What does each club give for Height at the withers in the Saint Bernard?

FCI, Male: 70–90 cm; AKC, Male: over 69.9 cm; UKC, Male: 73.7–78.7 cm; KC, Male: over 75 cm; CKC, Male: over 69.8 cm; FCI, Female: 65–80 cm; AKC, Female: over 64.8 cm; UKC, Female: 68.6–73.7 cm; KC, Female: over 70 cm; CKC, Female: over 64.8 cm.

Saint Bernard breed standards compared

Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.

Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC, CKC.

Size

Size
Measure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Height at the withers, male	70–90 cmunder 70 cmDisqualifying	over 69.9 cm	73.7–78.7 cm69.9–73.7 cmFault78.7–82.6 cmFaultunder 69.9 cmDisqualifyingover 82.6 cmDisqualifying	over 75 cm	over 69.8 cm
Height at the withers, female	65–80 cmunder 65 cmDisqualifying	over 64.8 cm	68.6–73.7 cm64.8–68.6 cmFault73.7–77.5 cmFaultunder 64.8 cmDisqualifyingover 77.5 cmDisqualifying	over 70 cm	over 64.8 cm
Height to length	0.9	No ruling	1	No ruling	No ruling
Skull to muzzle	No ruling	No ruling	2	No ruling	No ruling

Conformation

Conformation
Form	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
BiteScissors bite	Standard (“regular and complete scissor or pincer bite”)	Standard (“scissors or an even bite; the scissors bite being preferable”)	Standard (“meeting in a scissors bite”)	Standard (“perfect, regular and complete scissor bite”)	Standard (“scissors or an even bite, the scissors bite being preferable”)
BiteLevel bite	Alternate (“scissor or pincer bite”)	Alternate (“scissors or an even bite”)	Alternate (“A level bite is acceptable but not preferred”)	No ruling	Alternate (“scissors or an even bite”)
BiteUndershot	Alternate (“Close fitting undershot mouth ... acceptable”)	Fault (“The undershot bite ... is not desirable”)	Fault (“Faults: Overshot or undershot bite”)	No ruling	Fault (“The undershot bite ... is not desirable”)
BiteOvershot	Disqualifying (“ELIMINATING FAULTS: Overshot mouth”)	Fault (“The overshot bite is a fault”)	Fault (“Faults: Overshot or undershot bite”)	No ruling	Fault (“The overshot bite is a fault”)
Ear carriageDrop (pendant)	Standard (“front edges lying closely to the cheeks”)	Standard (“drop with a sharp bend to the side and cling to the head”)	Standard (“Ears are drop, of medium-size”)	Standard (“Medium size, lying close to cheeks”)	Standard (“drop with a sharp bend to the side and cling to the head”)
Ear setHigh	Standard (“set on high and wide”)	Standard (“rather high set”)	Standard (“set fairly high”)	No ruling	Standard (“rather high set”)
Ear setLow	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Serious Fault: Low-set ears”)	No ruling	No ruling
Eye shapeRound	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Serious Faults: ... bulging, round eyes”)	No ruling	No ruling
StopPronounced	Standard (“Stop: Distinctly pronounced”)	Standard (“The slope from the skull to the muzzle is sudden and rather steep”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“The slope from the skull to the muzzle is sudden and rather steep”)
ToplineLevel	Standard (“Topline straight and horizontal up to the loins”)	Standard (“perfectly straight as far as the haunches”)	Standard (“The back is level to the haunches”)	Standard (“Back broad, level”)	Standard (“perfectly straight as far as the haunches”)
Tail lengthLong	Standard (“Tail long and heavy”)	Standard (“is long, very heavy”)	No ruling	Standard (“Set on rather high, long”)	No ruling
Tail setHigh	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Set on rather high”)	No ruling
Tail carriageLow (hanging)	Standard (“When in repose, the tail hangs straight down”)	Standard (“In repose it hangs straight down”)	No ruling	Standard (“carried low when in repose”)	No ruling
Tail carriageCurled over the back	No ruling	Fault (“may not be carried too erect or by any means rolled over the back”)	No ruling	Fault (“when excited or in motion should not curl over back”)	No ruling
FeetCat foot	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“The feet are large, round and compact”)	No ruling	No ruling
HocksStraight and parallel	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Straight hocks are highly undesirable”)	No ruling
Neck lengthLong	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Neck Long, thick, muscular, slightly arched”)	No ruling
Neck lengthMedium	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“The neck is of moderate length”)	No ruling	No ruling
DewlapPronounced	No ruling	Standard (“The dewlap of throat and neck is well pronounced”)	Fault (“Fault: Excessive dewlap on neck or throat”)	Standard (“dewlap well developed”)	No ruling
ChestModerate	Standard (“Brisket moderately deep with well sprung ribs”)	Standard (“Very well arched, moderately deep”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
ChestDeep	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Chest wide and deep”)	No ruling
ChestBroad	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Chest wide and deep”)	No ruling
Muzzle shapeBlunt	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“The muzzle is broad, blunt and deep”)	No ruling	No ruling
Muzzle shapeSquare	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Muzzle short, full in front of eye and square at nose end”)	No ruling
DentitionFull dentition	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“a complete set of evenly spaced, white teeth”)	No ruling	No ruling
DentitionMissing teeth	Alternate (“Absence of PM 1 (premolar 1) and M3 tolerated”)	No ruling	Fault (“Serious Fault: More than two missing teeth”)	No ruling	No ruling

Markings

Markings
Marking	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Chest patch	Standard (“Required white markings: Chest, feet, tip of tail”)	Standard (“white chest, feet and tip of tail”)	Standard (“white chest, white feet and tip of tail”)	Standard (“white chest”)	No ruling
Socks	Standard (“Required white markings: Chest, feet, tip of tail”)	Standard (“white chest, feet and tip of tail”)	Standard (“white chest, white feet and tip of tail”)	Standard (“white forelegs, feet and end of tail”)	No ruling
White tail tip	Standard (“Required white markings: Chest, feet, tip of tail”)	Standard (“white chest, feet and tip of tail”)	Standard (“white chest, white feet and tip of tail”)	Standard (“white forelegs, feet and end of tail”)	No ruling
Collar	Standard (“Desirable markings: White collar.”)	Standard (“collar or spot on the nape”)	Standard (“white collar or white spot on the nape of the neck”)	Standard (“white collar”)	No ruling
Blaze	Standard (“Required white markings: Chest, feet, tip of tail, muzzle band, blaze”)	Standard (“and blaze are very desirable”)	Standard (“white blaze between the eyes”)	Standard (“white blaze on face”)	Standard (“the latter and a blaze are very desirable”)
Mask	Standard (“Symmetrical dark mask.”)	Alternate (“dark shadings on the head (mask) and ears”)	Standard (“A dark mask around the eyes and dark color on the ears are highly desirable”)	Standard (“black shadings on face and ears”)	Alternate (“favourite dark shadings on the head (mask) and ears”)

Cropping, docking and other procedures

Cropping, docking and other procedures
Procedure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Dewclaw removal	No ruling	No ruling	Alternate (“Rear dewclaws may be removed”)	No ruling	No ruling

The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live.

Saint Bernard colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Saint Bernard color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Saint Bernard in Black, White, Brown, Mahogany, Red, and Orange. Standard patterns: Bicolor, Tricolor, Brindle, Piebald, Sable, Mantle, and Reverse brindle.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	UKC	KC	KUSA	AKC
Black	Standard (“Slight touch of black shading on body tolerated”)	Fault (“Black on any other part of the dog is a minor fault”)	Standard (“Orange Black & White”)	Standard (“Slight touch of black shading on body tolerated”)	No ruling
White	Standard (“Primary colour white”)	Standard (“All shades of red and white”)	Standard (“white with patches”)	Standard (“Primary colour white”)	Standard (“White & Red”)
Brown	Standard (“A broken reddish-brown mantle is of equal value”)	Standard (“any shade of brown and white”)	Standard (“Brown & White”)	Standard (“A broken reddish brown mantle is of equal value”)	Standard (“Brown & White”)
Mahogany	Standard (“clear to dark red mantle”)	Standard (“All shades of red”)	Standard (“mahogany-brindle”)	Standard (“clear to dark red mantle”)	Standard (“Mahogany & White”)
Red	Standard (“clear red patches ... clear to dark red mantle”)	Standard (“All shades of red”)	Standard (“Red & White”)	Standard (“clear red patches ... clear to dark red mantle”)	Standard (“Red & White”)
Orange	Standard (“Brownish-yellow tolerated”)	Standard (“All shades of red”)	Standard (“Orange”)	Standard (“Brownish-yellow tolerated”)	Standard (“Orange & White”)
Albino	Disqualifying	Disqualifying (“albinism”)	Not recognized	Disqualifying	No ruling
Patterns
Bicolor	No ruling	Standard (“All shades of red and white”)	Standard (“Red & White”)	No ruling	Standard (“Red & White”)
Tricolor	No ruling	Fault (“Black on any other part of the dog is a minor fault”)	Standard (“Tricolour”)	No ruling	No ruling
Brindle	Standard (“A brindle reddish-brown colour permissible”)	Standard (“brindle and white”)	Standard (“mahogany-brindle, red-brindle”)	Standard (“A brindle reddish-brown colour permissible”)	Standard (“Brindle & White”)
Piebald	Standard (“white with smaller or larger clear red patches (splash-coated dogs)”)	No ruling	Standard (“white with patches on body of any of the above named colours”)	Standard (“white, with smaller or larger clear red patches (splash-coated dogs)”)	No ruling
Sable	Standard (“Dark shadings on head desirable. Slight touch of black shading on body tolerated”)	No ruling	Standard (“black shadings on face and ears”)	Standard (“Dark shadings on head desirable. Slight touch of black shading on body tolerated”)	No ruling
Mantle	Standard (“unbroken clear to dark red mantle covering back and flanks (mantle dogs)”)	No ruling	Not recognized	Standard (“unbroken, clear to dark red mantle covering back and flanks (mantle dogs)”)	No ruling
Reverse brindle	Standard (“A brindle reddish-brown colour permissible”)	Standard (“brindle and white”)	Standard (“mahogany-brindle, red-brindle”)	Standard (“A brindle reddish-brown colour permissible”)	Standard (“Brindle & White”)
Roan	Fault (“reddish-brown dots or ticks in the white”)	No ruling	Not recognized	Fault (“reddish-brown dots or ticks in the white”)	No ruling
Solid	Disqualifying (“Solid white or solid reddish-brown coat (absence of the primary colour)”)	Disqualifying (“Solid-colored dog”)	Not recognized	Disqualifying (“Solid white or solid reddish-brown coat (absence of the primary colour)”)	No ruling

Eyes: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	UKC	KC	KUSA
Brown	Standard (“dark brown to nut-brown”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“dark brown to nut brown”)
Dark brown	Standard (“dark brown to nut-brown”)	Standard (“dark brown in color”)	Standard (“Dark in colour”)	Standard (“dark brown to nut brown”)
Blue	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Blue eyes”)	No ruling	No ruling

Nose: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“Black, broad and square”)	Standard (“Nose leather is black”)	Standard (“Nose large and black”)	Standard (“Black, broad, and square”)
Pink	Disqualifying (“flesh coloured nostrils (nostrils without pigmentation)”)	Disqualifying	No ruling	Disqualifying (“flesh-coloured nostrils (nostrils without pigmentation)”)
Patterns
Butterfly nose	Fault (“Incomplete or totally absent pigmentation on nose leather”)	Fault (“Incomplete nose pigment”)	No ruling	Fault (“Incomplete or totally absent pigmentation on nose leather”)

What the rulings mean

Standard: Described by the club's breed standard.
Fault: Named by the club's breed standard as a fault: the animal can be shown but is penalized.
Disqualifying: The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this color or pattern.
Not recognized: The club does not accept this color or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Saint Bernard's colors can change over its life.

Blackchanges toRust
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toGray
Coat · Progressive
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Whitechanges toRoan
Coat · With age · from 2 weeks
Blackchanges toSnow nose
Nose · With the season · can change back
Blackchanges toPink
Nose · With the season · can change back

Sources

Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.

Published standards

Back to the Saint Bernard guide Grooming styles for the Saint Bernard