Golden Saint

Canis lupus

Last updated: September 29, 2022
Verified by: AZ Animals Staff
©

Golden saints come in all kinds of colors. You can find them in tan, chocolate, yellow, brindled, spotted, and almost any other pattern you can think of.


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Golden Saint Scientific Classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Family
Canidae
Genus
Canis
Scientific Name
Canis lupus

Read our Complete Guide to Classification of Animals.

Golden Saint Conservation Status

Golden Saint Locations

Golden Saint Locations

Golden Saint Facts

Fun Fact
Golden saints come in all kinds of colors. You can find them in tan, chocolate, yellow, brindled, spotted, and almost any other pattern you can think of.
Temperament
Sweet, gentle, and playful
Diet
Omnivore

Golden Saint Physical Characteristics

Color
  • Brown
  • Yellow
  • Red
  • Black
  • White
  • Brindle
  • Cream
  • Chocolate
Skin Type
Hair
Lifespan
8-13 years
Weight
220lbs

Golden Saint as a Pet:

General Health
Energy Level
Shedability
Trainability
Intelligence
Tendency to Chew
Size
Family and kid friendliness
Yappiness / Barking
Moderate
Separation Anxiety
Moderate
Preferred Temperature
Average climate
Exercise Needs
High
Friendly With Other Dogs
Moderate
Pure bred cost to own
$1,500
Dog group
Sporting
Male weight
100-220 lbs
Female weight
100-200 lbs

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Golden saints come in all kinds of colors. You can find them in tan, chocolate, yellow, brindle, spotted, and almost any other pattern you can think of.

The golden saint is a designer crossbreed made by crossing a Saint Bernard with a golden retriever. These dogs are known for having a great temperament and being very easy to take care of. Whether you get one from a breeder or an animal rescue, you’ll love owning one of these soft and loveable dogs.

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Owning Golden Saint: 3 Pros and Cons

Pros!Cons!
Gentle personality: Golden saints are big, sweet, and affectionate dogs that love to spend time with their families.Extra brushing: The soft fur of a golden saint needs to be brushed every few days to keep it from matting.
Unique appearance: The luxurious fur of a golden retriever looks great when mixed with the majestic Saint BernardSeparation anxiety: Golden saints are incredibly attached dogs that spend most of their time with their owners.
Great for new owners: Golden saints are quiet dogs that are easy to take care of, especially if you remember to take them to the vet on a regular basis.Large breed concerns: Large breeds like golden saints often have joint and heart issues that must be treated a they get older.

Golden Saint Size and Weight

Golden saints are large dogs with big paws, sweet faces, and fluffy fur. These dogs typically weigh between 100 to 200 pounds and can stand between 30 to 36 inches tall. Although female golden saints are usually smaller, the difference is not significant, especially when you consider the random tendency for this hybrid to be smaller like its golden retriever parent.

Height (male)30-36 inches
Height (female)30-36 inches
Weight (male)100-220 pounds
Weight (female)100-200 pounds

Golden Saint Common Health Issues

Like their Saint Bernard ancestors, these are large dogs with a moderate chance for genetic health concerns. In particular, your veterinarian should look out for signs of either diabetes or hypothyroidism, both of which can drastically impact your dog’s life span. As big dogs, they are also at risk of developing heart conditions, arthritis, and joint dysplasia in either the hips or elbows. Make sure to take your golden saint to the vet at least once a year. Issues that your vet should check for include:

  • Eye problems
  • Diabetes
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Joint dysplasia
  • Heart concerns

Golden Saint Temperament

These dogs are sweet, gentle, and friendly dogs with excellent personalities. Because they are so big, these pups typically have a lot of self-restraint, especially if they are raised as house dogs. However, this also means it’s essential to spend time with your dog when they are a puppy so that they know how to handle themselves before they grow too large. Golden saints in particular struggle because they are much larger than their classic golden retriever ancestors.

One of the main benefits of owning one of these dogs is that they are good dogs for first-time owners. These pups are calm while still being playful, and they can be left to themselves for several hours without engaging in destructive behaviors. However, because they are big dogs, it’s important to remember that your golden saint doesn’t want to be cooped up all day.

How to Take Care of Golden Saint

Golden saints are large dogs with quiet personalities. Just because they aren’t speaking up doesn’t mean their needs are being met; always remember to check in with your dog if you haven’t heard anything from them in a few hours. You also need to take your golden saint to the vet regularly to make sure they don’t develop any health conditions. If you catch the problem early, there’s a good chance you can treat it before it gets serious and greatly increase your dog’s lifespan.

Health and Entertainment for your Golden Saint

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The Best Dog Food for Golden Saints

Because they are so big, they need to eat often to feel full and have enough calories to burn throughout the day. However, because exercising is difficult for dogs with such large limbs, it’s usually not a good idea to overload their calories and give them too much energy to burn. The solution is to find a high-protein kibble or make homemade dog food with lean meat. Then, feed your dog several small portions throughout the day to make sure their stomach doesn’t get empty, something that can make large dogs very frustrated.

It’s something you’ll want to bring up when you take your dog for vet visits, but this breed is susceptible to heart conditions. So you should know about the link between dog food with legumes and heart failure in dogs. You may want to pay attention to make sure your dog food is legume-free.

A-Z Animals picks Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food Chicken with Shreds as the best dog food for Golden Saints.

Not just your ordinary kibble, this hearty chicken dinner has a unique, satisfying texture and high-protein formula. The levels of protein and fiber from healthy grains may help keep your Golden Saint satiated longer, so it won’t overeat and gain excess weight. There’s natural glucosamine from poultry for strong joints, and taurine which benefits both the eyes and heart.

Check Chewy and Amazon for this product.

Purina Pro Plan Adult Large Breed Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula
  • Crunchy kibble combined with tender, shredded pieces for taste and texture dogs love
  • High protein formula, with real chicken as the first ingredient
  • Fortified with guaranteed live probiotics for digestive and immune health
  • Used to be known as SAVOR Shredded Blend Large Breed Formula
  • Glucosamine and EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid, for joint health and mobility


Check Chewy Check Amazon

Golden Saint Maintenance and Grooming

These dogs have long and fluffy fur that needs to be brushed at least once a week. Use a soft brush that won’t snag; then, brush with gentle motions until your dog’s fur is shiny. If you do this every few days, your golden saint won’t pick up mats even if they spend time running around outside.

Your dog needs to go to the groomer at least once a season. Combine this with regular bathing, tooth brushing, and nail trimming to keep your pup in happy and healthy condition.

Training

These dogs are sweet and love to learn new commands, so they’re actually relatively easy to train. Make sure to start working with them early so that they can learn to go through motions before their limbs are too large. As they get bigger, these dogs may become clumsy while they adjust to their new size. Spend plenty of time with your pup during this period to keep them from losing their confidence, as it can be very hard to restore when they get older.

Exercise

Golden saints are large dogs that need a lot of exercise. Unfortunately, because they are so big, these dogs often have trouble moving when they get older. This means that the best way to help your golden saint be healthy is to give them plenty of chances to exercise when they are young. As soon as you start noticing that your dog is having trouble moving, switch to slower and more relaxing walks. To keep meeting exercise requirements, you can always take two smaller walks in a day.

Puppies

The puppies are small and adventurous, but they’ll get big quickly. This means that you should give them as many good experiences as you can while they’re still little and have the freedom to move around. Carry your puppy, take them to the park to run, and pay plenty of attention to them. When they get older, they’ll want to spend most of their time sleeping at your feet while you watch television or work.

Golden Saints and Children

These dogs are sweet and gentle enough to hang out with older children. However, because these dogs are nervous and shy, they don’t do well around younger children who don’t know how to respect a dog’s boundaries. Keep a close eye on your dog during social gatherings, and rescue them from the situation if they start to get tired or nervous.

Dogs Similar to Golden Saints

These dogs combine the large size and sweet personality of a Saint Bernard with the fluffy fur and family-friendly tendencies of a golden retriever. If you’re looking for something similar, try another designer hybrid-based or one of these two breeds.

  • Saint Berdoodle – With the gentle personality of a Saint Bernard and the hypoallergenic hair of a poodle, Saint Berdoodles are a popular choice for large households that include people with allergies.
  • Golden Shepherd – Golden Shepherds combine the stature of a German Shepherd with the luxurious fur of a golden retriever. These dogs are majestic, athletic, and great for active families.
  • English Cream Golden Retriever – English golden retrievers are a little smaller and have lighter fur, making them an interesting choice as a designer dog breed.

Popular names for these dogs include:

  • Teddy
  • Indie
  • Brownie
  • Chelsie
  • Dolly
  • Bruno
  • Jemmy
  • Sammy
  • Rover
  • Velvet

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What's the right dog for you?

Dogs are our best friends but which breed is your perfect match?

X-Small
Small
Medium
Large
Xtra-Large

If you have kids or existing dogs select:

Kids
Other Dogs

Should they be Hypoallergenic?

Yes
No
How important is health?
Which dog groups do you like?
How much exercise should your dog require?
What climate?
How much seperation anxiety?
How much yappiness/barking?

How much energy should they have?

The lower energy the better.
I want a cuddle buddy!
About average energy.
I want a dog that I have to chase after constantly!
All energy levels are great -- I just love dogs!
How much should they shed?
How trainable/obedient does the dog need to be?
How intelligent does the dog need to be?
How much chewing will allow?
About the Author

AZ Animals is a growing team of animals experts, researchers, farmers, conservationists, writers, editors, and -- of course -- pet owners who have come together to help you better understand the animal kingdom and how we interact.

Golden Saint FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

How much do golden saints cost to own?

The golden saint crossbreed is a relatively new designer breed with fluctuating costs. If you adopt from a rescue, you can usually find one of these puppies for an average price of $500. If you want to buy directly from a breeder, you can usually expect to pay around $1,000.

Are golden saints good with kids?

Golden saints are sweet dogs with gentle personalities. These pups are fine around older kids, but keep an eye out for younger children who might not know how to respect this shy and sensitive dog’s boundaries. If you notice that interaction is getting tense, you should end it before the dog gets too tired or irritated.

How long do golden saints live?

Golden saints typically have a lifespan between 9 and 13 years. Because these dogs are larger, they have a tendency to pick up heart problems as they get older. Take them to the vet regularly and watch their diet to improve their lifespan.

What is a golden saint dog?

A golden saint is a designer crossbreed made by mixing a Saint Bernard with a golden retriever. The result is a large dog with a sweet personality and a thick coat of fluffy golden fur.

How big does a golden saint get?

Golden saints are extremely large dogs that can weigh as much as 250 pounds. However, on average, most golden saints weigh between 100 and 200 pounds.

What breeds make up a golden saint?

The golden saint hybrid is created by mixing a Saint Bernard with a golden retriever.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.

Sources
  1. Wag Walking, Available here: https://wagwalking.com/breed/golden-saint

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