Saint Bernard
Enormous size and appetite, only 8–10 years of life, and triple the food and vet costs.
About the Saint Bernard
The St. Bernard or Saint Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Western Alps; they were originally bred for rescue work by the hospice of the Great St Bernard Pass on the Italian-Swiss border, with Switzerland recognized as its country of origin by the FCI. The hospice, built by and named after the Alpine monk Saint Bernard of Menthon, acquired its first dogs between 1660 and 1670. The breed has become famous through tales of Alpine rescues, as well as for its large size and gentle temperament.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Key facts
- Origin
- Switzerland / Italy
- Weight
- 54–82 kg
- Height
- 65–90 cm
- Lifespan
- 8–10 years
- Est. monthly cost
- $143 (≈ $1716 per year)
- Purchase price
- $2,900–$5,100 from a breeder
Where the monthly cost comes from
Routine care for a Saint Bernard averages about $143 a month, or roughly $1,716 a year. That figure is summed from the measured US line items below — food is scaled to this breed's body weight and grooming to its coat — not quoted from any single clinic or breeder.
| Category | Per month |
|---|---|
| Food (scaled to 68 kg) | $683.02 |
| Treats | $60.00 |
| Routine veterinary care (adjusted for this breed's known issues) | $364.10 |
| Medications (flea, tick, heartworm) | $106.70 |
| Grooming (4/5 coat requirement) | $450.00 |
| Toys | $37.00 |
| Licence | $15.00 |
| Total | $143 |
Pet insurance is not in that total. The average US accident-and-illness premium is $676 a year for a dog, but most pets are not insured, so adding it to every breed would overstate what a typical owner pays.
If you insure, board and budget for emergencies
Owners who carry insurance, leave the pet boarded when travelling and set money aside for emergencies land near $245 a month — about $2,942 a year. This is a modelled budget, not a survey result:
| Item | Per year |
|---|---|
| Routine care, as itemised above | $1,716 |
| Pet insurance (NAPHIA average premium) | $676 |
| Boarding (10 days at $25/day) | $250 |
| Emergency fund (one ~$900 event every 3 years) | $300 |
| Fully-loaded total | $2,942 |
Boarding rate from MarketWatch ($25/day). Emergency allowance modelled on Rover's finding that a typical emergency visit starts near $300 and reaches $4,000 with diagnostics and an overnight stay. The number of boarded days and the once-in-three-years emergency frequency are our own planning assumptions, stated here so you can substitute your own.
Includes routine vet visits, food, grooming and supplies. Excludes emergencies, training, boarding and the purchase price above. Method and sources: data sources.
Temperament and care profile
Health issues to watch
The FDA's animal adverse-event database holds 1,861 reported events filed under this breed name (data current to 2026-10-05). Reports are not proof of causation and are not adjusted for how many animals of the breed exist.
More photos
Photos via Dog CEO.
How it compares
Pick a second breed to see a side-by-side breakdown of cost, size, shedding and lifestyle fit.
- Saint Bernard vs Great Pyrenees
- Saint Bernard vs Chow Chow
- Saint Bernard vs Akita
- Saint Bernard vs Samoyed
- Saint Bernard vs Afghan Hound
- Saint Bernard vs Alaskan Malamute
- Saint Bernard vs Golden Retriever
- Saint Bernard vs Poodle
- Saint Bernard vs German Shepherd
- Saint Bernard vs Great Dane
- Saint Bernard vs Shetland Sheepdog
- Saint Bernard vs Siberian Husky