge head and a gentle expression: the Saint Bernard is the classic Alpine giant. Upload a photo to see which breeds your dog resembles most.
Also known as: St Bernard, St. Bernard, Alpine Mastiff
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About the Saint Bernard
The Saint Bernard is named after the hospice on the Great St Bernard Pass in the Swiss Alps, where monks kept large dogs to guard the hospice and help find travellers lost in snow. It is Switzerland’s national dog and one of the best-known giant breeds in the world. Calm, friendly and patient, it is usually gentle with children and other animals. Its size alone makes training from puppyhood essential, and it drools, sheds and dislikes heat.
At a glance
- Type
- Pedigree breed
- Size
- Giant
- Adult weight
- 54–82 kg
- Life expectancy
- 8–10 years
- Exercise
- Moderate
How to recognise a Saint Bernard
- Two coat varieties: short-haired, with a dense, close coat, and long-haired, with a medium-long, straight to slightly wavy coat and feathered legs and tail.
- White with red-brown patches or a full red-brown mantle on the back and sides; brindle in the red is permitted.
- White blaze, muzzle, chest, feet and tail tip are typical, with dark shading on the head often forming a mask.
- Massive, broad head with a pronounced stop, a short, deep muzzle, loose skin on the forehead, a dewlap and hanging lips.
- Powerful, tall and muscular, with a broad back and a long, heavy tail hanging low at rest.
Photo tip. Take the photo side-on in daylight with the whole dog in frame, plus one of the face: the mask, blaze and red patches are what set it apart from other giant breeds.
Saint Bernard or look-alike?
Bernese Mountain Dog
The Bernese is black with rust and white markings, never red and white, and has a finer head with a less pronounced stop. A red mantle on a white dog points to the Saint Bernard.
Newfoundland
Newfoundlands are usually solid black or brown, with a heavy, oily coat and no white mask pattern. White and black Landseers exist, but red markings mean Saint Bernard.
Mucuchíes
Venezuela’s mountain dog is white with cream or honey patches and a lighter, less massive head with tighter lips. The Saint Bernard is heavier, with a dewlap and a dark mask.
Saint Bernard mixes
Saint Bernard crosses with Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Great Pyrenees and Labradors turn up in rescue. The white blaze and collar, the red patches and the big head carry through most often, along with the loose lips. Size usually stays giant or large. On a photo, a Saint mix tends to come back as Saint Bernard alongside another mountain or water dog. If the coat is mostly black, the other parent often dominates the result, and a DNA test is the clearer answer.
Health and care
- Hip and elbow dysplasia are very common in this giant breed. Ask for hip, elbow, heart, eye and thyroid evaluations on both parents.
- The Saint Bernard is one of the highest-risk breeds for bloat. Feed two or three meals a day and rest the dog for an hour before and after; a swollen belly with retching is an emergency.
- Dilated cardiomyopathy and osteosarcoma (bone cancer) are both recognised risks. Exercise intolerance, coughing or a persistent limp need prompt attention.
- Eyelid problems such as entropion and ectropion are common. Red, weeping eyes should be checked by a vet.
- Use a giant-breed puppy food so the dog grows slowly, keep it lean for its joints, and keep it cool: heat intolerance is part of the breed.