May 23rd, 2009 by admin

The true orgin of the St. Bernard is subject to much speculation, and many different theories of how and when the breed evolved have emerged. Some theories are stronger than others, yet the truth is that one will probably never know for certain where this loving, gentle working breed had its start.
However, the breed’s origin can be confidently traced from the early stock of Roman dogs known as Mollossers. These dogs were brought to Helvetia (Switzerland) by the Roman armies during the first two centuries AD. The Breed originally comes from the Greeks, taken by Alexander the Great from their home in Asia Minor.

During this time period there were two distinctive types of Mollossers – the Illyrian Mollossers and the Babylonian Mollossers. These early dogs formed the background of all of today’s Swiss breeds, including the St. Bernard, Bernese Mountain Dog and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. They were primarily war dogs used for guarding, but also functioned well as herding, draughting and sanctuary acted as a refuge for travelers crossing the difficult passes between Switzerland and Italy. Soldiers and merchants also used the hospice of the great St. Bernard to escape the bitter cold and heavy snow. The hospice stands over 8000 feet above sea level. Today, it is no longer used as a shelter but has become a tourist attraction for visitors traveling though the area.

According to breed historians, Bernard of Menthon was one of the first individuals to introduce the breed to the hospice. The first documentation of the breed’s arrival at the hospice was in 1660. The monks operating out of the local monasteries used the St. Bernard for protection and search and rescue missions. The monks valued the St. Bernard for many search-and-rescue dogs.
By 1000 Ad these ancestral dogs were well established in the Swiss Alps and became known as Talhunds (Valley dogs) or Bauernhunds (farm dogs).

SCENT ON A MISSION

St. Bernards were used to rescue people buried under six feet of snow. Incredibly, they performed this difficult task all by themselves. Oddly enough, only males were sent on these search missions. The breed’s keen sense of location and strong sense of smell allowed them to locate stranded individuals in snow covered mountain passes despite dense fog and other adverse weather conditions.

They came is a variety of shapes and sizes, and many of them has same physical characteristics as today’s St. Bernard. At the end of the 10th century, Archdeacon Bernard de Menthon founded his famous hospice in Swiss Alps. The reasons; one of the most important was the dog’s unique ability to sense oncoming avalanches.

The most famous of all of the hospice dogs was a dog named ‘Barry.’ Barry lived to the ripe old age of 14, and documentation claims that he saved over 40 lives in his day. Completely unaided, Barry was capable of digging out anyone buried in the snow. He made several miraculous rescues in his own life nearly came to a tragic end in 1812. Barry was mistaken for a wolf when attempting to recover a man buried under the snow. Indeed, he was stabbed numerous times by thevery man he was trying to save! Although he survived this horrible ordeal, he was never fit enough to return to his specialized search mission.

MAINTAINING THE FUNCTION OF THE BREED

The St. Bernard Club of America was first organized in 1888. The main function of the club was to maintain the stability and function of the breed. This club is one of the oldest specialty clubs in the United States.

Therefore, he was retired to Berne where he spent the last two years of his life. When he finally passed away, Barry had become a legend and his body was mounted in the Natural History Museum in Berne.

Another great admirer of the St. Bernard was Napoleon Bonaparte. In the early 1800s, he hospices that would later become refuges for may royal figures during The 19th century. The St. Bernard hospice became recognized worldwide and was responsible worldwide and was responsible for saving over 2000 lives. Queen Victoria, her husband Prince Albert and many other members of the British Royal Family visited it.

Today, the hospice is only a tourist attraction for all St. Bernard fanciers. The statue of the breed’s founder. The Statue of the Breed’s founder. St. Bernard of Menthon, stands proudly on the mountainside.

BRAIN AND BRAWN

Since dogs have been inbred for centuries, their physical and mental characterstics are constantly being changed to suit man’s desires for hunting, retrieving, scenting, guarding and warming their masters’ laps. During the past 150 years, dogs have been judged according to physical characteristics as well as functional abilities. Few breeds can boast a genuine balance between physique, working ability and temperament.