Saint Bernard Puppies Blog

Is it normal, anyway?!

Yes, it is. Just imagine the situation from the point of view of your Saint Bernie. He is part of the family, often treated as “the kid”, and then, suddenly, a new creature arrives and takes all the attention of his beloved family. It is quite similar to what older children feel, when a little brother/sister arrives. One of the differences is just that the dog can’t speak English

Actually, if we are aware of this ‘problem’ in advance, the situation can be handled, but it needs consciousness and to be started in time, long before the baby’s arrival. Let’s see how we can prepare our Saint Bernard for the new family member.

If your dog’s daily routine has to be changed with the baby’s arrival (it probably will), you should start changing the rules much earlier, giving him plenty of time to get used to the new set up. This way it isn’t going to be so sudden and shocking. If your Saint Bernard hasn’t really been trained before, it’s high time to start. He should learn at least a few commands, like sit, stay, etc. This way, he’ll be easier to handle.

Many families worry about their dog endangering the health of the child, so the best thing to do is to take your pet to the vet, get him checked and get some advice. Get your Saint Bernard used to the new smells, sounds in advance (blankets, lotions, toys). It’s also a good idea, that just after your baby was born, send home a blanket that the baby had been in, so your dog can experience the child’s smell in advance. It is very important to know that your  Saint Bernard will get a lot less attention from the mother, so when taking the baby home for the first time, the mother should greet the dog, so it is better if someone else is carrying the baby.

It is also a good idea not to leave them alone together at the first times, until your Saint Bernard feels comfortable with the baby, because, for example, it is very possible that the dog won’t tolerate the child’s crying very well in the beginning. You have to teach him that this is a normal sound, and you should motivate him not to bark (with treats, for example).

And the most important rule for last, maybe it seems too obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning: try to give as much attention to your Saint Bernard as you can. The point is that he has to feel that you do care about him. If you keep this in mind, most probably there will be no problem. You could also try Preparing Fido, which is an amazing collection of Baby sounds designed especially to get your dog ready for the arrival of the new Baby!

Like any other breed, Saint Bernard needs to be trained and socialized as well and this should be done as early as possible, especially if you want to keep them as a house pet. Training this breed requires upbeat activities and daily walks as Saint Bernard are very active. When you walk it out, it might run ahead of you and might go after smaller animals. To avoid this, you must walk it out with a leash tied to it. this is to keep it from encountering any untoward incident such as jumping over fences or running across the street.

Since a leash in an important tool when training your Saint Bernard, it is essential that you keep it in a place where you can easily find it or hang it on a Saint Bernard Leash Holder to avoid misplacing it. You can place your leash holder beside the door or behind it for easy access whenever you need it your pet’s leash.

Saint Bernard’s are quite famous for their image of carrying a small barrel of alcohol on their collars while saving someone trapped in the snow. Being a dog of sweet and mellow temperament, they can be dependable protectors when their family is threatened. They are muscular and tall dogs of power with deep chests. With a squarish head, their eyes are dark, black noses and ears that hang loosely down to the face. Feet are large as to keep them from sinking into the snow. Coats are dense and can be either long or short hair with colors usually white with mahogany, red, brindle and tan & black markings.  If one is interested in owning this canine, then read up on the breed standard. The breed standard indicates what a genuine purebred Saint Bernard should look like. It even says what the flaws and faults are. A dog that mirrors the standard is one of quality. But when buying a Saint Bernard one must be aware of scammers who try to cover up flaws and faults. Take a look: Read the rest of this entry »