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Dog breed profile

Saint Bernard

Saint Bernards rate 5 of 5 for affection with family, 5 with young children and 3 for energy on the AKC breed scale. Shedding is moderate and trainability is moderate.

KidsEnergySheddingTrainability

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Saint Bernard dog
Photo: pantelispan, Public domain, via Flickr

Temperament and care ratings

The American Kennel Club rates every breed from 1 to 5 on the traits below. They describe how the breed tends to be, not a promise about one dog.

Affection with family5/5Independent to Lovey-Dovey
Good with young children5/5Not Recommended to Good With Children
Good with other dogs3/5Not Recommended to Good With Other Dogs
Openness to strangers3/5Reserved to Everyone Is My Best Friend
Playfulness3/5Only When You Want To Play to Non-Stop
Energy level3/5Couch Potato to High Energy
Trainability3/5Self-Willed to Eager to Please
Mental stimulation needs3/5Happy to Lounge to Needs a Job or Activity
Adaptability4/5Lives For Routine to Highly Adaptable
Watchdog / protective5/5What's Mine Is Yours to Vigilant
Barking1/5Only To Alert to Very Vocal
Shedding3/5No Shedding to Hair Everywhere
Coat grooming2/5Monthly to Daily
Drooling5/5Less Likely to Drool to Always Have a Towel

Coat: Smooth coat, short.

A Saint Bernard suits

  • A family with young children (rated 5 of 5 with kids)
  • A home that changes often, or apartment life (adaptability 4 of 5)
  • Anyone who wants a natural watchdog (protective nature 5 of 5)

Think twice if

  • Drool bothers you: drooling is 5 of 5

What the ratings mean day to day

An energy score of 3 and mental stimulation needs of 3 mean a good daily walk and some play. With barking at 1 of 5 and a watchdog score of 5, expect a fairly quiet dog. Grooming at 2 of 5 means an occasional brush.

Popularity

In 2020 it ranked 52.

Breeds with a similar profile

Closest matches across all 14 trait ratings:

MastiffMastiffKidsEnergySheddingNewfoundlandNewfoundlandKidsEnergySheddingNeapolitan MastiffNeapolitan MastiffKidsEnergyShedding

Compare: Saint Bernard vs Mastiff · Saint Bernard vs Newfoundland · Saint Bernard vs Neapolitan Mastiff

Frequently asked questions

Are Saint Bernards good with kids?

The AKC rates the Saint Bernard 5 out of 5 for being good with young children. That is the top score.

Do Saint Bernards shed a lot?

Shedding is rated 3 out of 5 (moderate), and coat grooming 2 out of 5.

Are Saint Bernards easy to train?

Trainability is rated 3 out of 5 and mental stimulation needs 3 out of 5.

How much energy does a Saint Bernard have?

Energy is rated 3 out of 5 and playfulness 3 out of 5.

Ratings: American Kennel Club breed pages, compiled February 2022 (AKC Saint Bernard page). 2025 ranking: AKC, published August 2026. How we check.

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