St Bernard Pitbull mix – Everything You Need to Know!

St. Bernards are one of the most liked and popular breeds in the US. Most families love them for their calm, affectionate, and loving nature.

Unfortunately, Pitbulls do not share the same reputation. Some people consider them aggressive and dangerous, but they have a tender, loving side that doesn’t get as much publicity.

So what happens when you combine these two breeds? What kind of personality does the resulting mix have? Would they be calm or aggressive?

Purpose-bred mixed breeds are more in demand, and the new St. Bernard / Pitbull mixed breed is becoming popular.

So if you’re looking to bring one home, keep reading to find out more about this unique crossbreed!

History and Origins

Although there are no accurate records of when the first St. Bernard Pitbull mix came into existence, the breed is still relatively new. And because both are relatively popular breeds, there is a good chance that they have been crossed many times before becoming a known cross.

So how did this breed come into existence? And why did breeders choose these two specific breeds for crossbreeding? To answer these questions, let’stake a deeper look into the history of both St. Bernard and Pitbull breeds:

History of St. Bernards

St. Bernards are one of the oldest and purest breeds in the world to date and have a long history of being excellent rescue dogs. Reportedly, they have saved many lives over centuries and are among the world’s most popular dogs.

The St. Bernard breed originates from the Swiss Alps and is a close descendant of the native mountain dogs that have lived there for millennia. Reports suggest that the origination of the St. Bernard breed begun around 962 AD! 

Since the hospice’s establishment near the St. Bernard bridge, the local monks have used these mountain dogs to find lost travelers and protect the hospice grounds. The first physical proof of the breed’s existence came in 1695 in a painting that shows a dog whose features are strikingly similar to the St. Bernard.

By living in the mountainous areas, the breed developed features that helped them survive the harsh winter cold, such as a tough, long coat and muscular bodies, which allowed them to travel for miles doing search and rescue missions.

The Saint Bernard’s Club of America was established in 1888. Today, these dogs stand on #39 in the popularity ranking by the American Kennel Club. The St. Bernard is deemed one of the purest breeds globally thanks to the breed standards established by the International Congress of Zurich.

History of Pitbulls

Pitbulls are perhaps the most infamous and misunderstood breed in the world today, and their origins play a massive role in that. 

This breed’s historydates back to the 1800s,whereboth bulldogs and terriers were widely used in bull-baiting. Because the sport required aggression and agility, crossbreeding between bulldogs and terriers started becoming common. 

After bull-baiting became illegal in 1835, the sport got replaced by dog-fighting, which started breaking out in small arenas and illicitbars. For this purpose, the bull terrier mix focused on being even more aggressive through selective breeding.

Soon after, the bull terrier breed wasexported to countries where blood sports were on the rise. However, most people don’t know that these dogs were simultaneously being bred to be docile towards humans, so they don’t attack their owners.

When the UKC recognized the breed, they were knownas the ‘American Pitbull Terrier.’ However, the AKC recognized a slightly different breed’s variation, the ‘American Staffordshire Terriers.’ Although both differ little, the primary purpose was to differentiate them from Pitbull Terriers, who had a reputation and history in vicious blood sports.

Since then, the breed has grown significantly in the US, but unfortunately have retained their poor reputation for being dangerous dogs and are monitored under strict legislative laws and boundaries.

Types of St. Bernard Pitbull Mixes

When mixing different dog breeds, there’s some uncertainty about the traits the puppies will inherit. The puppy’s appearance, color, height, weight, diseases, and even temperament can come from either parent.

With St. Bernard Pitbull Mixes, this uncertainty becomes even more complicated because there are four types of different Pitbulls. Although all Pitbulls have almost similar temperaments, their sizes do vary greatly.

So, before you purchase a St. Bernard Pitbull mix, be aware of what type of Pitbull parent your puppy had. If you know the attributes of each parent, it becomes easier to venture a guess as to how your puppy will look and behave.

Later on, we’ll discuss what this mix breed usually turns out, and which parents’features are more prominent. But till then, here’s a size chart for all four types of Pitbulls:

Appearance

In terms of appearance, the St. Bernard Pitbull mix takes attributes from both parents. While the blend resembles both parents in general physique, some differences do set them apart.

Physique

Both St. Bernards and Pitbulls have a relatively similar physique, except for height. Both breeds are working dogs with a well-built muscular frame anda short and broad muzzle. This athletic background givesthese dogs agility to go on long search and rescue missions or fight bulls and dogs for hours.

The general physique of a St. Bernard Pitbull mix is similar to both its parents. They also have a slender and muscular body, with a deep chest and strong legs. But in terms of height, they purely take after St. Bernards and are almost always as tall as them. Do note that the taller their Pitbull parent, the taller the mix breed puppies will be.

As for their ears, these dogs have floppy ears of their St. Bernard parent instead of the revered perked ear shape of Pitbulls. 

Weight

This breed is generally on the heavier side, especially if they are tall. Because the puppies often take after their St. Bernard parent’s height, they tend to be quite large dogs capable of knocking down children in a blink, so be always careful.

If they’re on the smaller end of the spectrum, they’ll still be taller and heavier than most Pitbulls. Most St. Bernard Pitbull mixes will stand between 20 to 27 inches tall at shoulder length and weigh anywhere between 50 to 120 pounds. 

Coat and Color

One thing that both parents do differ vastly in is coat. St. Bernards have a long and fluffy coat that helped them stay warm in the snowy swiss alps. In comparison, Pitbullshave a short or medium-length coat, which is easier to groom.

Luckily, most St. Bernard Pitbull mixes take after their Pitbull parent in terms of the coat. Most of them have a medium-length coat, though in some cases, it can be longer if the St. Bernard parent’s genes are more potent. 

As for their coat color, the overall pattern usually resembles St.Bernards, with a white patch on the chest. But since Pitbulls have such diversity in coat colors, your St. Bernard Pitbull mix could turn out to be any color like fawn, brindle, brown, tan, blue, and more!

Temperament and Behavior

One of the main reasons for crossbreeding St. Bernards and Pitbulls is to create a dog that shares both its parents’ personality traits. And while most do, it comes down to which parent has the stronger genes. Here’s how the St. Bernard Pitbull’s parents compare in terms of personality:

The Personality of St. Bernards

St. Bernards are famous for being gentle and peaceful dogs. They are super-friendly, affectionate towards their owners, and very good-tempered, making them perfect for families with children. They love laying on the couch as much as they enjoy playing with their owners.

These dogs are also quite intelligent and possess an amazing sense of smell due to their service generations as search and rescue dogs. These dogs are never aggressive unless it’s for the protection of their family.

The Personality of Pitbulls

Pitbulls are much more active and energetic than St. Bernards. They’realso extremely friendly and love to meet new people, making them suspect asguard dogs. However, they’realways aware of their surroundings and are strong-willed. If threatened, these dogs won’thesitate to protect their family with their life.

Regardless of public opinion, Pitbulls are not aggressive towards humans. While used for blood sports in the past, Pitbullsare also bred to be docile towards humans. The majority of bite incidents involving Pitbulls are caused by poor or abusive ownership and lack of proper training.

What kind of personality do St. Bernard Pitbull Mix have?

These dogs will be extremely friendly and welcoming like a St. Bernard, but will also be super-active and alert like a Pitbull.

They’ll love to spend time with their family and will most definitely be very affectionate and watchful over their owners. Because of their lively personality, they will love playing with children and adults alike.

As for other traits, the prominence depends on which parent has the stronger gene. Although these mixes are not particularly aggressive, they can inherit the personality of Pitbulls. If they do, these dogs will become very watchful protectors, but they still need to be supervised while playing with children because their size is enough to easily knock down small children.

Health

With crossbreeding canines, there’sa certain level of risk that the resulting breed might either inherit lots of diseases or very few at all. The more significant the difference between parentbreeds, the less likely they are to pass on hereditary diseases.

Luckily, both Pitbulls and St. Bernards are vastly different breeds. 

That’swhy the St. Bernard Pitbull mix is considered as an overall healthy dog. They’reprone to very few health complications that are common in most species of canines. 

If you’re purchasing from a reliable breeder, ask for the parents’ pedigrees to help identify the diseases present in the lineage and those that your puppy could inherit.

Here’s a list of hereditary diseases that St. Bernard Pitbulls could suffer from and how they could affect your dog:

Hip Dysplasia

A particularly common bone disorder in the canine world, hip dysplasia, occurs when a hip joint’s malformation prevents the thigh bone from fitting inside it perfectly. Hip dysplasia can occur at any age but usually appears as the dog grows older.

It is a particularly painful position and can inhibit movement as it progresses. Hip dysplasia can develop into arthritis as an adult dog’s age. Currently, there’sno cure for it, and veterinarians usually prescribe painkillers for more severe cases.

Elbow Dysplasia

Another type of joint complication, but instead of the hip, it affects the elbow joint. With this particular disorder, uneven growth of the bones that form the elbow joint causes lameness in the forelimbs.  

In serious cases, doctors recommend corrective surgery. However, painkillers and weight management can also help in preventing progression.

Allergies

Most breeds suffer from some allergies, including both parents of this breed, but they’re particularly common in Pitbulls and include skin allergies caused by fleas, shampoos, or bedding, which can cause itching.

This breed can also suffer from food allergies caused by ingredients like wheat or corn, causing itching and discomfort. Both parents of this breed can be allergic to airborne allergens, such as pollen and dust!

Thus, it’s best to get your puppy checked by a veterinarian for allergies right after you bring them home to prevent any major inconvenience and discomfort to your pup.

Heart Diseases

Heart diseases are present in both parent breeds but don’tnecessarily affect the crossbreed. Pitbulls are known to suffer from aortic stenosis, a hereditary defect that narrows the valves in the heart. It usually doesn’t show any symptoms, but might result in less energy and even sudden death in rare cases.

As for St. Bernards, some of these dogs suffer from dilated cardiomyopathy, which causes a narrowing of the heart’s muscles. Dogs with the defect show symptoms like irregular heartbeat, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, weakness, and an enlarged abdomen.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy more commonly affects the St. Bernard breed and causes mild seizures that may last a couple of minutes.

Although it’s frightening to see a dog go through a seizure, they are manageable through medication. Because the illness is usually present in St. Bernards and not Pitbulls, the chances of the crossbreed inheriting Epilepsy is relatively low, but not zero.

Cataracts

Cataracts aren’t precisely a disorder but a defect in the cornea’s lens, which causes it to develop a milky appearance impairing your dog’s vision, but can be corrected through surgery if it becomes too severe. Cataracts usually appear with age and are not hereditary.

Grooming and Care

Ensuring proper grooming is essential for your dog’s well-being and yours as well. Luckily, St. Bernard Pitbull mixes are easy to groom thanks to their medium-length coat. But if they inherit their St. Bernard parent’s long coat, things can get a bit messy.

For medium-length coat St. Bernard Pitbull mixes, brushing just once a week is enough to keep shedding to a minimum. But if they do have long fluffy fur, brush them at least twice or thrice a week to prevent hair from sticking all-around your house.

With a longer coat, you also need to bathe your pup more often, which isn’t the most straightforward job in the world considering their size. Due to this reason, long-coat St. Bernard Pitbull mixes aren’t the best option for allergic people.

Apart from that, you need to take care of the basics, including trimming their nails every once or twice a month, cleaning their ears, removing debris from their eyes with a towel now and then, etc. If you can take care of that, you’re good to go!

Training and Exercise

In terms of energy and activeness, a St. Bernard Pitbull mix can go either way, depending on which parent has the stronger genes. Generally, Pitbulls are super-active dogs that require loads of exercise to maintain their muscular physique and stay healthy. However, St. Bernards lean towards the lazier side and only need low to moderate activity to keep fit.

Exercise Requirements

The true nature of your St. Bernard Pitbull mix will only be revealed as they grow up. They’lleither be crazy-hyper or very laid back. Their parents’ personality can reflect how active they’ll turn out, but won’t provide you with an accurate estimate.

If your pup does take after their Pitbull parent, you’ll need to provide them with at least an hour of exercise daily, which can be in the form of jogging, walking, indoor activities, or playing in the park.

But if they’re more like a St. Bernard, they’ll only need exercise a few days a week. Because this crossbreed is prone to obesity, they require exercise for weight management. Always keep an eye out for heat exhaustion when exercising your dog, especially if they have a longer coat.

Training Needs

A St. Bernard Pitbull mix needs proper training from puppyhood to grow up into a good-tempered adult. You need to help them socialize with other humans and dogs from a young age to learn how to interact with others. When they grow into adults, they’ll be much calmer and friendlier towards new people and animals.

These dogs do best with positive reinforcement training methods. They are very fond of receiving affection and love from their owners and will do anything to please them. So, appreciating them with pats and kisses and treats will go a long way in successfully training them.

FAQ’s

Are St. Bernard Pitbull mixes dangerous?

No, St. Bernard Pitbull mixes have a calm temperament and aren’taggressive. Most Pitbullsaren’teven dangerous, and with adequate training, both of these breeds will grow up to be loving and non-violent dogs.

Does St. Bernard Pitbull mix have locking jaws?

Pitbulls do not have locking jaws and have the same skull structure as any other dog. Therefore, the crossbreed can’t have locking jaws either.

Are St. Bernard Pitbulls good with kids?

Yes! These dogs are a combination of a St. Bernard’s peaceful nature and the protective and playful personality of a Pitbull. However, they are big enough to knock over a small child with their size, so always supervise them with children.

Do St. Bernard Pitbulls make good guard dogs?

Although these dogs can make good guard dogs due to their alert nature and size, they usually won’t do much else than aware you of an intruder because they love meeting new people.

Do St. Bernard Pitbulls bark a lot?

Barking is a trait that these dogs can inherit from either parent. Pitbulls tend to be quite vocal and bark a lot, but St. Bernards are a lot quieter in comparison.