St. Bernards

The St. Bernard and the Newfoundland are members of the working dog group. The St. Bernard is a large, massively boned dog that was originally bred in Switzerland to search for and rescue persons that were lost in the snow. It is a descendent of the Mastiff and shares many of its guarding instincts.

The Newfoundland was originally from Canada and was bred to help fisherman and protect children. It has a high rating for gentleness, but very low on being a guard dog.

Both of these dogs are typically between 24 to 28 inches tall at the shoulder. The St. Bernard will weigh between 100 and 200 pounds, and the Newfie weighs between 100 and 150 pounds. The St. Bernard needs a strong handler to train and manage it, and is considered moderately easy to housebreak or obedience train. Its desire for affection from its owner is not high.The Newfie is considered very easy to housebreak and very trainable with a high demand for affection. Regular grooming will be necessary to maintain the Newfie's coat.

Anyone that is thinking of adopting and training a dog that may outweigh them should check carefully into the common personality traits of the breed. An untrained animal of this size can be very dangerous and destructive.

A dog of this size will need a lot of space and exercise. If your home or apartment doesn't have enough space, you will have to make a daily habit of exercising the dog.

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