Golden Saint

Quick Take

• A common ingredient hiding in most dog food bags poses a serious risk to this breed, yet most owners never think to check the label. Explore the ingredients →
• Golden saints are unusually quiet dogs, and that silence can actually be the first sign something is wrong. Care for a quiet breed →
• Training this breed has a closing window, and missing it makes everything significantly harder once they hit full size. Start training early →
• Golden saints can weigh up to 200 pounds, yet overfeeding them is actually one of the worst things you can do, and the reason behind this is counterintuitive. See feeding guidelines →

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 lovable dogs.

Owning Golden Saint: 3 Pros and Cons

Size and Weight

Golden saints are large dogs with big paws, sweet faces, and fluffy fur. These dogs typically weigh between 100 and 200 pounds and can stand between 30 and 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.

Common Health Issues

Like their Saint Bernard ancestors, these are large dogs with a moderate chance of 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.

Temperament

These dogs are sweet, gentle, and friendly, 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 they learn how to handle themselves before they grow too large. Golden saints in particular can struggle with self-restraint because they are much larger than their 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 vocalizing 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.

The Best Dog Food

Because golden saints are so big, they need to eat often to feel full and maintain enough calories to burn throughout the day. However, because exercise is difficult for dogs with such large limbs, it’s usually not a good idea to overfeed them with 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, which 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.

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 a 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 they can learn basic commands before they grow too large to be easily managed. 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 shorter 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 give them plenty of attention. 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 can be nervous and shy, they don’t do well around young 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

Golden saints combine the large size and sweet personality of a Saint Bernard with the fluffy fur and family-friendly nature of a golden retriever. If you’re looking for something similar, try another designer hybrid 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.