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GiantWorking Group

Saint Bernard

The Saint Bernard was developed by monks at the Great Saint Bernard Pass hospice in the Swiss Alps from the 1600s onward, bred for snow-rescue and avalanche work.

Calculate Saint Bernard age
Lifespan9.3 yrrange 9–10
SizeGiantWorking Group
Weight120–180 lb54.4–81.6 kg
Senior at5 yrgeriatric at 8

Gallery (3)

About

About the Saint Bernard

The Saint Bernard was developed by monks at the Great Saint Bernard Pass hospice in the Swiss Alps from the 1600s onward, bred for snow-rescue and avalanche work. Average adult weight of 140-180 pounds makes it one of the heaviest AKC breeds.

Aging

How Saint Bernards age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 9.3 years (n=1,638). Osteosarcoma and dilated cardiomyopathy are the defining late-life killers; entropion and ectropion affect welfare in middle age and require surgical correction in many dogs.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 9.3 yr · range 9–10Senior careSenior at 5 · geriatric at 8Common health issues6 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
120–180 lb(54.4–81.6 kg)
Height
26–30 in(66–76.2 cm)
Coat type
Double
Colors
Brown & WhiteMahogany & WhiteOrange & WhiteRed & WhiteBrindle & WhiteRust & WhiteWhite & BrownWhite & OrangeWhite & Red
Temperament

Temperament

How Saint Bernards tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

playfulcharminginquisitivewatchful
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Saint Bernards are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.