Brittany Spaniel vs Saint Bernard: Which Suits Your Home?

Few comparisons on this site have a gap this wide. The Brittany checks in at 30-40 pounds and 17-20 inches; the Saint Bernard is a giant-breed dog running 120-180 pounds and up to 30 inches tall. A Saint Bernard puppy will likely outweigh an adult Brittany before its first birthday, and everything downstream -- food, medication doses, furniture, car space -- follows from that difference.

This pairing flips the usual script: the Brittany needs High (4/5) exercise, while the Saint Bernard needs only Low (2/5). Don't mistake that for laziness so much as physics -- a giant breed's joints and heart don't love sustained high-output activity, especially in heat. If you want a hiking partner, the Brittany is built for it; the Saint Bernard is built for a slow walk and a nap.

The Brittany is the lower-maintenance coat here: Low (2/5) grooming and Moderate (3/5) shedding, against the Saint Bernard's Moderate (3/5) grooming and High (4/5) shedding. A Saint Bernard's double coat -- short or long, depending on the line -- comes off in volume, especially at seasonal blowouts. Budget for a stronger vacuum and more frequent brushing if you go with the Saint.

Neither dog is a big barker (Low, 2/5, for both), so noise isn't the deciding factor. Space is: the Brittany rates Moderate (3/5) for apartment living, while the Saint Bernard sits at Very low (1/5) -- a dog this size needs room just to turn around comfortably, let alone live well long-term in a small unit. This is really a house-versus-apartment question more than a breed-preference one.

The Brittany scores High (4/5) for first-time owners and Very high (5/5) for trainability; the Saint Bernard is still workable for a beginner at Moderate (3/5) but trains at only Moderate (3/5) too -- gentle and willing, just slower to pick things up and, frankly, harder to physically manage mid-training given its size.

Both breeds are excellent with kids -- Very high (5/5) for each -- which is notable given how differently they're built. The Brittany edges ahead with other dogs (5/5 vs. 4/5), and both are equally friendly to strangers (High, 4/5). If gentle temperament with children is the top priority, this comparison is close to a tie; the Saint Bernard's size just means more supervision during play.

The Brittany's 12-15 year lifespan is close to double the Saint Bernard's 8-10, a gap typical of giant breeds carrying that much mass on a frame with the same basic joint structure as a 35-pound dog. Both share hip and elbow dysplasia risk and a chance of bloat. Beyond that, the Saint Bernard's list adds dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious heart condition, and entropion, an eyelid defect that can need surgical correction.

The Saint Bernard costs more everywhere: $150-$310 a month against the Brittany's $90-$180, and $2,200-$4,200 in year one versus $1,300-$2,500. Food alone for a 150-pound dog isn't cheap, and giant-breed vet visits -- sedation doses, imaging, medication -- scale with body weight. Go in expecting the Saint Bernard's true cost to land closer to the top of that range than the bottom.