A large number of St Bernards end up in rescue every year. This was particularly bad around the time the film 'Beethoven' came out, even though if you watched it with any degree of intelligence you would realise:
1. St Bernards are huge in every way. Therefore they generate enormous amounts of drool, muddy footprints and pwp. If you are fanatically houseproud, do not even consider it. They will send you mad.

2. St Bernards believe they were born to be lapdogs. They do not understand this is an impossibility without crippling you.

To give you some idea of the size of an (almost) fully grown dog, here is Ben inspecting the table:

Many people like the idea of a ST Bernard but really don't realise the work they can entail. They ARE gorgeous dogs, but they're not for everyone. You need to be able to tolerate a certain amount of chaos, mess, and remember that when they shed hair you are going to have sacksful of the stuff (unless you go for a smooth coated.)

Often one person in the family wants a St Bernard and the others just go along with the idea. Then when things don't work out it's "Well I never wanted a dog," and recriminations all around. Also if you have small children remember the dog is going to grow more quickly, and considerably bigger than the child. If a child is allowed to tease a ST Bernard and make it nasty, you are going to have huge problems.

That said, yes, a St Bernard is big in every way, and big hearted above all. He adores his human family. He is loyal to a fault, intelligent and placid.

Look carefully at the photo again - the table corner has been chewed and mended, and one chair is lacking an arm (it broke off when one of our earlier dogs was 'playing'.)

And I wouldn't be without them for the world.