St. Bernard (dog breed): Difference between revisions

St. Bernard
St. Bernard in the snow
Other names	St. Bernhardshund Bernhardiner Alpine Mastiff Saint Bernard
Origin	Italy /  Switzerland
Kennel club standards Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (domestic dog)

The St. Bernard Dog is a very large breed of dog originally bred for rescue and as a working dog. A full-grown male can weigh between 160 and 240 lb (72.5 / 110+ kg) and the approximate height is 27½ inches to 35½ inches (70 to 90 cm).^[1]

According to several resources they are one of the largest dog breeds ^[2]. There are two varieties of the breed: the short-haired or smooth-coat variety and the long-haired or rough-coat variety. ^[3]

St. Bernards are gentle, friendly, and tolerant of children. Extremely loyal, this breed is eager to please its owners but due to its size, it is essential that proper training and socialization begin early in life while the dog is still a manageable size. An unruly St Bernard presents a problem for even a strong adult so control needs to be asserted from the beginning. St Bernard will bark at strangers and its size makes it is a good deterrent against most intruders although their aggression as guard dogs are rarely equitable with breeds such as the Rottweiler or Doberman Pincher. They drool excessively after they drink or eat.

The very fast growth rate and the weight of a St. Bernard can lead to very serious deterioration of the bones if the dog does not get proper food and exercise. Many dogs are affected by hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia. Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) has been shown to be hereditary in the breed.^[4]

St. Bernards are susceptible to eye disorders called entropion and ectropion. The FCI standard indicates that this is now a major fault. The breed is also susceptible to epilepsy and seizures, a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy, and eczema.

The average life span of a St. Bernard is about 8 years,and some insurance companies will not issue a life insurance beyond 8 years.

The ancestors of the St. Bernard are the herding dogs of Swiss farmers like the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, as well as hunting dogs and watchdogs. Their history has also been connected with the hospice at the Great St. Bernard Pass. First reports of the dogs' presence at the pass date to the 17th century, and they remained loyal companions to the monks there.

The most famous St. Bernard to save people at the pass was Barry (sometimes spelled Berry), who reportedly saved somewhere between 40 and 100 lives. There is a monument to Barry in the Cimetiere des Chiens, and his body was preserved in the Natural History Museum in Berne.^[5]

The classic St. Bernard looked very different from the St. Bernard of today, because an avalanche killed off many of the dogs used for breeding^{[citation needed]}. To further the breed, they crossed the remaining dogs with other dogs, but in the process lost much of their use as rescue dogs. The St. Bernard is among the heaviest and largest dog breeds in the world. The world's heaviest and largest dog in known history was a Saint Bernard named Benedictine, which weighed 152.5kg (336 lbs).^[6] Successive studies suggest that Benedictine was in fact 162 kg (357 lbs).^[7]

The name "St. Bernard" originates from a traveler's hospice on the often treacherous St. Bernard Pass in the Western Alps between Switzerland and Italy, where the name was passed to the local dogs. The pass, the lodge, and the dogs are named for Bernard of Menthon, the 11th century monk who established the station.^[8]

"St. Bernard" was in widespread use until the middle of the 19th century. The dogs were called "Saint Dogs","Noble Steeds", "Alpenmastiff", or "Barry Dogs" before, and in parts of North America, they're still called "Saints".

St. Bernards are often portrayed, especially in comics, cartoons and old live action comedies such as Swiss Miss, with small barrels of brandy worn around their necks. This was supposedly used to warm the victims that the dogs found. However, the monks of the St. Bernard Hospice deny that any St. Bernard has ever carried casks or small barrels around their necks; they believe that the origin of the image is an early painting. The monks did keep casks around for photographs by tourists.^[6] It should also be noted that alchohol (which acts as a vasodilator) would worsen the symptoms in a person suffering hypothermia.

One magazine cartoon showed a grown St. Bernard, presumably female, with several puppies; she and each puppy had a cask around the neck. The man with the dogs told a visitor, according to the caption, "Of course, I only breed them for the brandy."^{[citation needed]}

• In 1977, Wonderful World of Disney played a TV movie about St. Bernard rescue dogs, Barry of the Great St. Bernard.Part 2 was made in 1985.
• A St. Bernard is also the title dog of the Beethoven film series.
• Cujo is a 1983 film, based on the novel by Stephen King, about a rabid St. Bernard terrorizing a mother and child trapped in a broken-down car.
• A St. Bernard has a brief appearace near the end of 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, where it comes to the aid of James Bond.

• Bolivar, Donald Duck's pet
• Unnamed St. Bernard whom Stan Laurel tricks of his keg of brandy in Swiss Miss
• Cujo, a fictional portrayal of a rabid St. Bernard by Stephen King
• Nanna, from various Peter Pan movies (but originally a Newfoundland in the text)
• Buck, from Jack London's The Call of the Wild
• Gumbo, team mascot for the New Orleans Saints
• Neil, the martini-slurping St. Bernard of George and Marion Kerby in Topper (TV series)
• Beethoven, the movie Beethoven
• Bamse, a Norwegian dog honoured for exploits during World War II memorial statue in Montrose Scotland where he died in 1944

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St. Bernard dog.

• The American Kennel Club
• The Saint Bernard club of America
• The Old Man
• Mastiff Experts