Saint Bernard

Pinschers & molossoids

Giant

Median 9.3 y

FCI group 2 · Pinscher and Schnauzer, Molossoid and Swiss Mountain Dogs · Derived from the adult weight midpoint (65.8 kg)

Median survival across 1,638 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 6–11 y

The St. Bernard or Saint Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Western Alps; they were originally bred for rescue work by the hospice of the Great St Bernard Pass on the Italian-Swiss border, with Switzerland recognized as its country of origin by the FCI. The hospice, built by and named after the Alpine monk Saint Bernard of Menthon, acquired its first dogs between 1660 and 1670.

Gentle

Playful

Watchful

Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · reference ranges from the Kintail breed dataset

Adult weight

Reference

Male

63.5–81.6 kg

Female

54.4–63.5 kg

100

Breed club figure (the American Kennel Club)

Varieties

Reference

Short-haired

Giant build

54.4–81.6 kg

65–90 cm

FCI 61 recognises a short-haired and a long-haired variety under one size standard; same size as the parent — coat only

Long-haired

Giant build

54.4–81.6 kg

65–90 cm

FCI 61 recognises a short-haired and a long-haired variety under one size standard; same size as the parent — coat only

FCI 61 divides this breed by coat and face. The varieties are the same size — the coat is the only difference.

Weight for age

Stock data

Male

Female

Expected range

Expected range from the breed's own adult weight, kilograms. Growth reference: Hawthorne et al. 2004, WALTHAM, n=4 St. Bernards.

Heat cycles · females

Stock data

First heat

8–12 mo

typical

Interval

180 d

typical

Bleeding

~9 d

typical

Proestrus 9d

Estrus 9d

Diestrus 52d

Anestrus 110d

General figures for dogs, not for this breed — individual cycles vary widely.

Questions people ask

Adult males usually weigh 63.5–81.6 kg and females 54.4–63.5 kg. Most are close to their full size by around 14 months, though the last little bit of filling out takes longer. Growth reference: Hawthorne et al. 2004, WALTHAM, n=4 St. Bernards.

No Saint Bernard cycle figures are published here yet, so this is general guidance rather than a breed number: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later.

The median is 9.3 y. Median survival across 1,638 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 6–11 y. How the later years go comes down to weight, teeth, exercise and regular check-ups far more than to the breed.