St. Bernard
Dogs
St. Bernard
St. Bernard |
St. Bernard owned by
Wilbur Wright
|
Alternative names |
St. Bernhardshund
Bernhardiner
Alpine Mastiff
Saint Bernard |
Country of origin |
Switzerland |
Common nicknames |
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Classification and breed standards |
FCI: |
Group 2 Section 2 #61 |
AKC: |
Working |
ANKC: |
Group 6 (Utility) |
CKC: |
Group 3 - Working Dogs |
KC (UK): |
Working |
NZKC: |
Utility |
UKC: |
Guardian Dogs |
Not recognized by any major kennel club |
This breed of dog is
extinct |
Notes |
|
St. Bernard
The St. Bernard Dog is a large
breed of
dog originally bred
for rescue and as a
working
dog. A full-grown male can weigh between 150 and 200 lb (68 and 90 kg).
There are two varieties of the breed: the short-haired or smooth-coat
variety and the long-haired or rough-coat variety.
The St. Bernard is known for its loyalty and vigilance and is tolerant of
both children and animals. Because of these traits, it has become a family dog.
They also make good watchdogs, as their size can be intimidating to strangers,
though their temperament is gentle.
History
The ancestors of the St. Bernard were the
herding
dogs of Swiss
farmers 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 still are 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
Cimetičre des Chiens and his body was preserved in the Natural History
Museum in Berne[1].
Varieties
The St. Bernard originally was a smooth-coated dog developed to rescue
travellers from the snow. In the
1830s the monks
who owned and bred the dogs introduced
Newfoundland blood to strengthen the breed, and this gave rise to the
rough-coat St. Bernard. Although more popular, the rough-coat variety proved to
be unsuitable for mountain work because the long hair tended to collect
icicles. For
this reason the monks kept the smooth coat variety for rescue work.
Temperament
St. Bernards are very gentle giants. They are extremely fond of children and
are loyal to their family, but, as with any dog, should not be left unsupervised
with young children.
Scipio, a St. Bernard dog belonging to
Orville Wright
Miscellaneous
Naming
The name "St. Bernard" was not in widespread use until the middle of the
19th
century. The dogs were called "Saint Dogs", "Alpenmastiff", or "Barry Dogs"
before, and in parts of North America, they're still called "Saints".
Movies
In 1977,
Wonderful World of Disney played a TV movie about St. Bernard rescue dogs,
Barry of the Great St. Bernard. Other movies about St. Bernards include
Beethoven and
Cujo.
Media portrayal
St. Bernards are often portrayed, especially in comics and cartoons, with
small barrels of
brandy worn around their necks. This stems from their use as search dogs in
avalanche rescue efforts in the
Alps where the
alcohol in the barrel was believed to help warm up rescued victims.
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