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Golden Saint |
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He is not recognized by the F.C.I. |
Origin |
Great Britain <> Switzerland -> U.S.A. | |
Translation |
Francis Vandersteen |
A brief presentation of the Golden Saint |
| The Golden Saint is a cross between the Golden Retriever and the St. Bernard. Truly the definition of a "gentle giant", the Golden Saint is the size of the St. Bernard with a wonderful combination of affectionate and even tempered traits of both the St. Bernard and the Golden Retriever. Retaining the appearance of both parent breeds, the Golden Saint is a large dog with a strong body, almond-shaped eyes and a long, dense coat. Coloration can range from yellow, black, chocolate, white, brindle, spotted and merle. Despite its large size, this breed is well suited to an apartment or smaller home, and makes an ideal companion whatever your level of experience. With its gentle, calm temperament, the Golden Saint lives up to its name. He's easy to train, gets on well with everyone and is the ideal companion to snuggle up with on long winter nights. Despite the fact that its large size doesn't make it extremely athletic, the Golden Saint still requires a little exercise as both parent breeds are working dogs. Bear in mind that he'll also shed quite often, so even though he's low-maintenance, lots of brushing will be necessary. Overall, if you're looking for a large, loyal, easy-going and friendly dog that's great with children, the Golden Saint may be the ideal solution for you. |
History of the Golden Saint |
| The Golden Saint is a relatively new hybrid breed that, unfortunately, doesn't yet have a well-developed origin story. Despite this, we do know a great deal about its parent breeds, the Golden Retriever and the St. Bernard. Thanks to these stories, we can get an idea of what the Golden Saint's personality, appearance and popularity might one day become. By combining these two unique parent breeds, we end up with a big, sweet, handsome dog with a heart of gold. The Golden Saint is a wonderful family dog because of its calm nature and ease of training. Although its size can be large, with careful training and plenty of chances to get out into the fresh air, the Golden Saint can live in any size home in any area without any problems. |
A little of the Golden Retriever |
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| First of all, the Golden Retriever was developed in the 18th century by Lord Tweedmouth of Scotland. The idea was to create the perfect model of a Retriever with qualities such as a big nose, great intelligence and a willing-to-please attitude focused solely on the master. The Golden Retriever has been a favorite of many people since the beginning of its existence. Its temperate personality and bright, loving eyes can melt any heart without too much effort. The Golden Retriever was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1925 and is now the 3rd most popular dog breed. They are mainly used for hunting, show and companionship. | ||
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| Standard of the Golden Retriever | ||
A little of the St. Bernard |
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| Now it's time to look at the gentle giant side of the Golden Saint, the St. Bernard. Although this big dog never wore a barrel of brandy around his neck, as some cartoons and films show, he did indeed offer support to travelers stranded in the Swiss Alps. He was first created as a farm dog by those who lived in the Alps, but eventually the St. Bernard Dog was given to the monks of the Swiss Hospice in 1670. The large dogs initially acted as guards for the monks against bandits, but when the monks realized that the big dog had a keen sense of smell, they began breeding St. Bernard Dogs to help find travelers lost in the mountains. Through careful breeding, the dogs grew bigger, with thicker, more waterproof coats to keep them well protected against the dangers of the mountains. Hundreds of years later, thanks to their excellent rescue skills, the St. Bernard made its way to the USA in the 1800s and slowly became one of the most popular breeds. Today, these dogs are used as companions, show animals and working dogs all over the world. | ||
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| Standard of the St. Bernard |
Appearance of the Golden Saint |
| Because the Golden Saint is a hybrid between two different dogs, its appearance and personality can vary considerably even within the same litter. Despite this fact, the typical Golden Saint will have the body type of the St. Bernard while retaining the facial features of the Golden Retriever. His coat is very long and thick, impervious to all kinds of weather conditions. This means it sheds often and tends to fare better in cold weather; too hot an environment will cause it to overheat very easily. This breed has loose, folded ears, framing a strong jaw and robust muzzle. The eyes are almond-shaped and full of intelligence, generally being a light to dark brown color. Although this breed can be quite large, it will generally resemble a Golden Retriever more than a St. Bernard. |
Temperament of the Golden Saint |
| The Golden Saint draws inspiration from its two parent breeds in the best possible way. It is gentle, obedient, eager to please, calm and very loyal. Because of his intelligence and ease of living, he's very easy to train, making him an excellent choice for any new dog owner. On top of that, neither the Golden Retriever nor the St. Bernard are big barkers, which means your Golden Saint shouldn't be either. However, just as the St. Bernard is a good watchdog, the Golden Saint will protect your home by alerting you with a bark if anything suspicious happens. Despite the breed's large size, it is not aggressive and is very gentle with children and other pets. Early training and socialization are always very important, as with any dog, to teach good manners and behavior at all times. If you're looking for an excellent companion dog that's also an easy-going, reliable working dog, the Golden Saint may be the ideal solution for you. |
Needs and activities of the Golden Saint |
| When it comes to mixing dog breeds, you can never be sure of the personality you might get. With the Golden Saint, however, you can bet that the result will be a calm, even-tempered dog that's relatively low-energy for its size. Although the Golden Saint is a very large dog, he doesn't have much of the athleticism of the Golden Retriever, so a few 30 to 40 minutes of exercise should be enough to keep him happy and satisfied. Some examples of physical activities you can do with your Golden Saint might be a very long walk, playing fetch in the yard and working out. By using both mental and physical stimulation, you'll tire your dog out much more quickly. Training is a very important part of any dog's exercise routine and should not be neglected. Because the Golden Saint is a larger dog, it would prefer a space to move around freely, so apartments may not be the best choice. However, that being said, the Golden Saint has a wonderful personality for any size of home, so if you're willing to take him to parks for exercise, an apartment will work just fine. |
Maintenance of the Golden Saint |
| Although the Golden Saint tends to shed quite often, it's a low-maintenance breed that only needs brushing to reduce shedding and stay tangle-free. Brush your Golden Saint at least 3 times a week to remove any hair and dirt that may be on the body. Bathing should only take place every few months or so, as this breed doesn't have a bad dog smell. Bear in mind that it's very important to dry your dog's ears thoroughly after bathing or swimming, as moisture can easily get trapped in the Golden Saint's folded ears. When extra moisture remains, ear infections and irritation can occur. In addition to bathing and brushing, be sure to trim your dog's nails every few weeks to keep paws healthy and snag-free. |
English (United Kingdom)