Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix – An Ultimate Guide

In today’s world where designer dogs are in great demand, the Saint bernard pitbull mix is an excellent choice as a family dog. This mixed breed blends St. Bernard’s meek and friendly nature with the strength and courage of a Pitbull. The result is a brilliant hybrid dog that can serve both as a pet dog and a guard dog.

Read on to learn more about this wonderful creation of dog breeders.

What Is Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix?

St. Bernard Pitbull mix is a cross between a St. Bernard and Pitbull. This designer dog is a perfect amalgam of the best traits of both parent dogs. This specially bred hybrid dog is considered an ideal family dog. This is because St. Bernard Pitbull mix is loyal and protective like its Pitbull parent and gentle like St. Bernard.

History Of Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix

Like other mixed breeds, there is no clear documented evidence about the origin and history of the St. Bernard Pitbull mix. Although this breed is relatively new, chances are that numerous attempts at creating this crossbreed might have taken place before this breed came into existence. This is due to the popularity and desirable features of both parent breeds.

To become better equipped with knowledge about The St. Bernard Pitbull mix, let’s take a closer look at both the parent breeds.

Saint Bernard 

The history of St. Bernard dates way back to around 962 AD. They are intimately linked to the Swiss Alps where they were originally bred for rescue work by the Great St. Bernard Hospice. This breed earned its popularity through tales of heroically rescuing Swiss Alps travelers and saving their lives.

Moreover, St. Bernard dogs are famous for their large size and gentle nature. Living in the mountains helped them develop a physique that made them important at working and herding dogs as well. Nowadays St. Bernard is considered one of the purest breeds in the world. Because of their calm and gentle temperament, they make excellent pets and can be trusted around kids.

Pitbull

As opposed to Saint Bernard, Pitbulls do not enjoy such a respectable reputation. They are largely known for their aggressive nature and role in bull baiting and dog fighting in earlier times. However bull baiting was banned in 1835, Pitbulls continued to be used for dog fighting and other bloody sports. Because of this Pitbulls turned into hostile and aggressive dogs that are not encouraged as pets.

Historically this breed originated from bulldogs and terriers both of which were fighting dogs. In the united states, Pitbull is thought to be a heterogenous breed that includes many other breeds. The American Kennel Club recognizes the American Staffordshire Terrier, which is a slightly different variant of the breed. This is to distinguish them from pitbull terriers who are notorious for their history in blood sports.

Appearance of Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix

The overall physique of the St. Bernard Pitbull mix resembles that of both parents. They flaunt well-built muscular bodies with deep chests and strong legs. Also, they inherit the floppy ears from St. Bernard’s parents instead of the bat-like ears of a pitbull. They usually have broad muzzles and gigantic physiques like both parents.

How Big Is A Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix?

Considering the size and built of the parent breeds, the St Bernard Pitbull mix is a large dog. In terms of height, this designer dog takes after the St. Bernard parents and outgrows the pitbull parent. The average height ranges from around 20 to 27 inches and weighs around 150 pounds. A hybrid of St. Bernard and American Pitbull Terrier would result in giant-sized dogs. 

Coat Of Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix

A major striking difference in the appearance of St. Bernard and Pitbull is their coat. St. Bernard has a characteristic long-haired silky coat that was an adaptation to survive the harsh cold of the Alps. Pitbulls, on the other hand, have short to medium-haired coats that didn’t come in the way of their fighting.

St. Bernard Pitbull mix has a tendency to inherit a short to medium-haired coat of the pitbull parent, which is a good thing. However if the st. Bernard’s genes dominate, they might have along haired coat which is not very common. 

Coat color could result from a mix between the coat colors of parents to be any shade of brown, brindle tan, or blue. In terms of the coat color pattern, they resemble St. Bernard and have a characteristic white patch on the chest.

Temperament: Do Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix Make Good Pets?

St. Bernard Pitbull mix is mostly bred for the unique personality that it acquires from both the parent breeds than for its appearance. However overall nature depends upon the dominant gene from either parent.

They are usually friendly and calm like St. Bernard yet alert and protective like pitbull. They are extremely affectionate and playful and love to spend time with their owners. They cherish being around kids and are super protective of them. The alert and protective side of their nature make them useful as guard dogs too.

Despite the notorious Pitbull gene, they are not aggressive as their parent. However, they should still be monitored around kids as they can easily knock down toddlers because of their large size.

St. Bernard Pitbull mix thrives on its owner’s attention and is likely to suffer from separation anxiety if left alone for a long time. Moreover, they are very loyal to their owner.

Early socialization and proper training are important to prevent the hostile pitbull gene from surfacing.

Exercise Needs

The exercise requirement of the St. Bernard Pitbull mix depends on their level of activity which is revealed as they grow. If the pitbull genes are dominant they will be super active and need plenty of exercises to maintain their muscular strength and vent their energy. In this case, they will need around 1 hour of daily exercise in the form of walking, running, jogging, or swimming.

However, if the St. Bernard genes predominate they will tend to be lazy and not need a lot of exercise. A few hours of exercise per week would be enough in this case. Make sure not to completely avoid exercise if your mix has taken after the St. Bernard parent and is very indolent. This is because a minimum level of exercise is essential to maintain weight as this breed tends to get obese. Also, make sure not to over-exercise them and look out for heat exhaustion.

Trainability Of Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix

Just like other dog breeds, early socialization and proper training are equally important for St. Bernard Pitbull mix to grow into well-behaved friendly dogs. As they love their owner’s attention and love, positive reinforcement is a great way to train them into ideal pet dogs. Treats and gestures of appreciation are of great help in training these gentle giants. Socializing them with other animals and humans from an early age is a crucial part of the training process. Otherwise, they turn out to be hostile and aggressive.

Health Issues Of Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix

Generally, St. Bernard Pitbull mix is a healthy dog that enjoys a lifespan of 16 years. They suffer from very few diseases that generally affect dogs. With proper exercise and unconditional love, they live long healthy lives. Following is a list of diseases that St. Bernard Pitbull mix commonly suffers from.

• Heart Disease: The most common heart disease among dogs is dilated cardiomyopathy because of which the ability to pump blood is impaired.
• Epilepsy: Dogs suffering from this condition might have frequent episodes of seizures. This is a genetic condition.
• Cataracts: Pitbull St. Bernard mix suffering from cataracts have clouded vision which progresses into blindness.
• Hip Dysplasia: This is a hereditary disorder but might happen due to traumatic injury, obesity, or improper exercise. This is a very painful condition.
• Elbow dysplasia: This is an inherited disorder among large dog breeds and can lead to arthritis.
• Allergies: Pitbull St. Bernard mix is prone to several allergies including food allergies. Symptoms include scratching and excessive shedding. Such dogs should be rushed to the vet.

It’s better to get your Pitbull  St. Bernard mix dog from a reliable breeder as this reduces the number of illnesses your dog is prone to get. Also, ask for the parent’s pedigrees to have an idea of the kind of diseases your dog can suffer from.

Diet And Nutrition Of Saint Bernard Pitbull Mix

As the Bernard pitbull mix is a large mix breed of dog, its nutritional requirements are higher than other small-sized dogs. They need a nutrient-rich diet that supplies their high-energy needs. It is important to feed them a portion of high-quality dog food that contains the right amount of all nutrients. Also, make sure to feed your pitbull st. bernard mix at least two times a day.

The best food choice for this mixed dog breed is good quality kibble with a high content of protein. Moreover to make sure that your Pitbull St. Bernard mix stays in good health, add supplements to its diet. The best supplements are those with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. This promotes hair growth and improves the skin of dogs.

 

Grooming Requirements

The grooming demands of these friendly beasts largely depend upon the hair length of the coat. If your Pitbull St. Bernard mix has a short-haired coat brushing once or twice a week would be sufficient to keep shedding at bay. However, long-haired mixes will need frequent brushing to avoid having dog hair all over the house.

 Other than this rest of the grooming is pretty much basic and includes regular nail trimming, ear cleaning, deworming, and bathing. Also, take care to look out for food allergies and avoid feeding such food.

Final Thoughts

Saint Bernard Pitbull mix dog is a great hybrid dog that is a perfect blend of the golden genes from St. Bernard and Pitbull. They are affectionate yet protective dogs that thrive on human companionship. They are bred as working dogs or guard dogs as well as tamed as family dogs. Their tolerance towards kids is commendable but must be supervised as they can inadvertently hurt them because of their enormous size. They are also relatively free from most diseases and their grooming needs are simple. Lastly, instead of buying a bernard pitbull mix, it is much better to adopt a rescue dog.

FAQs

Do Saint Bernard Pitbull mixes bark a lot?

St. Bernard Pitbull mixes tend to be moderate barkers, inheriting the barking gene from the pitbull parent. Pitbull are vocal dogs and will not hesitate to bark. St. Bernards on the other hand are calm and quiet and bark only when required. with the proper training, Pitbull St. Bernard mixes can also be trained into barking less like the St. Bernard parent.

Can Saint Bernard Pitbull mix be left alone at home?

You can leave your dog alone at home for short time periods. But do not leave your dog for more than two hours as they are prone to suffer from separation anxiety. This can lead to aggression among dogs.

Are Saint Bernard Pitbull mixes good with kids?

Yes, Pitbull Bernard mixes are very affectionate towards kids and greatly enjoy their company. They are also very protective of children. However, they should not be left unsupervised with kids as are much bigger and strong bodied than small children. Because of this, they tend to unintentionally knock over and hurt kids.

Are saint Bernard Pitbull mixes good family dogs?

Yes, Pitbull Bernard mixes make excellent family dogs. After proper training and socialization, they make a wonderful addition to any family with their heart-winning nature. The friendly St. Bernard gene makes them particularly good with kids. Moreover, with their strong and muscular physique combined with their protective nature and moderate barking tendencies, they make excellent guard dogs as well.

Can Saint Bernard Pitbull mix stay in apartments?

Yes, Pitbull Bernard Mixes can stay in apartments provided their daily exercise needs are fulfilled. this means you’ll have to take your dog for a walk every day. Otherwise, they are better suited for houses with large backyards or large open spaces.