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WEST WIND SAINT BERNARD'S

Some Bit's About the Saint
Bernard

St. Bernard's are easy to house train because
they are such quick learners. They also make
excellent service dogs and comfort care workers
for the elderly.

Please know and be aware that there are many puppy mills and
breeders that lack the knowledge or compassion to properly care
about the puppy's they raise, they sell them cheap to make a
buck, as`a result you end up with a pup that has health issues
(sometimes extremely severe) a lot of these puppies also have
genetic problems. I, myself, once fell prey to that type of person -
I was unfortunate enough years ago and bought a dog with a
heart problem that only lived a few months. This was not only
heartbreaking and expensive but was also a good lesson
learned. The puppy only lived to be 6 months old, we never got
to enjoy him. As a result I have carefully started studying
pedigrees and have learned what bloodlines to stay away from. I
am asking anyone that purchases a puppy to not only please
educate yourself about the breed of dog you choose, but choose
your breeder carefully, its well worth the time and money to gain
a healthy companion that will be with you for many years

"Dogs are not our whole
life, but they make our
lives whole"

The Saint Bernard projects confidence and strength. The Saint Bernard is
a trainable breed that loves spending time with it's owner. A gentle giant,
the affectionate Saint Bernard makes a wonderful companion for children.
The Saint's loving and gentle nature makes him a great playmate for
children, the Saint is very loyal, caring and docile. In most cases the Saint
is very easily trained and extremely intelligent.
There is no such thing as a "dry mouth" Saint Bernard - some do drool
more then others. The drool is caused from the "flews" the hanging part of
the jaw. These hold spit, spit causes drool.
A saint Bernard is not for everyone they are very cute when they are small,
but grow very large sometimes the male can get up to 200 lbs.
Saint Bernard's do not eat according to size, but it can get a bit expensive
at the veterinarian's due to the cost of medications given by weight of the
dog.
All breeds of dogs large or small have certain health problems that they
can be prone to; some problems that can occur with saint bernards are
cardiac problems, epilepsy,hip dysplasia and bloat. Some are genetic -
beware of some bloodlines, some issues are due to poor diet and exercise.
Most people that want to own a big dog worry about Hip Dysplasia,
Please know that it is not always genetic. If a dog is predisposed to joint
problems it doesn't necessarily mean they will ever have dysplasia, while
some dogs that are not predisposed to it can get it if they are not raised
properly. You only have one chance to turn a puppy into a dog, so how
you raise them and what you feed them is very important, Especially Large
Breed dogs. Because of my care and concern to have healthy dogs, I
have no issues with joint problems --. For some interesting reading about
joint problems and how to prevent them click here JOINT RESEARCH for
an article on the research done by Dr. Wendall Belfield DVM. Diet is very
important to insure they grow at the proper rate, if they grow too fast, you
will have problems with their joints.
They must have a premium quality food , they cannot be raised on cheap
bargain brands. Even though saint bernards grow huge their digestive
system is half the size of a small dog.
We have raised many Saints to live long healthy lives they can live to be
10 to 12 years with proper care.
TIPS ON BLOAT: Large breed dogs are prone to bloat because they are
deep chested, bloat is an extremely dangerous problem. Bloat is a
type of twisting; When the actual torsion occurs, the esophagus is closed
off, limiting the dog's ability to get any relief by vomiting or belching. Often
the spleen becomes entrapped as well, and its blood supply is cut off.
Then a long chain of things can happen; the end being shock and then
peritonitis (poisoning of the blood). Although, bloat can be caused by many
different reasons - I have notated just a couple; Never let your dog run
and play after eating. My dogs usually play then are fed, then take a nap
after they eat; I have never had a case of bloat - It can also be caused from
drinking excessive amounts of water AFTER eating.
TIPS ON PUPPY'S: Everyone wants to show off their new puppy but
remember to take things slowly. Puppies are not like an adult dog. They
need vaccination's to boost their immune system, they cannot be fed table
scraps or treats, their stomach can't handle it. At birth, puppies go from
being blind, deaf, helpless and unable to control their internal thermostat,
but, in just a few short weeks with an experienced person's care they
rapidly turn into robust healthy puppies.
Its my job to make sure when you get them at 7 or 8 weeks, to see to it that
they are better prepared to face the world, physically and psychologically.
I am not a vet or claim to be an expert that knows everything, my
experience comes from research, learning from vets, friends , and hands
on.I believe anything you do is a learning experience and should be done
to the best of your ability.

SAINT BERNARD'S MAKE
WONDERFUL THERAPY DOGS

I Made a great friend from the Detroit area ; Carrie bought a Saint Bernard
From me in 2007. Carrie is a Teacher for autistic children and would bring her
dog to class with her everyday, it became such a success that she ended up
purchasing a second saint from me to follow the footsteps of her first "class
helper" - This type of therapy for the kids is great; a warm, living, breathing
companion that brings joy, smiles and love to the kids on a daily basis.
Carrie, is an awesome teacher and "Bo" is her helper along with her new
addition "Samson", Carrie writes;

"Hi Diana, if you talk about Bo going to school, the children are all severely autistic. Bo is great
therapy for the students. He really gets them to open up, show affection, and calms them down.
He is an all around awesome dog. Samson settled in very nicely. As I write, he is sleeping under
my feet. He, too, follows me around everywhere. Bo doesn't seem to mind - they actually slept
side by side (in my bed of course!!) this afternoon when we took a nap. The kids love him and he
and Bo are my soul mates. What great dogs!
Thank you again - you really have some wonderful dogs.
I hope you like the pictures!"

Carrie

THE NEW ADDITION
SAMSON

BO IN THE CLASS ROOM
GETTING READY TO
GET A BIG HUG!!!

BO AGAIN - GIVING OUT
ALL THAT AFFECTION
KISSES ???
WHAT ???
I LOVE KISSES!!!!

WHAT A LIFE; SITTING ON
A LITTLE BOYS LAP,
WHILE I GET SOME MAJOR
LOVING FROM ANOTHER
LITTLE BOY -
SHH...
LIFE IS GOOD!!

BO AND SAMSON EVEN GET A RECESS!!
YES PLEASE RUB MY BELLY.
BO STANDS ON LOOKOUT, AS SAINTS
ARE VERY WELL KNOWN TO BE
GUARDIANS OF CHILDREN.

New pups Tiarra and Treasure, recently
purchased by West Wind Saints to gain
wonderful bloodline of Slaton Saints,
multi show winner, Piece of the Action

All creatures are a gift from God,
Dog spelled backwards is God,
that translates to unconditional love