Hi there,
My name is Stacy and this is my Saint Bernard, Angus. The first picture is when he was 3 months and the second is today, 5 months old.
I am just working him in basic commands right now, would eventually like to do competition or search and rescue.
I came here to learn from top trainers how they train. I have been training dogs as a hobby for many years, but really want to get serious, and meet people to help me along the way. Enjoy the pictures of my boy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

http://photobucket.com/albums/a152/SachemKennels/?action=view&current=angusnstacy.jpg

http://photobucket.com/albums/a152/SachemKennels/?action=view&current=gus5months.jpg

Sorry about that! Here are the pictures:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a152/SachemKennels/angusnstacy.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a152/SachemKennels/gus5months.jpg

Cute puppy picture!
Where's his brandy cask? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

LOL....I'm looking for one, but since I don't drink I will have to fill it with coffee <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I guess he's small for a S.B. of his age too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

what a gorgeous expression he has. beautiful pup.
have you talked to any search and rescue people, stacy? if you want to participate in s&r, you'll have to get going. they start them very young.

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what a gorgeous expression he has. beautiful pup.
have you talked to any search and rescue people, stacy? if you want to participate in s&r, you'll have to get going. they start them very young.

No I haven't, and that is what I think he is best suited for. I have been working with him on finding specific item by scent, and having my kids hide and call him while I am asking him to find them. But I don't know how to train for it on a professional level.
I would have to get in contact with someone really soon then in my area. Are you into s&r?
Thank you very much for the compliments on him Alice, I think he's a handsome guy too.

Stacy, I've been involved in dogs all my life and SAR for a 4-5 years now. Unfortunately, MOST out there are well meaning people that, dont know what there doing, and choose a dog, THEN decide to make it a SAR dog. It rarely works out. The kind of dog needed for SAR is one many people wind up dumping in the pound because their energy level is more than most want to put up with. What I'm trying to say is, don't be upset or hurt if your Saint doesn't have the drives needed. They can be a wonderful pet (I had one years ago), but maybe not what it takes for SAR. There is a HUGE difference between a dog that will find kids, toys, etc at home, and a dog that will keep looking all day long. It needs to be a dog with an obsession.

ditto. i looked into it for my dog, thinking he'd be perfect: he's powerful, has a great nose, and tons of drive. but after talking to the SAR people in my community it was clear he was all wrong for it.

even if your dog has just the right temperament, they start pups really young. they need very specialized socialization right out of the gate. call the fire department or police department to find out who to talk to, and then see if you can attend some meetings and get your pup evaluated and into the program. you might already be too late.

Although starting with a pup can be a big advantage, I've seen some fantastic SAR dogs that were rescued from the pound as old as 2yrs old. If the correct drives are there, it will show, and can be worked with. These are usually the pain in the ass dogs tha others have given up on because of there extream energy level. The classic way of choosing a pound dog is to walk through the pound bouncing a ball. The dogs that are crazy to get to the ball are a good starting point. Often times it's Labs, border Collies, Aussies.

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what a gorgeous expression he has. beautiful pup.
have you talked to any search and rescue people, stacy? if you want to participate in s&r, you'll have to get going. they start them very young.

No I haven't, and that is what I think he is best suited for. .

Is it what YOU are best suited for? Many teams expect if your dog does not go out you will commit to getting another one or work as a groundpounder. I would get in touch with a team in NC go to http://www.ncsar.com to find links (there are some other teams NOT aligned with the council..I know a lot of NC folks and you can PM me with your location if you have trouble finding a team). Most teams in NC require the NASAR certs and more for all team members and there is a lot of up front work you need to do.

I would be concerned about a St Bernard in SAR in NC for several reasons. Size (can you carry your dog out if hurt - I can haul my 56# GSD over my shoulders and we practice so she is comfortable being carried....?), Heat(North Carolina is not the Swiss Alps), and service life (If I spend 2 years training a dog - and the team trains the dog - I want a fairly long lived partner if at all possible).

Bob is right abuot the young dogs. a one or two year old dog is fine to get started. One of the most awesome dogs I have seen belongs to a lady who got it from the pound after MULTIPLE returns. The dog is obsessed with the ball and a great working dog. God only knows what is in it. You really do need a confiedent social dog with great drives and much physical endurance.

Obedience. A lot of folks hold off on too much obedience too early.