The Saint Bernard Dog
The Saint Bernard dog originates from Switzerland dating back to the 18th century. It became famous at a station called
Saint Bernard Hospice that was located in Saint Bernard's Pass. The hospice was a stop over for people making the perilous and at
at that time dangerous journey between Italy and Switzerland. The Saint Bernard dog was developed to guide and to rescue
people as they crossed the snow covered paths. Its coat protected it in the harsh weather, while its keen sense of
smell helped it to find travelers buried in snowbanks or avalanches. When it located a lost traveler, it would lick the
face and provide warmth using
its own body until help arrived. It also seemed to have an outstanding ability to sense
avalanches.
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The most famous Saint Bernard dog of the time was Barry who lived from 1800 to 1810. He is credited with rescuing 40 people
in his life time, bringing much fame to the breed. Saint Bernard's Pass, the hospice, and the dog, all drive their
name from Bernard de Menthon, an 11th Century monk who established the station.
The Saint Bernard dog is probably descendent from Molossus dogs
left behind in the days of the Romans that interbred with native alpine mastiffs. The breed was later crossed with
Newfoundlands to increase stamina. This cross breeding also introduced the long coat characteristic.
At first it would appear that the longer coat would be an advantage in the snowy mountains. But in fact, the opposite is true,
snow sticks to the longer hair and makes the dog's work more difficult. The long coat is more accepted in today's companion
animal than in the earlier rescue dogs.
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Today the Saint Bernard dog has come to be more popular in North America than in its native Europe. (Ranking in the AKC's top 40.)
It is easily one of the most recognizable breeds having stared in movies and television commercials. The modern breed is also larger
than its ancient relatives, often weighing up to 200 pounds (91 kg). It is a very large and muscular dog that needs a
lot of room. It is not suitable for urban living. As you can guess, it can be expensive to feed and maintain and may not be
suitable for first time owners.
The Saint Bernard dog at a glance:
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| Origin |
Switzerland - 17 or 18th century. |
| Original Use |
The Saint Bernard dog was originally used for rescue, hauling, guiding, companion, and as watch dog. |
| Use Today |
Companion |
| Temperament |
The Saint Bernard dog is calm and gentle. It is intelligent, trustworthy, and loyal. It is devoted to its family and is usually quite willing to please. |
| Acceptance of: |
Other Dogs - Average |
| Other Pets - Good |
| Strangers - Average |
| Children - Excellent
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| Watchdog Ability |
Below Average |
| Guard dog Ability |
Its sheer size may work as a deterrent, but because of its gentle nature, guarding is not on of this breed's strengths. |
| Ease of Training |
Average |
| Living Conditions |
A dog of this size needs space and money. It is not suitable for most urban settings. It is content to live outdoors in most cool and cold climates but never likes to be very far removed from its family. It does not tolerate heat. |
| Exercise |
This breed needs a reasonable amount of exercise. Long walks or moderate runs are required daily or on every other day. Without proper exercise it can become frustrated and resort to destructive behavior. |
| Coat |
The Saint Bernard dog comes in two varieties, long coat and smooth coat. The long coat lies close to the body, is fuller, and has a lot of feathering on the tail. The smooth coat is also close lying but only has slight feathering on the thighs and tail. |
| Grooming |
Both long and smooth coat types require at least weekly brushing; more frequent when shedding. |
| Colors |
The Saint Bernard dog usually has white markings on orange, red brindle, or brown brindle. White must appear on a nose band, collar, chest, feet, and on the tip of its tail. It may have a dark mask and dark ears. |
| Height and Weight |
Weight range is 110 to 200 pounds (50 to 91 kg) while the height range is 24 to 28 inches (61 to 71 cm). Variations may occur in individual animals. |
| Life Expectancy |
11 to 12 years. |
| Group |
The AKC places the Saint Bernard dog in the Working group. |
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