Saint Bernards

[Tammy]

does anyone have a saint bernard? i am thinking about adopting one from woman who's son has left for college. she works all day and doesn't have the time to spend with the dog. i know they are large dogs, and my grocery bill will surely go up. just curious on how their temperment is with kids, (generally speaking of course) and other dogs. i do have a 2 acre fenced in yard, so when we were not at home, he would be able to roam and not have ot be tied up. my kids are 6 and 10. i work during the day but my husband works 2nd shift, so the dog would only be alone for about 3 hours daily. the lady said he is house trained, 8 years old. any comments?

[slartibartfast]

They are generally wonderfully sweet mellow dogs. Big, easy-going, loving gentle guys...but, oh the mess! Hair...hair eveywhere, on everything, and all of it glued down by a layer of drool. They tend to be low-energy, and at his age, unless he's got aggression problems, should be fine with kids (although I would certainly take your kids to meet him before you commit...a dog that size can be pretty intimidating to a child).

One think that I would consider, and I am not trying to discourage you but to be realistic, is that this is an old dog. 8 years old in a giant breed is like 10 or 12 for a smaller dog. I would not expect him to live more than a few more years, and the medical bills for geriatric dogs can mount up, especially when you're medicating that many pounds of dog. Things like arthritis medications and joint supplements can cost you hundreds of dollars a month, and they are often essential to keeping him comfortable as his joints experience the inveitable wear and tear of carrying around 150lbs of dog.
If you have the money to throw at him, then giving a retirement home to a senior dog is one of the most rewarding things you can do....these guys tend to make wonderful pets, as they've passed all the difficult puppy stuff and settled down into dependable companions.
I will say that I think it's absolutely rotten of this woman who's ditching the dog just because Jr. left. This sweet old guy is losing his home because she won't care for him? It stinks.
We have a cat like that at our hospital as a blood donor who was brought in for euthanasia b/c the owner left for college and her father didn't want to bother with him anymore. When we declined to euthanize a healthy cat, and offered to put him in touch with rescue groups, he put the cat carrier down and vamoosed...just left the poor kitty there. My job makes you really hate people. :-(

[Tammy]

well, i went and picked up Brunswick...whata sweetheart. he is definately staying, a permanent family memeber to my household. his previous owner has obviously spent alot of time in the training of this dog. he is just so mild mannered and well behaved. i love him, my husband loves him and my kids love him. he is 140# of noting but baby.