Bernese Mountain Dog vs Saint Bernard

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Breed Snapshot

Life Expectancy:
7 to 10 years
Size:

Extra Large

Maintenance Level:

High

Shed Level:

High

Best For

Bernese Mountain Dogs are gentle giants with a calm demeanor and loyal nature. They're ideal family pets who thrive with moderate exercise and a hearty helping of love.

Bernese Mountain Dog Temperament

Bernese Mountain Dogs have an affectionate temperament, making them great as a pet. Give your Berner lots of attention. This isn’t a dog who wants to be left alone in your yard outside. They might get bored and start barking at the birds to keep themselves entertained! Berners als...

Bernese Mountain Dogs have an affectionate temperament, making them great as a pet. Give your Berner lots of attention. This isn’t a dog who wants to be left alone in your yard outside. They might get bored and start barking at the birds to keep themselves entertained! Berners also love to explore, so take them with you on your adventures. And at the end of the day, they’ll love nothing more than to cuddle up with you, enjoying the quiet times as much as they enjoy playtime.

These dogs also are smart and eager to please. Bred to be working dogs, they thrive with structured games or sports. Although they’re not the high-energy type like a Border Collie or Jack Russell Terrier, they still need daily exercise to meet their energy level needs. They’ll love activities like carting, drafting, herding, agility sports or scent work.

Although the Bernese breed is a powerful, large dog, they’re also docile and sweet. They have a lot of patience and are known to be good with children. (As with any dog, children should be taught how to interact gently and respectfully with their furry friends.) Like many dogs, however, they might be cautious or shy around strangers or in new situations. That’s why it’s so important to socialize them as puppies. Because they’re big, they might forget their own strength, especially when they’re younger than 3 or 4 years old and feeling extra playful. So, it’s good to keep an eye on younger Berners when they’re with kids and babies or smaller pets like cats. But overall, they’re really quite calm and sweet-tempered.

Bernese Mountain Dog Traits

Friendliness
Exercise Needs
Health Issues
Barking Tendencies
Grooming Needs
Shedding Level
Training Needs
Good With Kids
Good With Cats
Good As A Service Dog
Good For Apartments & Small Homes
Biting Tendencies
Energy Level
Good With Other Dogs
Playfulness
Sensitive to Cold Weather
Sensitive to Warm Weather
Good For First Time Pet Parents
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Breed Snapshot

Life Expectancy:
8 to 10 years
Size:

Extra Large

Maintenance Level:

High

Shed Level:

High

Best For

Drooly gentle giants, Saint Bernards are best for larger homes with experienced pet parents who can provide lots of focused training and regular exercise—and keep up with their grooming needs. Known for their calm...

Drooly gentle giants, Saint Bernards are best for larger homes with experienced pet parents who can provide lots of focused training and regular exercise—and keep up with their grooming needs. Known for their calm and affectionate nature, these teddy bears are kid- and pet-friendly, to boot.

Saint Bernard Temperament

Would you ever expect your personal bodyguard to be mistaken for a floofy teddy bear? Probably not, but you should. (Because: safety first. And also because: adorable.) Saint Bernards’ gentle, calm demeanor with a dash of playfulness are a natural fit for homes with older children, other dogs and eve...

Would you ever expect your personal bodyguard to be mistaken for a floofy teddy bear? Probably not, but you should. (Because: safety first. And also because: adorable.) Saint Bernards’ gentle, calm demeanor with a dash of playfulness are a natural fit for homes with older children, other dogs and even friendly felines. They’ll also mesh with younger children, but littler kiddos will need extra supervision to ensure they can respect your pup’s boundaries.

A Saint Bernard dog doesn’t always comprehend just how big they are, which can cause some consternation and tears when playing with tipsy tots or unstable adults (or tipsy adults, for that matter). Training for both humans and the dog is a must to be sure nobody accidentally gets knocked over during backyard romps or in-home zoomies. Saints are friendly dogs (and they swear they didn’t mean to knock you down! They thought you were trying to start a game of tag!) and will stay that way with a loving home and positive reinforcement-based training. In general, Saints are not known to bite, but it’s always important to properly socialize and train any dog. Socializing your Saint Bernard puppy before 20-24 weeks of age allows your outgoing pup to learn good manners and blossom as a beloved family pet.

If it looks like you’re going to do something fun, Saints will want to join you, no questions asked. They’re in the car before you can even find your keys, ready for a nature trail adventure or a Sunday drive through the country. Whatever their human is doing, they want to mirror the activity or supervise from a cozy spot next to your feet.

If you have a job you need doing, give it to a Saint, and they will be more than happy to check it off your to-do list. Saint Bernards are a working breed who love to help people. Give them a chore, like helping feed livestock on a farm or serving as a door greeter at your small business, and they’ll be happy campers. Saints are eager to please. You’ll know the Saint Bernard is in their element when they can’t stop the drool from flowing and their tail from wagging.

Saint Bernard Traits

Friendliness
Exercise Needs
Health Issues
Barking Tendencies
Grooming Needs
Shedding Level
Training Needs
Good With Kids
Good With Cats
Good As A Service Dog
Good For Apartments & Small Homes
Biting Tendencies
Energy Level
Good With Other Dogs
Playfulness
Sensitive to Cold Weather
Sensitive to Warm Weather
Good For First Time Pet Parents
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