This is Harry, one very big, loving Saint Bernard who we've been raising since he was a puppy. He happens to be pretty fancy too. He comes from a line of champion Saint Bernards.
The St. Bernard is considered a giant breed. The average weight of the breed is between 140 and 264 lb. The coat can be either smooth or rough, with the smooth coat close and flat. Harry is a smooth coat. The rough coat is dense but flat, and more profuse around the neck and legs. The coat is typically a red color with white, or sometimes a mahogany brindle with white. Black shading is usually found on the face and ears. The tail is long and heavy. Saints are known for their hanging low eyes.
We are not new to Saint Bernards. We have a seven year old female Saint Bernard that we rescued, so we are very familiar with their needs and their temperament. Saints are very affectionate and loyal and very friendly if well socialized.
I especially loved that no matter how rambunctious our two boys were in the house it didn't seem to rattle our old female Saint Bernard.
The breeders from whom we got Harry asked us if it was okay if they could introduce him into the dog show world given his family history. We thought that was a great idea since a dog show dog needs to be really well socialized and obedient.
Since neither my husband or I had any experience raising a puppy and knowing that Harry at full growth could weigh upwards of 200 pounds we knew that obedience school would be a must.
Since Harry was 16 weeks old he has been in several obedience classes. He started out in Puppy Kindergarden, moved up to Basic Manners, then Beyond Basics and finally Canine Good Citizen classes. Harry, earned his CGC certificate last month and this title will be added to his official name. Szajda's Dirty Harry, CGC. The most wonderful part of his training is that it has all been done with positive reinforcement. We've never really had to scold Harry and we made it through house training pretty smoothly. Of course there were accidents but we learned that keeping them on a schedule is key.
Harry entered his first dog show when he was six months old, during Thanksgiving weekend November 2012. Harry quickly scored his first major at one of his very first dog shows. Prior to attending the dog show the breeders worked with Harry to teach him how to be handled in the ring and to be obedient during judging. When Harry is entered in dog shows he is accompanied by a professional handler.
Educated and experienced in the sport of showing dogs, the handlers do everything from helping to mentally and physically condition dogs for the stamina required for shows, to helping to present a dog to his/her best advantage and planning an exhibit schedule that is both manageable and challenging.
Seeing Harry at his first dog show was a wonderful experience. I got to see first hand how he is groomed and how dedicated dog owners and handlers are to the sport and the dogs. I can see how addicting the sport is and this blog will explore more of the dog showing sport and scoring.
At home Harry is a bit spoiled, and adored by our two young boys and my husband. His life is full and rich and with dog showing he is sure living up to be a true working dog.
This first year of his life has been a lot of work but also really rewarding. One of my hobbies is photography so you'll be sure to see lots of photos of Harry!
