Games to Teach Saint Bernard Dogs

Saint Bernards were originally bred for strength, endurance and the ability to handle extremely cold temperatures. Bernard de Menthon, an Augustine monk, founded a monastery and hospice facility in the Swiss Alps in A.D. 980. He bred these dogs to serve as watchdogs and companions to the monks and also to assist with rescue missions.

When considering games for any dog breed, it is best to take into consideration the breed's natural instincts and abilities. Saint Bernards thrive on daily vigorous exercise and enjoy being mentally and physically challenged. A healthy Saint Bernard will have a well-defined muscular system and maintain a lean physique. Obedience training is helpful before this dog is taught organized games.

Agility, tracking and drafting games are popular for Saint Bernards, and this breed enjoys hauling, like a sled dog. When playing outdoors with your Saint Bernard, there are a couple of very important considerations. Saint Bernards are built for cold weather, so be careful that your dog does not become overheated. Take breaks and allow him to cool down in the shade. Bring plenty of drinking water to make certain he stays hydrated.

Historically, the Saint Bernard has performed well as a draft dog and readily takes to pulling things. The Saint Bernard Club of America defines drafting as "a series of exercises designed to develop and demonstrate the natural abilities of purebred Saint Bernard dogs." For drafting, a dog needs to learn to wear a harness, maneuver turns, judge spacial dimensions and circumvent obstacles.

Saint Bernards were relied on heavily as sled dogs during the Alaskan Gold Rush, and they have a natural affinity for hauling heavy weights. Weight pulling is very much like drafting, but the dog is challenged to improve his performance with additional weight. For weight-pulling games, a dog must display willingness and an understanding of his owner's commands, as well as enjoying the task.

Saint Bernards may appear lumbering and lackadaisical, but they are actually agile, high-performance dogs. They excel on agility courses and enjoy the camaraderie, teamwork and excitement of the game. For agility games, your dog must be able to follow cues and understand repetitive instructions. Following an agility coarse requires your dog to go through tunnels, climb various platforms, jump and overcome obstacles. The American Kennel Club (AKC) offers agility classes and holds agility trials all over the country.

The AKC explains tracking events as "the competition form of canine search and rescue." Tracking games provide a venue for your dog to display a high level of obedience training, as well as demonstrating his scenting skills. The AKC tracking exhibitions have three levels of games. The first is called the tracking dog, or TD, test. In this game, your dog follows a short but challenging track. An item such as a glove is hidden and your dog must find it 30 minutes to 2 hours after the track was made.

The next level, called the tracking dog excellent test, or TDX, requires that your dog follow a scent over expansive terrain and obstacles, such as woods and multilevel fields. During this tracking event, your Saint Bernard must discriminate among tracks of other humans, while indicating four different objects left on a track 3-5 hours earlier.

After mastering the first two levels, your dog is ready for the newest and most difficult tracking test, variable-surface tracking test, or VTT. This tracking game requires your dog to follow an aged scent over diverse surfaces, while signaling recognition of assorted materials, such as plastic, metal, leather and fabric. Once your dog achieves all three tracking game titles, he earns the AKC's Champion Tracker title.

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