Dog breeds :
Bernhardiner (shorthair) / Perro San Bernardo (shorthair) / Saint Bernard (shorthair) / St. Bernhardshund (shorthair)
Carlo van Zwitsers-Heim, owner: Francoise Reijnen
General
The Saint Bernard is a large, massive, athletic dog with a broad head,
medium-sized drop ears and a natural tail carried level with the back or
with a slight upward curve. The Saint Bernard is nearly square and
proportionally tall. The breed comes in two coat varieties, shorthaired and
longhaired. In evaluating a Saint Bernard, exaggerations or faults should
be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere with the dog's
ability to perform its historical task of alpine rescue.
Characteristics
The Saint Bernard is noted for its large size, great substance, and
friendly, eager-to-please temperament. The ideal Saint Bernard is a gentle
giant, friendly with strangers and affectionate with his family. This breed
is typically not aggressive with other dogs, regardless of sex.
Temperament
Friendly by nature. Temperament calm to lively, watchful.
History
At the height of the Great St.Bernard Pass, 2469m (8100ft.) above sea
level, a hospice was founded by monks in the 11th century as a refuge
for travellers and pilgrims, and large mountain dogs have been kept there
for watch and protection since the middle of the 17th century. The
existence of such dogs has been documented in paintings and drawings
dating back to 1695 and in written official documents of the Hospice since
1707. These dogs were soon in service as companion dogs for the monks,
being especially deployed as rescue dogs for travellers lost in snow and
fog. Numerous chronicles, published in many languages, as well as verbal
reports by the soldiers of Napoleon who transitted the Great Pass with
him in 1800, tell of many lives saved by these dogs in the face of "the
White Death". The fame of the St.Bernard, then known as the
"Barry-dog", spread throughout Europe in the 19th century, and the
legendary dog "Barry" became the epitome of the rescue dog. The direct
ancestors of the St.Bernard were the large farm dogs which were widely
spread across the region, and within a few generations after the
establishment of the ideal type, they were bred into the present day
breed. Heinrich Schumacher, from Holligen near Berne, Switzerland, was
the first to document and provide pedigrees for his dogs. In february 1884
the "Schweizerische Hundestammbuch"(SHSB), the Swiss Dog Stud Book,
was opened. The very first entry was the St.Bernard "Léon", and the
following 28 entries were also all St.Bernards. The Swiss St.Bernard Club
was founded in Basle on March 15th 1884. During the International Canine
Congress of June 2nd 1887, the St.Bernard was officially recognized as a
Swiss breed and the breed standard was declared as binding. Since that
time the St.Bernard has been a Swiss national dog.
Origin
Switzerland
Utilization
Companion-, watch and farm dog
Classification
Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossians and Swiss Mountain- and Cattledogs
Size
Extra Large
Height
Minimal height : dogs 70 cm (27.56 in), bitches 65 cm (25.59 in). Maximum height : dogs 90 cm (35.43 in), bitches 80 cm (31.5 in)
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