Everyone recognizes the St. Bernard as that massive and chinky-eyed rescue dog of the Alps. Many stories surround this breed about its heroic efforts to search and rescue trapped humans during avalanches. But moreover, not only is this dog recognized for this courageous cause but for being a dependable working dog and loyal family pet as well.
This breed is said to have come from the massive ancient Molossoid dog breeds and Sennenhunds, a herding and hunting breed of the Swiss. Today's appearance of the St. Bernard however is not exactly of the classic St. Bernard because there came a point when this breed almost vanished because avalanches swallowed many of the dogs. With the use of the Newfoundland breed the St. Bernard was saved from extinction.
The name of this dog was given by travelers who sought refuge at the hospice at St. Bernard Pass, a treacherous pass in the Western Alps. The travelers saw these massive dogs that were used on many rescue operations and so to identify them, they called them St. Bernards. The breed's and the pass' name was of an 11th century monk named Bernard Menthon who is also the founder of the hospice.
Before being called St. Bernard, this dog was known as Saint Dog, Noble Steed, Alpenmastiff and Barry dog. Additionally, a St. Bernard named Barry became very famous when he rescued 40 to 100 people from certain death. Because of this, he was founded a monument at the Cimetiere des Chiens and his body was preserved and displayed at the National History Museum at Berne.
The St. Bernard weighs heavily at 160 to 260 pounds and towers at 27 1/2 to 35 1/2 inches of height. The tail is long, hanging low and heavy but turns upward slightly. The eyes of this dog are tight lid, masked in color black including some parts of the face and both ears.
The St. Bernard's coat can be smooth or rough. The smooth one is flat and fits fairly to the body while the rough one is flat and dense especially around the neck and legs. The common colors of the coat are red with white and mahogany brindle with white.
The St. Bernard is a dependable household companion as it is hardworking, eager to please, and extremely loyal. It is patient and tolerant with little children and with additional good socialization during puppyhood, it can also be as tolerant to smaller animals. This dog is fairly manageable so long as it is trained early on and it should also help that this dog is intelligent and obedient.
The St. Bernard is not rough nor excessively active but actually very gentle and affable. It is not very active indoors and so an urban type of dwelling would suffice him. To keep his mental and physical health fit, daily walks should be done for this dog.
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