Are St.Bernards good dogs for children?

Answer 1

I think so..... I love St.Bernard

Answer 2

Adopt a small, even tempered adult mutt from the pound. You'll already know its temperment, mutts are healthier than purbreds, you can choose one with short hair, that doesn't salivate like Saints, and they'll offer you a return if it doesn't work out well. Just ask them. The price is right, many already neutered or spayed, and the fact that they are already adults means you don't go thru that aweful puppy stage of your house and carpets being soiled.

Unless you are going to show it in the big shows, there is no reason to have a purebred dog, pay a purebred price, for a dog, by definition is inferior genetically to a mutt. What you asked for is a pet, right? Then a crossbred is always a better choice. (Avoid the terriers, tho, particularly Staffordshire (pit bull) terriers --- cutely called Staffys.....(these guys are nuts.) Most terriers all tend to be a little too independent.) All the others, shepherd crosses, labcrosses, dobie crosses, all I've had and all have been great guys.)

Answer 3

I have bred and owner giant dogs for YEARS!!!! I have Newfies, however, the ONLY dog I have ever been bitten by was a Saint. I have seen several over the years working at vet clinics that I was equally afraid of. Saints are not Newfies. They were bred a long time ago with Newfies which resulted in the rough coated Saint. this was done partly to produce a dog with a better temperment. Enough said. They can have poor temperments, especailly if gotten from a bad or clueless breeder.
Just be careful.

Answer 4

St Bernards are VERY large, which means that the bills around them are also very large. Like any giant breed, they are also the victims of their own size, with a vast array of genetic problems that can crop up, as well as a shorter life span. In the past, there were some issues about puppy farm puppies with bad temperments (and health) giving the entire breed a bad name.

Find out the name of your local kennel club, contact them for information about St. Bernard breeders. Talk to several (at least) breeders about their puppies, their dogs, and try to gauge whether that breed will in fact fit into your life. Lots of people don't mind dried drool coating half the house, or piles of feces that make it look like a dinosaur crossed your yard. Others find these minor things to be impossible.

Be a responsible prospective dog owner, research thoroughly BEFORE you acquire one, and don't buy one on the spur of the moment, thinking you are bringing "Beethoven" home, only to deposit him at a dog pound a few months later after s/he eats your favorite slippers and chews on the table legs. Many dogs abandoned at shelters are purebred dogs, and most dogs abandoned are done so because of behavior problems that could have been avoided.

Personally, as a former "mom" of the house, I was responsible for pet care. (Its a fallacy that kids will do it!) Bigger is NOT better, I have seen chainlink ripped apart by a giant dog. I have seen a house ripped apart by a giant dog. (Thank god it wasn't mine, it belonged to my best friend, who deserved a medal of sainthood after 13 yrs with that dog.) I'd recommend going to a more moderate size. My two best-ever-with-kid dogs were a labrador and a boxer. Beagles are even smaller, and are usually great.

Rescue dogs are also a good bet often, and one acquired from a rescue group has often been temperment evaluated, lived in a foster home, received some training and they can tell you a lot about the dog. Some of the most laid back happy dogs I know are former racing greyhounds. You can research various rescue groups online, and a quick look at some of the dogs available is possible at www.petfinder.com. Just enter your zip code, and you will be amazed at the sheer number that will appear.

Answer 5

two things i would do if i were you.

a. stick with a golden retriever. loving, sweet, great with kids... only problem and that theyre big and shed. if you want a little smaller get a female golden retriever, those get to be about 15-30 lbs smaller than males. goldies are the best.

b. adopt one from the pound. as long as its a puppy you wont have to worry about its temperment. when a you get a dog as a puppy treat it nice and itll be a nice dog. its easy. like someone else said they are healthier than purebreds, theyre free, and youd be saving a puppies life.

Answer 6

definitely, st.bernards are probably better with children than small dogs like jack russel.

Answer 7

yes i can tell you from my experiance my st.bernard femal is great with my two children he plays with them all the time.

Answer 8

St. Bernards are very gentle dogs, but because of their size, it depends on how old the child is. I would don't get one if the child is younger than 3 or 4.

good luck with your search!

Answer 9

They are very even tempered sweet dogs but they have a couple of issues.
DROOL and lots of it. And they are hairy so they shed like the huge hairy dog that they are.
They are huge and require more medicine than other dogs so heartworm pills are more expensive.
They can knock small kids down but other than size they are great dogs.
I really like them but can not take the drool thing in the house.

Answer 10

Saint Bernard's are one of the most even-tempered, gentle dogs around. They get kind of a bad reputations because of their size and because of that movie "Kujo", but they are awesome dogs. But please beware that they are extremely messy...drool, fur, the works. They are also predisposed to large dog-breed problems like hip dysplasia so be careful that you find a good breeder if you plan on purchasing one. They are wonderful dogs, though. So, so sweet.