Saint Bernard grooming in Gloucester, MA

The breed standard describes two varieties. The shorthaired Saint, often called smooth, has a very dense coat that lies smooth and tough, with slightly bushy thighs and a bushy tail. The longhaired, or rough, Saint has a medium-length coat, plain to slightly wavy, with a little feathering on the forelegs, very bushy thighs and short, soft hair on the face and ears. VCA notes that the longer coat came into the breed through Newfoundland crosses in the early 1800s, and that longhaired dogs were not used for rescue because ice clumped in their hair.

Whichever coat your Saint has, the AKC says the care is the same: weekly brushing to remove dirt and loose hair, a slicker brush or metal comb for tangles, and daily brushing through the two shedding seasons each year. The rough coat simply holds more, especially in the thigh feathering and behind the ears, which is why it is priced as an extra-large long-haired bath. The AKC's guide to double coats includes the Saint Bernard and advises against shaving double-coated breeds.

The AKC puts males at 140 to 180 pounds and females at 120 to 140, and that changes the groom in two ways. The first is drying. The AKC's drying guide notes that dense and long coats take more time and effort to dry than short ones, and that a thorough dry helps prevent mats, tangles and bacterial growth that can lead to skin infections. A dense Saint coat, rough or smooth, is the slow part of the visit, and a coat left damp near the skin is where trouble starts.

The second is handling. Getting a dog of this size into the tub and onto the table, keeping it steady and comfortable, and drying the underside and legs is physical work. How the groomer does it for your Saint, how much happens on the table and how much standing on the floor, and which dryer and setting suit your dog are confirmed at check-in. Tell us when you book about stiff hips, eye trouble or a fear of dryers; the AKC lists hip dysplasia and eye disease among the conditions seen in the breed.

A Saint's home routine is short but daily in places. Keep a towel by the water bowl, wipe the lips and chin after meals and long drinks, and dry the folds. Brush weekly with a slicker brush and metal comb, moving to daily during the twice-yearly sheds the AKC describes, and on a rough coat comb the thighs and the hair behind the ears to the skin. Our de-shedding page explains how Shed Release fits a heavy shed.

Cape Ann summers need care with this breed. The AKC says a Saint can handle hot weather with a cool place to rest and plenty of water, but that going from air conditioning into high heat can cause serious distress, so walk in the early morning and evening and keep pick-up waits out of a hot car. Winter suits the breed better. Rinse road salt off the feet after Gloucester sidewalks, dry between the toes, and check a rough coat for packed snow after a storm.