Saint Bernard

• COUNTRY: Switzerland
• WEIGHT: 110 - 200+ pounds
• HEIGHT: 25V2-27V$ inches minimum
• COAT: Two varieties—short and smooth or medium-long
• COLOR: Red and white
• OTHER NAMES: St. Bernhardshund
• REGISTRY: FCI, AKC, UKC, TKC, CKC
• GROUP: Mastiff

High in the Swiss Alps is the Hospice du Grand St. Bernard. Located at St. Gotthard's pass near the Italian border, this monastery is one of the highest and oldest human settlements in Europe. The Romans erected a temple to Jupiter there as they marched north to conquer Europe. In the tenth century, Bernard of Menthon (later canonized St. Bernard) built a Hospice over the old ruins and dedicated his life to helping the poor and needy pilgrims who traveled through the pass on their way to Rome, often on foot.

The monks at St. Bernard's worked to aid travelers and to rescue victims of avalanches and bitter winters. By 1707, the overworked monks soon realized that dogs, with their superior noses, strength and weather-resistant coats, were better equipped to guide and rescue travelers. Humans couldn't follow the treacherous narrow trails when deep snow covered them, and often plunged to their death. But the sure-footed dogs showed them the way. The dogs' amazing sense of direction was a godsend in blizzards, when even the native monks became lost and disoriented.

Initial attempts utilized a hodge-podge of mastiff cast-offs from the Roman era. But by 1800, the monks had established a kennel and their own breeding program, generally calling the dogs Alpine Mastiffs.

Edwin Landseer, at the age of 17, immortalized these dogs on canvas, and established not only their fame but his own as a dog portraiteur. One work, entitled Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler, portrays two dogs standing over a fallen traveler. One of the rescuers bayed its alarm, and the other, with the all-important brandy cask around its neck, attempted to revive the man by licking his hand. Landseer's whimsical addition of a non-existent brandy keg has carried through the years as a symbol.

The youngsters accompanied adult dogs on their missions, learning from their experienced elders. It is said if a person were found, one Saint lay down on each side, furnishing body heat. Another licked the face, attempting to revive the victim, and yet a fourth dog returned to the monastery for assistance.

Tales of their great rescues abound, with 2,500 lives credited to the dogs. One of the most famous dogs, "Barry," reportedly saved 40 lives. On his 41st mission, his rescue attempt ended in tragedy when the person killed Barry in a misbegotten "fit of cowardly terror." Around 1810, the breed was often referred to as Barry hounds.

They were, at first, all moderately sized and shorthaired. In the 1830s the canine population at the Hospice was decimated by losses, disease, inbreeding and bad winters. Over the next few decades, the monks outcrossed to other breeds to regain vigor and establish the St. Bernard as we know it today. As a side effect, crosses to larger breeds, such as the Newfoundland, increased the size and introduced the longhaired variety. Today the St. Bernard dogs are still mascots at the monastery.

The Reverend J.C. Macdona, an English owner, brought the breed before the public around 1870. He and other fanciers of that time standardized the St. Bernard. It never takes long for a breed creating a sensation to reach America, and the first Saints competed at Westminster Kennel Club in 1877. Asking prices were listed for a few of the dogs in the Westminster catalog, with some of the St. Bernard price tags greater than $1,000.

These dogs are gargantuan in size and in accomplishments, with three listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. "Benedictine" won the honor of the largest dog on record by tipping the truck scales at 305 pounds. A Saint named Ayette's Brandy Bear shifted the heaviest load, 6,400'/2 pounds of steel on a wheeled cart, for 15 feet in less than 90 seconds. And a bitch, appropriately named "Careless Ann," tied the record for the largest litter with 23 puppies whelped.

As true giants, they have the physical problems associated with the other large breeds. Their gait is lumbering, they slobber and are expensive to feed. Families that are willing to cope with these aspects have majesty at their feet.

Saints are not always "saints," but they are always large. The combination takes an owner who is willing to discipline that adorable ball of fluff right from the start. Responsible breeders urge buyers to be selective, choosing from sturdy-bodied parentage with gentle temperament.