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Saint Bernard Dog
Present day types (long-hair and short-hair variety)
Note: There are more pages on the History of the Saint Bernard Dog. (the namegiving pass and its Hospice, the origins of the dogs, the dogs at the Hospice, their rescue and life-saving work, the beginnings of pure bred Saints, the famous Barry)
The above link will take you to the first of 8 chapters. Enjoy!
Saint Bernard Dog (St. Bernhardshund, Bernardiner) FCI-Standard No 61
Origin:
Switzerland
Date of Publication of the valid Original Standard:
March 24, 1993
Utilization:
Companion, watch and farm dog
At the height of the Great St. Bernard Pass, 2469 m (8100 ft.) above sea level, a hospice was
founded by monks in the 11th century as a refuge for travellers and pilgrims. 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 travelers lost in snow and fog. Numerous chronicles, published in many languages, as well
as verbal reports by the soldiers of Napoleon who transited the Great Pass with him in 1800, tell of
the 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.
The direct ancestors of the St. Bernard were the large farm dog which were widely spread across the region,
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.
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