I'm glad to see you are doing your homework first, that is very smart and responsible of you. When I first started learning about Pit Bulls I just typed in "Pit Bulls" in my search engine and went from there. The AKC's website www.akc.org is a good place start. They give breed info as well as a list of breed specific rescues and a list of breed clubs who can give you referals to good resposible breeders. Another site with lots of good info on pretty much every aspect of owning a dog is the Dog Owners Guide website http://www.canismajor.com/dog/. This website also gives breed info on several breeds (St. Bernards being one of them) and what to look for as far as good and bad breeders, picking a pup, training, housebreaking, rescue dogs, behavior, etc. If there are any dog shows coming up in your area, go. That is the best place to see the best represintatives of the breed you are interested in. If there is a St. Bernard breed club in your area, find out if they are putting on any shows any time soon. You will be able to interact with the dogs and the owners. They can give you lots of info on their breed and let you know if they have any litters planned.

The best dog pairs I have ever encountered were big dogs and small dogs. The smaller dogs are usually the ones running the house, go figure. If you don't want to go through the puppy stages I would suggest getting a St. from a rescue. Most rescue dogs are 2 years and older, their temperament is already established so there are no surprises and the rescue/fosters can tell you a lot about the dog's personality, likes and dislikes, housebroken or not and if they get along with other dogs, etc. If you find a dog you like, take Ginger to meet it to make sure they get along before you take the new dog home. Even though you think you are getting a dog for yourself, you are really getting a dog for Ginger and she needs to help pick out the right dog. lol

Good luck.