St Bernard

The St Bernard is a giant, massively built dog from the Swiss Alps, bred by monks to find and rescue travellers in the snow. It is gentle and placid, and one of the heaviest of all breeds.

Origin

The hospice on the Great St Bernard Pass, on the route between Switzerland and Italy, kept large farm dogs from the seventeenth century as guards and companions. By the eighteenth century the monks were using them to find a path through snow and to locate travellers buried by avalanches. The most famous, Barry, who worked at the hospice in the early 1800s, is credited with saving more than forty lives. The small barrel of brandy round the neck is an artist's invention.

Appearance

Dogs stand at least 75 cm at the shoulder and bitches at least 70 cm, and weights of 70 to 80 kg and more are usual. The head is huge, with a short muzzle and drooping lips, and the body is broad and heavily boned. There are two coats, smooth and rough, both dense. The colour is white with red, orange or brindle patches.

Temperament and exercise

St Bernards are steady, kindly and tolerant, and usually patient with children. Their sheer size means that training in basic manners has to begin early. Adults need about an hour of steady exercise a day; puppies are exercised lightly while their bones grow. They suffer in heat and need a cool place to rest.

Care and health

The coat needs brushing several times a week. The dogs drool heavily, need a large car and a large house, and are costly to feed, insure and treat.

• Hip and elbow dysplasia: breeding dogs are X-rayed and scored.
• Bloat, an emergency twisting of the stomach.
• Bone cancer and heart muscle disease.
• Eyelids that droop or roll inwards.

The typical lifespan is eight to ten years.

In Britain

The St Bernard is in the Kennel Club's Working group and is among the breeds in which judges are asked to watch for exaggerated features, such as loose eyelids and excessive size.