New pup

[AllieBaba]

Oooh..too cute.

Mine is actually bigger (older), but the color is pretty close!

And I'm glad he's older...we have only had one accident in the house, and it happened the first night we were at my house (after spending Saturday at my mom's). He's a good boy!

This is a 15 week old....I think mine is better looking, of course.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c1VJRI-yJc]YouTube - Our 15wk St Bernard Puppy Rigi in the Snow[/ame]

 

[Grace]

Adorable.
They slobber, you know. Enjoy the time you have with him before he starts to drool, lol.

 

[Big Black Dog]

St. Bernard's are great dogs. The biggest issue is they drool alot, just like mastiff's do. If you don't mind dealing with slobber then have fun with your new puppy.
Congratulations!

Congratulations on the new pup. The only problem you will have with the St. Bernard is that they turn into alcoholics at an early age.

 

[AllieBaba]

Yes, they slobber. He slobbers a little already...I plan on having a supply of spit rags just like you do when you have a drooling baby.

I WUB him!

And I don't know what I was thinking..his color isn't like that vid. He's actually almost a fawn color, with dark guard hairs. And some black in his mask.

 

[Claudette]

And you better have a big shovel for the St. sized poop. LOL

 

[Momanohedhunter]

No pic yet, I can't find my stupid camera...

This weekend the kids and I were at the ballpark (we had 3 games on Saturday) and the mom of one of my son's teammates was there with a 15 - week old St. Bernard pup.

It's the last of the litter; they own the parents and have one litter a year. I managed to resist until now, but omg he was just too cute. He looked right into my face and that was it.

He'd never been out in public before; I don't think he'd ever had a leash on before, and he was so mellow and good. By the time I saw him he was pretty much fed up with people running up to him and loving on him...I let him sit with his head under my legs at the bleachers for a few, then I took him to the Explorer, gave him some water, and let him hang out in the car for the rest of the games. I went over every little bit to hoist him down and let him pee and water him, the kids ran over every now and then to show him off.
After the game we were traveling out of town (2 hour drive) to see family...all of whom have dogs. My mom has poodles, my son a big hound. I knew it had to be pretty intense of him, he's spent his life in a kennel but I banked on his age (15 weeks, not 8), his temperament (mellow) and his apparent good health carrying him through, and bless his heart, it did. We went home between two of the games and he met Mylo the Mighty, and that's when he started to perk up and take some real interest in us and everything else. He ran around the yard for a few minutes, then we went back for the final game. He hung out in the rig and rested, then we made the trip; he sat in between my very happy kids the whole way. We stopped a couple of times and he couldn't have been a better pup on the leash and about going to the bathroom and stuff.

My mother fell in love with him. She has a big fenced yard and porch; my plan was for him to spend the night outside; he's been an outside dog all his life. But he had other plans. Apparently he's a house dog. He is good about sleeping on his blankie, and he stays out of trouble.

What most impressed me was his stamina. A weekend like he just had - what with being removed from everything he knows, being dragged to a completely foreign situation (the game), being mauled by so many people, traveling, meeting new animals...that could be recipe for disaster for a younger, more volatile or timid animal. But he did great and seems none the worse for wear.

Mylo isn't thrilled but she's coping. My bed is her domain and he doesn't get to challenge that, so I think that helps her with any confidence issue she might have. I gave her lots of loves last night, and she seems to be okay with him now. He's great about food, has no issues over it, and she seems likewise unconcerned.

I think I'll leave him in the yard when the kids are at school and I'm at work; I considered leaving him in the house, but Mylo stays in the house and I think he would be best outside. I'm a little scared someone will take him, but I guess that's just a risk we'll have to take. I have a good yard for him; grass, shade, an enclosed porch and big doghouse.

Anyway, kinda long and boring post I know but that's our news over the weekend...we now have a new family member. We visited my son yesterday; we went out to eat and left Klaus in my son's big fenced yard with HIS dog, a big walker hound, and Klaus did great. Then we took him to Petco and picked up his food, collar, leash, name tag.....

Spending so much money on an animal that I have fallen head over heels for is pretty much the kiss of death. I suspect that he will come to a bad end; that's what usually happens if I spend a shitload of money on an animal and REALLY like it. I am not a person who generally goes for purebred dogs, or dogs that cost me much. I keep an open mind about dogs; I've gotten my best ones from shelters, not breeders. I go for dogs that fit well with my family, I don't want to breed them, and I'm in no way committed to getting puppies; I actually prefer getting grown dogs that might not have a great chance at a good life otherwise. Mylo was grown when I got her...she'd been tied up most of her life and ignored, and we've given her a wonderful life for the last 5 years. But I just clicked with Klaus, and he seems a perfect fit for the kids. My son is over the moon about having a big, manly dog. Mylo has her good points but she isn't exactly a tough looking dog, lol. Plus we don't take her anywhere, she's just too volatile, loud, neurotic. When we go out, Mylo stays home and it's for the best. But Klaus will be going with us everywhere, and already was baptised into that sort of role this weekend and did great. He is the last of the litter, so it's possible he has traits that makes him undesirable to St. Bernard ppl; I may have to deal with those issues later, but that's okay, I don't mind, we love him and we'll give him a good life.

I know nothing about St. Bernards. I know they don't live very long and have issues with hips, knees, and bloat. I've seen his parents but not up close and personal cuz they're kinda mean (because they're kept penned up all the time). I have no idea if he has a good conformation or not; he's just a giant puppy right now and I have never been around this type of pup before. I do know he's in good health so far; his skin, coat, his eyes are all in really good shape; he has a beautiful typ-ey head. He was a little smelly when we got him (from the kennel) but that wore off over the weekend. I groomed him really well and his skin is in great condition..that's where you usually can tell what sort of condition a pup is in; their skin will be flaky and itchy if they have had a bad diet or parasites, but he's got good skin and a great pelt.

So that was our excitement over the weekend. Now we have two dogs, sheesh, like we needed that, but oh well, we'll make it work!

Cool for you, SB's are smart dogs and great fun for kids to play with. My Ma had one when I was a kid. It loved to have its hair brushed and to play fetch. His name was Kooper and was a very smart dog.

 

[AllieBaba]

He got to his first pair of shoes this morning, lol. My son left his down and early this morning, I noticed the puppy wasn't next to my bed...he was in the living room and had given each of the shoes a few good chomps.

He also tried to get one of my suede/shearling boots but I caught him before he hurt it. Mylo got the same boot the first night after I got them, some years ago. Some of the shearling is missing...

 

[AllieBaba]

I have found my camera; now I just have to locate the charger and then I should be able to get some photos. Maybe by tomorrow night?

 

[Big Fitz]

St. Bernard's are great dogs. The biggest issue is they drool alot, just like mastiff's do. If you don't mind dealing with slobber then have fun with your new puppy.
Congratulations!

Now now, Drool is often an individual issue. They are more prone to it but it's rarely as bad as some people make it out to be. Just be ready for a wet lap if they put their head in it after having a drink. Contending with occasional 'droolcicles' as we titled them with our Mastiff, is a minor inconvenience because it happened so infrequent, and usually only when she was hot or nervous. (they have 2 types of salivary glands it's the thick ones that work for heat and nerves)

Know that Klaus will probably live to be 8-10, and does have a good chance of those physical issues you mentioned. But they can be overcome with good diet and exercise... or at least delayed.

I never liked 'outside dogs' because they always stank to high heaven and tended to give me asthma attacks if not cleaned frequently. I hope this is a smooth-coat St.B for you. Otherwise you're going to be brushing out his double coat 4-6 times a week, because mats on those dogs look and feel like hell... and often stink.

So good luck for you and Klaus. I'll be jealous of your pics later.

 

[AllieBaba]

Ok took some cool pics, but can't get them onto my puter without a cable I don't have with me here on the coast.

Brought the pup and intended to board him while I was here for the funeral but he's been so good and our motel is so great for dogs that I haven't had to. He's having a blast....has run on the beach about 4 times; he had NO IDEA there was such a thing as a beach and loved it. He loved everything about it. He ran down to the water, got his paws wet then backed out, he sniffed everything and would run and scoop up little bits of stuff and flip sand up, he fell into the mouth of a freshwater creek and it was deep enough he could barely touch, so he had to sort of swim out. All very good for him. He has met some other dogs, and lots of new people. He ran off on the beach and sort of..kept going, lol....but I had my 24 year old son and I made him run after him before he got up over the jetty and down the road, lol. (Because that is where he was going. Not fast, just nice and steady, lol. My son had to trot right along to catch him and turn him around! But when he did, he came running to mama). My cousins and 2nd cousins and 1st cousins once removed, my aunty and everybody ooohed and ahhhhhed over him and gave him loves. I can see him losing his wariness of people, which is good. He's kind of a standoffish boy by nature, and I want to desensitize the crappola out of him. So far it's working.

We were walking around the grounds of our motel a little bit ago and a big black dog (with a tiny pin head, dorky looking) came running out of the cabins up to him. It was a tall dog, but I am socializing my dog so I'm okay with that cuz he's a puppy and we're not going to find many dogs who will attack a puppy for no reason; especially not one that size, it just doesn't happen that often. Anyway, I smiled when the guy came running after his dog, on his cell phone, and apologizing that he didn't have him on a leash. I smiled and said, it's okay, he's (mine) is just a puppy. The dogs sniffed each other and wanted to play, and the guy got ahold of his and said "Mine's a pup too...he's 18 months." Then he got off his phone and I started to walk away, and Klaus wanted to keep playing so sort of pulled a little on the leash and didn't really want to pull away and the guy said "He's 18 months but that boy, wow, you're gonna have you hands full." And I walked away and Klaus came along...I was pretty happy because he hadn't barked or acted aggressive at all, he just wanted to play. And at home he often barks at dogs he sees on the other side of the fence, or even when we're walking.

But now it's bugging me...what did he mean by that? Was that some sort of reference to the way my 17 week old puppy was behaving? Cuz I wasn't the one running to pull my dog off another dog. Or was he just being sociable and making a comment on his size?

Sheesh. People weird me out. Anyway, Klaus is in 7th heaven and loving life right now. He's dreaming of the beach next to me on the floor...twitching and barking in his sleep.

 

[Grace]

The guy was just making comment cuz the pup is so big.

 

[AllieBaba]

St. Bernard's are great dogs. The biggest issue is they drool alot, just like mastiff's do. If you don't mind dealing with slobber then have fun with your new puppy.
Congratulations!

Now now, Drool is often an individual issue. They are more prone to it but it's rarely as bad as some people make it out to be. Just be ready for a wet lap if they put their head in it after having a drink. Contending with occasional 'droolcicles' as we titled them with our Mastiff, is a minor inconvenience because it happened so infrequent, and usually only when she was hot or nervous. (they have 2 types of salivary glands it's the thick ones that work for heat and nerves)

Know that Klaus will probably live to be 8-10, and does have a good chance of those physical issues you mentioned. But they can be overcome with good diet and exercise... or at least delayed.

I never liked 'outside dogs' because they always stank to high heaven and tended to give me asthma attacks if not cleaned frequently. I hope this is a smooth-coat St.B for you. Otherwise you're going to be brushing out his double coat 4-6 times a week, because mats on those dogs look and feel like hell... and often stink.

So good luck for you and Klaus. I'll be jealous of your pics later.

He doesn't slobber much so far. He's wherever we are. It was pouring buckets last week, and he was staying out in the daytime while I was at work, but in when we were in the house, I just used a towel and buffed him a little. His hair sheds water easily, believe it or not..it so far only gets wet on the outside; his undercoat stays dry.

Outside dogs do often stink, particularly when they are in a small enclosure. Klaus doesn't smell like a rose but I brush him daily and he's not kept in a small place. He was pretty fragrant when he came in from the beach, but hey, he was in sand and water...it actually cleaned him and he looks great. I keep him very clean so he's always very kissable, lol. He gets kissed a lot. And not just by me.

 

[AllieBaba]

The guy was just making comment cuz the pup is so big.

That's what my son said, too.

I imagine he about crapped himself when he saw his dog running full bore towards a really big dog and a middle aged lady, lol. I imagine his relief was mighty when he saw how young my little dog is.

 

[Grace]

Poor guy probably thought his dog was gonna be lunch.

 

[AllieBaba]

Well I can't talk, I let Klaus off the leash and he ran a little...then kept going...and going....and going, lol. We were like, "Aw come back puppy...he'll come back in a sec...maybe if we stop...here Klaus, KLAUS, HERE! COME BOY! Maybe we should get closer...whoa there he goes...gosh he's climbing those rocks...hey RUN RUN RUN!! GO GET HIM!"

 

[AllieBaba]

It was like that stupid dog that Chevy Chase brought home in Funny Farm...they let it out of the car and it took off and they only saw it as a tiny speck in the distance thereafter...

 

[AllieBaba]

Up early with the little dog and explored some. Ended up in a little clearing. Then went back to our room and realized I'd left the brush I bought for him at my Auntie's house (along with my camera battery charger and other stuff). I wanted to brush him, though, and go over him before beginning the day; he's a little itchy and it's wet here. He was at the beach yesterday, got completely wet and sandy...

So I sacrificed my own personal brush (that I happen to like very much). It was a difficult decision. I brushed my own hair thoroughly, gave it a little pat, then commenced with the considerable task of going over my big pup's large body with a medium sized boar bristle brush.

then I washed his ears and face, just like a kid.

At least I don't have to change his diaper.

 

[Big Fitz]

Up early with the little dog and explored some. Ended up in a little clearing. Then went back to our room and realized I'd left the brush I bought for him at my Auntie's house (along with my camera battery charger and other stuff). I wanted to brush him, though, and go over him before beginning the day; he's a little itchy and it's wet here. He was at the beach yesterday, got completely wet and sandy...

So I sacrificed my own personal brush (that I happen to like very much). It was a difficult decision. I brushed my own hair thoroughly, gave it a little pat, then commenced with the considerable task of going over my big pup's large body with a medium sized boar bristle brush.

then I washed his ears and face, just like a kid.

At least I don't have to change his diaper.

That's adorable. I forgot, is he a rough or smooth coat? The smooth coat is so much easier to care for.

 

[AllieBaba]

I don't think he's smooth...he's really fluffy, and he has two distinct coats...dense fuzzy undercoat and longer guard hairs. But when I brush him, he doesn't fluff up or anything, he just looks a lot cleaner and smoother...lol. So I don't know what sort of coat that is. I'm gobbling up all the St. Bernard info I can find but I'm behind the curve a little.

 

[AllieBaba]

I will evenutally get pics on here, I promise.