Home / Breeds / Compare / Newfoundland vs St. Bernard
From Canada, the Newfoundland is a giant guard and working breed whose traditional work was to guard people and property and stand watch over homes, farms and families. the Swiss Alps (Great St Bernard Pass) produced the St. This page puts the two side by side on the numbers that actually differ: size, exercise, grooming, what each costs to keep, and the health tests a breeder should show you.
The biggest gap is size: the middle of the St. Bernard weight range is about 150 lb against 125 lb for the Newfoundland.
The next biggest gap is monthly cost: the modeled total is about $185 a month for the St. Bernard against $168 for the Newfoundland.
| Newfoundland | St. Bernard | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Working | Working |
| Origin | Canada | the Swiss Alps (Great St Bernard Pass) |
| Height | 25 to 29 in | 26 to 35 in |
| Weight | 100 to 150 lb | 120 to 180 lb |
| Lifespan | 8 to 10 years | 8 to 10 years |
| Coat | Thick, coarse double coat: a water resistant, slightly oily outer coat over a soft, dense undercoat. It sheds heavily, especially in spring, and mats if brushing lapses. | Dense double coat, either short and smooth or medium length and slightly wavy depending on the variety, over a thick undercoat. Heavy seasonal shedding means weekly brushing, and daily brushing at the blow out. |
| Temperament | Bold, devoted, watchful and trainable | Strong willed, brave, affectionate at home |
| Energy | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Trainability | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Grooming needs | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Shedding | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Barking | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| With children | Good with children | Good with children |
| With other dogs | With early socialization | With early socialization |
| With strangers | Wary of strangers | Wary of strangers |
| Apartment fit | Not ideal | Not ideal |
| Daily exercise | 60 to 90 min | 60 to 90 min |
| Food per month (model) | $65 (6.1 cups a day) | $75 (7.0 cups a day) |
| Insurance per month (model) | $75 to $130 | $80 to $140 |
| Monthly total (model) | $140 to $195 | $155 to $215 |
| Yearly total (model) | $1,682 to $2,342 | $1,857 to $2,577 |
| Lifetime total (model) | $13,456 to $23,420 | $14,853 to $25,766 |
| Breeder health tests | 5 recommended tests | 5 recommended tests |
| Health watch | Heart screening for subaortic stenosis is essential in this breed, alongside hips, elbows and a DNA test for cystinuria. Bloat is the emergency risk in a deep chested giant. | Bloat is the emergency risk, and hips and elbows must be screened in a breed this heavy. Heart disease and bone cancer appear more than average. Growth must be kept slow and steady through the long puppyhood. |
The two are level on the first-time-owner score, so daily temperament and the sections below decide this one.
Newfoundland: matches the St. Bernard on the apartment rating ("Not ideal") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks: barking, then daily exercise, then size.
Both are listed the same way for children and tie on the tie-breaks; supervision matters more than the breed label here.
Level on shedding. Shedding is only a proxy for loose hair in the home; no breed is allergen-free, so time spent with the breed matters more than this row.
Newfoundland: runs about $17 a month less than the St. Bernard on modeled food plus insurance ($168 against $185 at the midpoints).
Scoring rules behind the Newfoundland and St. Bernard verdicts: a first-time-owner score of 2 x trainability + (6 - energy) + (6 - grooming) + (6 - barking); the apartment verdict ordered by apartment rating, barking, exercise, then weight; children ordered by the children rating, trainability, then stranger friendliness; allergy by lowest shedding, then grooming; budget by the lowest monthly modeled total. Level scores are declared ties.
The published breeder panel for the Newfoundland lists 5 recommended tests; the St. Bernard panel lists 5. 2 test areas appear in both panels.
Listed for the Newfoundland and not in the St. Bernard panel: Cardiac evaluation; Cystinuria (Newfoundland type) DNA test; Electives recorded by careful breeders.
Listed for the St. Bernard and not in the Newfoundland panel: Cardiac examination; Degenerative myelopathy (DM) DNA test; Eye examination (CAER, by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist).
Full panels: Newfoundland health testing and St. Bernard health testing.
On the modeled figures the St. Bernard costs more month to month: about $185 a month at the midpoint of food plus insurance, against $168 for the Newfoundland. Run across the lifespan ranges, the model gives $14,853 to $25,766 for the St. Bernard and $13,456 to $23,420 for the Newfoundland. These are planning estimates, not quotes.
They are level: both plan on 60 to 90 minutes a day, and energy is rated 4 of 5 for the Newfoundland against 4 of 5 for the St. Bernard.
On our ratings, yes: both are rated 3 of 5 for shedding. The coats still feel different in the house. Newfoundland: Thick, coarse double coat: a water resistant, slightly oily outer coat over a soft, dense undercoat. It sheds heavily, especially in spring, and mats if brushing lapses. St. Bernard: Dense double coat, either short and smooth or medium length and slightly wavy depending on the variety, over a thick undercoat. Heavy seasonal shedding means weekly brushing, and daily brushing at the blow out.
Not equally. The Newfoundland is the better fit for an apartment: it matches the St. Bernard on the apartment rating ("Not ideal") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks, barking, then daily exercise, then size.
Both published panels run to 5 recommended tests. The lists are compared in full in the health testing section above; ask to see current results for the parents, not just the puppy, whichever breed you choose.
Choosing between more than two? Open the comparison tool and put up to four breeds side by side, or read all written breed comparisons.
Breed facts here follow the standards and club guidance summarized on the Newfoundland and St. Bernard profiles. The cost figures are modeled estimates for planning, each labeled with its basis; none is a quote, and none is veterinary advice. The health test panels are those published by the breed clubs and CHIC, as set out on each breed's health testing page.