The St. Bernard is recognized internationally today as one of themolosser breeds.[6] It is agiant dog. Thecoat is smooth being close and flat. The colour is primarily white with smaller or larger red patches with a clear to dark red mantle and reddish-brown mantle being the most 'valuable'. A brindle reddish colour and brownish-yellow colour are both allowed but less desirable. Thetail is long and heavy, hanging high. The eye colour ranges from light brown to dark brown and should have naturally tight lids, withhaws only slightly visible.[7]
The earliest written records of the St. Bernard are from monks at theGreat St Bernard Hospice at theGreat St Bernard Pass in 1707, with paintings and drawings of the dog dating even earlier.[8] Early British accounts of the breed described the breed as theAlpine Spaniel.[9] The first evidence that the dogs were in use at the monastery is in two paintings dating to 1690 by Italian artistSalvator Rosa. The most famous St. Bernard to save people at the pass wasBarry (sometimes spelled Berry), who reportedly saved somewhere between 40 and 100 lives. There is a monument to Barry in theCimetière des Chiens, and his body was preserved in theNatural History Museum inBern.[10]
Another famous dog was Rutor, the faithful companion of the Italian priestPierre Chanoux, named after the peakTête du Rutor located above the Little St. Bernard pass. The classic St. Bernard looked very different from the St. Bernard of today because of crossbreeding. Severe winters from 1816 to 1818 led to increased numbers of avalanches, killing many of the dogs used for breeding while they were performing rescues.[11] In an attempt to preserve the breed, the remaining St. Bernards were crossed withNewfoundlands brought from theColony of Newfoundland in the 1850s, as well as with other breeds. This led to a significant change in their appearance and abilities. The long fur they inherited would freeze in the snowy climate of the Alps, weighing them down and reducing their effectiveness as rescue dogs.[12]
The dogs never received any special training from the monks. Instead, younger dogs would learn how to perform search and rescue operations from older dogs.[13]
The Swiss St. Bernard Club was founded inBasel on 15 March 1884. The St. Bernard was the first breed entered into the Swiss Stud Book in 1884, and the breed standard was finally approved in 1888. Since then, the breed has been a Swiss national dog.[8]
DuringWorld War I St. Bernard dogs assisted theRed Cross and were used to carry supplies to troops in the Italian mountains, stationed in places inaccessible to mules and horses.[14]
The dogs at theGreat St Bernard Hospice were working dogs that were smaller than today's show St. Bernards. Originally about the size of aGerman Shepherd Dog,[15] the St. Bernard grew to the size of today's dog as kennel clubs and dog shows emphasized appearance over the dog's working ability, along with a closed stud book.[16]
Barry's taxidermied body. Although the skull shape was changed in the 1920s, his body demonstrates the original St. Bernard proportions
Italian priest Pierre Chanoux and his faithful St. Bernard, Rutor
"St. Bernard" was not in widespread use until the middle of the 19th century. The dogs were called "Saint Dogs", "Noble Steeds", or "Barry Dogs" before that time.[citation needed]
The breed is strikingly similar to theEnglish Mastiff. The modern St. Bernard is radically different from the original dogs kept at theGreat St Bernard Hospice, most notably by being much larger in size and build. Since the late 1800s, the St. Bernard breed has been ever refined, using many different largemolosser-type breeds, including theNewfoundland,Great Pyrenees,Greater Swiss Mountain Dog,Great Dane,English Mastiff, and possibly theTibetan Mastiff andCaucasian Shepherd Dog. It is suspected that many of these large breeds were used to redevelop each other to combat the threat of their extinction after World War II, which may explain why all of them played a part in the creation of the St. Bernard as it is seen today.[citation needed]
The four Sennenhund (Swiss mountain dog) breeds, the Grosser Schweizer Sennenhund (Greater Swiss Mountain Dog), the Berner Sennenhund (Bernese Mountain Dog), theAppenzeller Sennenhund (Appenzeller Mountain Dog), and the Entlebucher Sennenhund (Entlebucher Mountain Dog), are similar in appearance to the St. Bernard and share the same location of origin and history, but are tricolour (black, tan and white) rather than red and white or mahogany brindle and white, as the St. Bernand is.[citation needed]
St. Bernard performing agility at the Rose City Classic AKC Show 2007, Portland, Oregon, US
St. Bernards are no longer used for Alpine rescues, the last recorded instance of which was in 1955. As late as 2004, theGreat St Bernard Hospice still retained 18 of the dogs for reasons of tradition and sentiment.[11]
An annual celebration of the breed takes place on the Little Saint Bernard Pass and at the town ofRosières-Montvalzan on the French side. St. Bernard enthusiasts and breeders gather for a dog show and parades.[23]
A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 9.3 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 forcrossbreeds.[24] A 2005 Swedish study of insurance data found 74% of St Bernards died by the age of 10, higher than the overall rate of 35% of dogs dying by the age of 10.[25]
A study found a mutation in the gene ARHGEF10 to be highly associated with a juvenile-onset inherited polyneuropathy similar toCharcot-Marie-Tooth disease.[27]
An American study of veterinary records found the Saint Bernard to be predisposed todilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), with 2.6% of dogs having the condition compared to 0.2% formixed-breeds.[29] A study in England found 20 out of 369 cases of DCM to be Saint Bernards with 72% of those all presenting foratrial fibrillation.[30]
An American study reviewing over a million cases presented to 27 veterinary teaching hospitals in North America found the Saint Bernard to be the second most predisposed tocanine hip dysplasia with 14.70% of dogs having the condition compared to 3.52% overall. The Saint Bernard was also found to be predisposed towardscanine cruciate ligament deficiency (CCLD) with 3.57% of dogs having the condition compared to 2.55% overall. The Saint Bernard had the third highest prevalence for dogs with both conditions at 1.19% compared to the overall rate of 0.3%.[31]
A review of 1,934 cases ofgastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) found the Saint Bernard to be greatly predisposed to the condition with anodds-ratio of 4.2.[32] A health survey in the UK found 4.6% of dogs to have the condition and 15.1% of dogs to have died from the condition.[33] A study in California found 3.76% of dogs presented had GDV[34]
Known as a classic example of a gentle giant, the Saint Bernard is calm, patient, and sweet with adults, and especially children. Overall, it is a gentle, loyal, and affectionate breed, and if socialized should be very friendly. While generally not instinctively protective, a St. Bernard may bark at strangers, and their size makes them good deterrents against possible intruders.[35][36]
The St. Bernard was bred to be a working companion and to this day it lives to please its master, and is an amiable yet hard worker. St. Bernards have retained their natural ability for scent work and depending on the skill of the trainer and the talents of the dog, they can participate in tracking events or even become involved in search and rescue work.[37]
St. Bernards are often portrayed, especially in old live action comedies such asSwiss Miss, the TV seriesTopper, and classiccartoons (such as the 1938Merrie Melodies short "Cracked Ice"), wearing small barrels ofbrandy around their necks. Avalanche victims supposedly drank the brandy to stay warm while awaiting rescue, although this is medically unsound. The monks of the St. Bernard Hospice deny that any St. Bernard has ever carried casks or small barrels around their necks; they attribute the image to an 1820 painting byEdwin Landseer,Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveller (which became a popular engraving in 1831 byCharles Landseer).[38] The monks did keep casks around for photographs by tourists.[39]
There was apparently at least one dog that really did carry brandy. InThe Percy Anecdotes, byThomas Byerley, published in 1823, the following anecdote appears, and was often quoted in other books in the 19th century:
The breed of dogs kept by the monks to assist them ... has been long celebrated for its sagacity and fidelity. All the oldest and most tried of them were lately buried, along with some unfortunate travellers, under a valanche [sic]; but three or four hopeful puppies were left at home in the convent, and still survive. The most celebrated of those who are no more, was a dog called Barry. This animal served the hospital for the space of twelve years, during which time he saved the lives of forty individuals. His zeal was indefatigable. Whenever the mountain was enveloped in fogs and snow, he set out in search of lost travellers. He was accustomed to run barking until he lost breath, and would frequently venture on the most perilous places. When he found his strength was insufficient to draw from the snow a traveller benumbed with cold, he would run back to the hospital in search of the monks….
When old age deprived him of strength, the Prior of the Convent pensioned him at Berney, by way of reward. After his death, his hide was stuffed and deposited in the museum of that town. The little phial, in which he carried a reviving liquor for the distressed travellers whom he found among the mountains, is still suspended from his neck.[40]
APunch magazine cartoon from 1949 depicts a man with a St. Bernard and several puppies, all of which are wearing neck casks. The man explains, "Of course, I only breed them for the brandy."[citation needed]
Bachelor, Resident Dog, the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
Burtonswood (Bossy Boots). English and Irish Crufts Supreme Champion (1974), breeder was the late Miss Marjorie Hinds
Bamse, a Norwegian dog honoured for exploits during World War II on a memorial statue in Montrose, Scotland, where he died in 1944; also awarded thePDSA Gold Medal for animal bravery
In Walt Disney's 1969 film"My Dog the Thief," Barabbas, a St. Bernard, accidentally takes a priceless necklace belonging to a gang of jewel smugglers, dragging his air-traffic reporter partner into a comedic adventure.
Beethoven (from thefilm series of the same name) The 1992 comedy filmBeethoven features a friendly but troublesome 185-pound (80 kg) longhaired St. Bernard and, in later sequels, his mate and their brood of unruly pups. According to the producers of the sequelBeethoven's 2nd, the St. Bernards used in the film grew so fast during filming that over 100 St. Bernard puppies were cast to portray the sequel's four puppies (Tchaikovsky, Chubby, Dolly, and Mo) and their mother (Missy).
Buck, fromJack London's 1903 novel,The Call of the Wild, is described as half St. Bernard and half "Scotch shepherd dog",[A][B] but was rendered as a full St. Bernard in at least one of the six movie versions.[C]
Cujo, a dog who had his friendly demeanour ruthlessly taken from him byrabies and became crazed, terrorizing some of the residents of the fictional town ofCastle Rock,Maine from the 1981Stephen King novelCujo and the 1983film of the same name.
Digby, the talking dog from the Canadian sitcom seriesDog House. Originally a police dog, his mind is swapped with that of his human partner before the latter dies in an accident, and he is taken custody by the officer's sister-in-law and her children.
George, eponymous dog in the filmGeorge! (1971) and its 1972–73 spin-offtelevision series.
Josef, (Niebla in the Spanish version) from the Japanese anime seriesHeidi, Girl of the Alps (Alps no Shoujo Heidi), and the2015 remake.
Nana, in the Disney and Universal/ColumbiaPeter Pan films (but aNewfoundland in J. M. Barrie's original play and novel)
^Buck inThe Call of the Wild is described thus: "His (Buck's) father, Elmo, a huge St Bernard, had been the Judge's inseparable companion, and Buck bid fair to follow in the way of his father. He was not so large,— he weighed only one hundred and forty pounds [64 kg],— for his mother, Shep, had been a Scotch shepherd dog. Nevertheless, one hundred and forty pounds [64 kg], to which was added the dignity that comes of good living and universal respect, enabled him to carry himself in right royal fashion."The Call of the Wild (novel).
^Frank H., Simonds (1919).History of the World War. Vol. 3. Garden City, New York: Doubleday Page & Company. p. 200.
^"Les chiens d'avalanche" [Avalanche dogs].notrehistoire.ch (in French). Archived fromthe original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved2 September 2015.In 1962, an avalanche dog over to Great Dixence is organized at the initiative of Canine Club of Sion. A TSR camera is present on The working St. Bernard dogs at the hospice was still smaller than the show St. Bernard dogs during 1962 and premises
^Bech-Nielsen; S.; Haskins; M. E.; et al. (1978). "Frequency of osteosarcoma among first-degree relatives of St. Bernard dogs".J Natl Cancer Inst.60 (2):349–53.doi:10.1093/jnci/60.2.349.PMID271748.
^Hnilica, Keith A.; Patterson, Adam P. (19 September 2016).Small Animal Dermatology. St. Louis (Miss.): Saunders.ISBN978-0-323-37651-8.
^Fox, Philip R.; Sisson, David; Moïse, N. Sydney (1999).Textbook of Canine and Feline Cardiology. Philadelphia: Saunders.ISBN978-0-7216-4044-0.
^Martin, M. W. S.; Stafford Johnson, M. J.; Celona, B. (2009). "Canine dilated cardiomyopathy: a retrospective study of signalment, presentation and clinical findings in 369 cases".Journal of Small Animal Practice.50 (1):23–29.doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.2008.00659.x.ISSN0022-4510.PMID19037887.
^Witsberger, Tige H.; Villamil, J. Armando; Schultz, Loren G.; Hahn, Allen W.; Cook, James L. (15 June 2008). "Prevalence of and risk factors for hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs".Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.232 (12). American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):1818–1824.doi:10.2460/javma.232.12.1818.ISSN0003-1488.PMID18598150.
^Glickman, Lawrence T.; Glickman, Nita W.; Pérez, Cynthia M.; Schellenberg, Diana B.; Lantz, Gary C. (1 May 1994). "Analysis of risk factors for gastric dilatation and dilatation-volvulus in dogs".Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.204 (9). American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):1465–1471.doi:10.2460/javma.1994.204.09.1465.ISSN0003-1488.PMID8050972.
^Evans, Katy M.; Adams, Vicki J. (2010). "Mortality and morbidity due to gastric dilatation-volvulus syndrome in pedigree dogs in the UK".Journal of Small Animal Practice.51 (7):376–381.doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.2010.00949.x.ISSN0022-4510.PMID20626784.
^Bellumori, Thomas P.; Famula, Thomas R.; Bannasch, Danika L.; Belanger, Janelle M.; Oberbauer, Anita M. (1 June 2013). "Prevalence of inherited disorders among mixed-breed and purebred dogs: 27,254 cases (1995–2010)".Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.242 (11). American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):1549–1555.doi:10.2460/javma.242.11.1549.ISSN0003-1488.PMID23683021.
^Hustace Walker, Joan (2000).Saint Bernards: Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, Behavior and Training (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals). p. 11.
Hyde, W. W. (August 1937). "The Great St. Bernard Pass and Its Hospice".Isis. Vol. 27, no. 2 (whole no. 74). pp. 306–320.doi:10.1086/347249.JSTOR225419.
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