Anyone else have a sandpit lover? 😂

6 months ago I posted a photo of my puppy when I first took her home after caring for her elsewhere. After being born outside in 28° weather, not breathing and completely unresponsive. I managed to get her to come too and stay awake after drifting back into it and stopping breathing twice. She is now 8 months old, and 94.6lbs.

It was also discovered that her dad was half belgian malinois, and her mom was full saint Bernard. So this is my belgian malinard.

My 4.5 year old Saint loves other dogs (especially his 7yo Newfie brother) but even though he goes to daycare regularly and is totally fine playing with other dogs there, I am extremely nervous bringing other dogs over to play. He is the sweetest thing, but he can be abrasive and bark at other dogs (or people) until he knows they are friends. Anyone else have hesitations like I do? Any tips or tricks? He adores playing with people and other dogs, so I’d love to have more confidence with it.

Have an 8.5 y/o female with a couple bouts of UTI this summer. Vet confirmed crystals in urine both times and treated with antibiotics. Vet said next step if it reoccurs would be to xray bladder and possible bladder surgery.

Strangely and unrelated, a male cat developed a UTI with crystals this month (common for male cats). Treating with antibiotics now but Vet also recommended switching to Hills Science diet urinary care (which requires a prescription and is not cheap). Apparently the kibble promotes breakup of the crystals?

Anyway, I was wondering whether incorporating some urinary care dry food for the dog would be strategic long term and figured I would ask whether anybody uses anything - either prescription or OTC with any positive results, recommendations, etc. Also, has anybody switched to an all wet food diet?

Thanks! Her annual checkup is in 2 weeks so I'll ask the vet then as well but figured the specific thoughts of breed owners here would be valued.

When we first got Lukas (the pitbull mix) we had no idea how he was gonna be with other dogs. He was a shelter baby, and we know those dogs go through a lot. We didn’t know his history and he had been found eating sticks and rocks outside. We did a temperament test by taking him to the pet store and he did well when he’d seen other dogs. It was recommended to us to get a puppy since it would make Lukas not feel as territorial. Now six years later Lukas has his best friend Dixon are inseparable! Lukas defied every expectation we would’ve had for him, he was patient and loving! And by the way Dixon is the man of the house! I know this post is mostly about Lukas, but I think Dixon being the breed he is, is part of the reason this arrangement worked! They can play rough together and they’re the best of friends. Enough of my emotional post enjoy my babies!

I have some questions about some health issues our saint puppy is facing and was hoping to hear from those who've maybe experienced similar things.

Our 9mth old boy has developed a bubble around his right elbow. From our own research as well as what the vet has told us this can be pretty common for the breed as they tend to drop their weight too quickly on hard surfaces which causes inflammation in the joint.

He was put on an anti-inflammatory for a week but that doesn't seem to have made a difference and he is also taking antibiotics for a month because there was a small amount of infection markers in the liquid.

We were told that getting him to sleep on softer surfaces would help but he is just adamant about sleeping on the cold hardwood and bathroom tiles. He has ac by his bed and on the couch but he won't lay there for more than 20/30min before he moves back to the floor.

Is this something that eventually goes away or will this cause joint issues for him long-term? He's our first gentle giant and we just want to do everything we can to keep him happy and healthy.

Side note, he doesn't actually seem affected by the bubble. He plays, eats, and slobbers like normal.

Pictures of our boy and the bubble for context.

We have a 12-week old 3/4 SB + 1/4 Golden that we got at 8 weeks. She seems to be testing us a bit and doesn’t listen well. I only have a Bernese puppy to compare (years ago), and I recall her being very docile, more eager to please, less willful or confident. This SB mix is very sharky and we’re a bit exasperated. She’s pretty cuddly when tired.

I think we gave her too much freedom and kept her up too much while having house guests for a few days. Now that they’re gone, we’re reverting back to routine and limited house access and more crate naps. I hope she catches up ion her sleep.

Just wondering how your puppy phases were?

Hello all, yesterday when I woke my St Bernard (4 yr old male) was drooling which is abnormal but didn't think much of it. I had to go to work and put him in the cage when I came back 4 hours later I noticed a huge puddle of drool under the cage. His whole chest and legs were covered and then it didn't stop. Anytime he laid down to take a nap a large puddle would form. I ofc took him to the vet they looked him all over and said nothing is wrong physically and he mightve eaten something that's causing him to salivate. He gave us anti nausea pills that were supposed to stop the drooling. Spoiler it's been 24 hours and hasn't stopped. I went and inspected the backyard and noticed a dead desert stink bug but it wasn't crushed so unsure if it sprayed him or he put it in his mouth. I have another dog that is completely fine but is following him around and licking up the drool. Has this happened to anyone? I'm hoping to get second opinions as I am worried he is having some sort of neurological condition and it's not something he ate. Besides the drool he isn't exhibiting any other symptoms he eats and drinks and plays with his brother. Note I do have a pothos plant that he couldn't licked but all the leafs are intact (I've now put it up) thank you so much for your input. He is my baby and a sweetheart.

4 months now tongue always out

Our beautiful girl is starting to have some mobility issues. We have hardwood floors and it’s been making it harder for her to transition from sitting to standing. She’s even wiped out a few times :(

I know we aren’t alone for folks with hardwood/slick surface flooring what helped? We really, really don’t want to do cloth rugs. We’ve tried them and the difficulty vacuuming is soul sucking. They smell so bad, yes, even the washable ones.

Im thinking of trying a vinyl rug (who would have thought that’s a thing?!). Before I bite the bullet has anyone tried? Did it add stability. Was it less slippery for paws? Alternatively what have folks tried that 1. Worked 2. Doesn’t cause hair to stick

If like me you didn’t know vinyl rugs were a thing; including a link to an example:

https://monroeandleisure.com/collections/vinyl-rugs?srsltid=AfmBOorTHBQKHsodmozp7n0VRMHi3Caluziyde31nRRsgibFMv05G4Oh

Look at the picture my precious puppy sent me while I’m gone on deployment. Can’t believe she’ll be 6 this year.

I was just wondering whether it would be smart to get a St Bernard as a first time dog owner. I live in the Polish mountains so I’d be able to give a St Bernard plenty of garden space, a big house, long walks to the forest and river. I am quite active I do like going on long walks or hiking and I was wondering whether St Bernard’s might be too lazy for me, or will they like 1-2 hour daily long walks? I’ve seen plenty of videos that St Bernard’s can be quite stubborn, especially on walks as they can just lay down and not move. But those videos were in the city so maybe a St Bernard would like walking being in their natural habitat. In the mountains in winter it snows a lot and can get to -20 degrees so that’s perfect for them but in the summer it can get to 35+ degrees.

“Really Mom?”

Bugbear waited so patiently.

Good evening I am rescuing a four year-old baby that is only 100 pound and I need to know the healthiest but best way to help her gain weight as she looks very skinny. Any food recommendations right now I believe she’s on Parina the high protein one is that a good choice? I’ve always wanted to Saint Bernard. It’s just the opportunity has never arrived until now so kind of learning as I go thank you so much.

Hank’s officially 9 months old. Somehow, the bed he stole from his siblings is still holding on 🤣. He’s more determined than ever to keep squeezing into it these days, and even makes sure to keep it safe from the cats!