History of origin
These huge dogs with a good-natured character and amazing searching qualities have been known in Europe since the early Middle Ages. Canine scientists disagree, naming the progenitors of the St. Bernards: according to one version, they came from crossing the Danish bulldog with the Pyrenean mastiff, according to another, they are the descendants of the Tibetan mastiffs who came to Europe along with the troops of Alexander the Great, and then settled in Ancient Rome. In the Middle Ages, these dogs began to be bred in Alpine settlements, here this breed was called “Alpine Mastiff” or “Bari” – a distorted German word for “bears”. Particularly famous for its dogs is the Great Pass of St. Bernard – a gorge in the Alps that connects Italy and Switzerland. In this place, dangerous for humans due to difficult terrain and weather conditions, a shelter was founded in the XNUMXth century, where travelers could hide from bad weather, rest or wait out an avalanche. The founder of the shelter was the monk Bernard, who helped travelers. For his good deeds, he was canonized as a saint, and a narrow mountain path and an alpine shelter were named after him – Saint Bernard. Monk Bernard helped the travelers not alone, according to legend, his big dogs were used not only as a draft force – they lifted loads to a height, but also helped to search for lost people in the snow. In honor of St. Bernard, this powerful mountain breed of dogs got its name – St. Bernard, however, so it was called already in the XNUMXth century by English breeders.
Until now, the most famous dog kennel of this breed is located on the St. Bernard Pass – the monks of the Order of St. Augustine continue to breed animals here, which still work as mountain rescuers, looking for tourists under a layer of snow in crevices and passes. The ability to perfectly navigate the terrain, excellent sense of smell and incredible endurance of the St. Bernards give a chance to survive to those who get lost in the mountains or fell into an avalanche. Strong paws are able to dig meters of dense snow in order to dig a person out of it. A large body serves as an excellent heating pad for a frozen tourist until qualified help arrives. In the Middle Ages, small kegs of brandy were attached to the collars of St. Bernards so that frozen people could warm up, so the first-aid kits that service St. Bernards today wear on collars in the Alps are made in the form of kegs as a tribute to tradition and respect for the noble mission of these dogs. And the St. Bernard of Bari, who during the years of his life from 1800 to 1812 saved 40 people, and carried the boy found in the snow for five hours to the monastery, even had a monument erected in Paris. At the same time, “Alpine dogs” were brought to England. British breeders enthusiastically began to breed this giant dog, and in 1882 the only opened dog club in England introduced an Alpine dog under the name “St. Bernard”. A few years later, a club of St. Bernard lovers was opened in the USA. And in 1887, the International Cynological Congress recognized the St. Bernard as a Swiss breed and approved its standard. And the International Cynological Federation approved the standards of this breed in 1954.
Breed description
Dogs of the St. Bernard breed have a muscular majestic body, harmoniously developed, with strong bones. A massive large head is located on a wide muscular neck with a dewlap on the pharynx. The skull is broad, slightly arched, the stop (transition from the forehead to the nose) is well defined, the brow ridges are well developed. Above the eyes, the skin forms light folds that are clearly visible when the dog is alert or excited. The nose is black with well-opened nostrils. The upper lips are well developed, slightly hanging down, forming an arc from the nose, painted black. The jaws are strong, wide with a scissor or level bite. The eyes are medium in size, dark brown to hazel, and deep set. The rims of the eyelids are pigmented and give the St. Bernard a characteristic philosophical brooding look. The ears are medium in size, set high and wide, the linen is triangular with a rounded tip, the top is slightly raised, and the bottom is close to the cheekbones. The back is strong, wide, straight to the femoral part. Chest with well sprung ribs, underline of chest and belly slightly raised at the back. The fore and hind limbs are muscular and parallel. The thighs are muscular, the stifles of the hindquarters are well angulated. The paws are wide, the toes are reduced, tight fitting. The tail is long, wide at the base, hanging down calmly.
Dogs of the St. Bernard breed are short-haired and long-haired. The short-haired St. Bernards have a smooth guard hair, dense undercoat, small “trousers” on the hips, thick and plentiful hair on the tail. Long-haired St. Bernards have outer hair of medium length, straight, thick undercoat. On the muzzle and ears, the hair is short, on the hips there are well-defined “trousers”, feathering on the paws, the tail is fluffy with thick hair. The background color of the St. Bernards is white, red spots, a red “cloak” or a torn red “cloak” are allowed on it. Red color with brindle and yellow color is allowed. White markings are required on the paws, the end of the tail, on the chest, as well as a white stroke around the nose, a white blaze on the forehead and a white spot on the back of the head. A symmetrical dark mask on the muzzle is desirable.
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Character
– St. Bernards are very friendly, incredibly loyal dogs, they are smart, generous and infinitely kind, – says Alla Solovieva, owner of the nursery “Gloria-Solo”. – St. Bernards get along well with children, with other animals, they are very delicate, despite their size, they are not aggressive, they treat strangers calmly, although they watch them. They will never bark for no reason, hysteria in vain, these are dogs with self-esteem, who soberly assess what is happening around.
Of course, the main profession of the St. Bernard is a rescuer and searcher in the mountains, but St. Bernards do not lose their “working” qualities as a pet either. They always control the territory, control “their” people, and especially children, are ready at any moment to come to the rescue, protect, protect, save.
– If people go to work for the whole day, the St. Bernard is sympathetic to forced loneliness, he will not howl or smash the apartment out of boredom and longing, – continues Alla Solovyova. He will wait all day for his family to rejoice at their arrival. This is a very balanced dog, and at the same time, St. Bernards are always ready to support games or fun, their melancholic muzzles do not reflect the true character of the dog – they are cheerful, active, cheerful animals.
Care and maintenance
“Before you get such a powerful, large dog, you need to think carefully about where to keep it,” says Alla Solovieva. – Many people breed St. Bernards in apartments, but then the pet should have enough space to relax and play. Best of all, these dogs feel in country houses, in the private sector, where large St. Bernards are spacious, at ease, they have enough personal territory. Yes, and it is better for puppies to grow up on the ground, so that they put their paws on the ground, gravel, pebbles – then their limbs develop correctly. And if you still decide to settle a St. Bernard in an apartment, then while the puppy is growing, it is better to cover slippery floors with rugs so that the paws of the kids do not move apart and form correctly.
St. Bernards, especially those living in apartments, need to be walked twice a day. In the morning, a half-hour walk is enough, and in the evening it should be longer. On weekends, it will be useful to take dogs out into nature so that they can run and frolic in the open. St. Bernards do not tolerate heat well, so on hot summer days you need to walk with them early in the morning or late in the evening.
The thick coat of St. Bernards also requires care. It needs to be combed out once a week, and during the molting period, which happens twice a year, more often.
“It’s enough to scratch dogs for 10 minutes every day during molting with a comb with sparse teeth or a brush to help the dog get rid of dead hairs, and even yourself from constant cleaning because of the wool that falls abundantly on the floor of an apartment or house,” says Alla Solovieva . – Dogs can be washed two or three times a year, but every day after walking, wash their paws and wipe their sides and stomach with a damp towel. A towel or a dry napkin is always at hand for the owners of St. Bernards, because these dogs are characterized by increased salivation. Therefore, as soon as the dog has eaten, we wipe her face, as soon as she has drunk, we wipe it again.
How to feed the St. Bernard – decides, of course, the owner, choosing industrial feed or natural food.
“In my opinion, it is rather difficult to make a balanced diet only from natural products,” says Alla Solovieva, owner of the Gloria-Solo nursery. – Therefore, I advise puppies up to a year old to be fed with industrial feeds, of course, of very good quality, so that the dog receives all the necessary minerals and vitamins. In addition to industrial dry food, we always give our St. Bernards meat: beef, lamb, chicken or turkey. If you are sure that the meat is of good quality, it is enough to freeze it and give it raw. If there is any doubt about the quality of the meat, it is better to boil it. The main thing is that the dog gets enough food, but it is also dangerous to overfeed St. Bernards – they are prone to gaining excess weight, which can affect the state of their musculoskeletal system.
Education and training
– St. Bernards are large dogs, so you need to take them out for a walk in a muzzle. Puppies can be accustomed to it already from 4-5 months of life, – explains Alla Solovieva. – Someone puts a treat in the muzzle, someone puts it on and praises the dog – in such simple ways, the St. Bernards are quite easily accustomed to the muzzle. They are generally well trained, and somewhere in 6 months you need to start seriously engaging in their training. St. Bernards grow faster than other dogs, at 6 months they grow into a large dog, but their psyche is still puppyish, unstable, it’s time to start learning simple commands first, then more difficult commands. After two years, training is no longer so fast and successful, so it is important for owners not to waste time.
When training St. Bernards, you need to be as patient as possible, do not push the dog if it has fallen into the thoughtfulness characteristic of this breed. Patience and affection, encouragement with treats and praise of the owner can make a well-mannered, docile dog out of a St. Bernard. Often the owners take their pets to cynological groups, where, under the guidance of experienced trainers, St. Bernards make excellent guard or guard dogs.
Health and disease
– St. Bernards are a healthy breed, but like all large dogs, they have two weak points – the gastrointestinal tract and the musculoskeletal system, – says Alla Solovieva, owner of the Gloria-Solo kennel. – Up to a year and a half, you need to carefully monitor the development of the puppy: how he puts his paws, whether he rises easily, how he walks, how he runs – at the slightest fear that something is wrong with the baby’s joints, seek advice from breeders. Unfortunately, even negative tests of the puppy’s parents for dysplasia (they should be asked from breeders before buying a dog) do not guarantee that your pet will not develop this disease, because it can be not only genetic, but also acquired from improper breeding.
Another problem of St. Bernards is a predisposition to gastric volvulus, when a full stomach, poorly held by weak ligaments, twists, preventing food and gases from moving into the intestines, causing severe pain to the dog. Gastric volvulus poses a danger to the dog’s life, the only way out of this problem is through surgery.
“To avoid stomach twisting, the owners of St. Bernards must learn a simple rule – first we walk and only then we feed the dog,” explains Alla Solovieva. – With a full stomach, a dog does not need to jump and jump, an additional load on this organ can provoke a disease, especially in adulthood, starting from 5-6 years.
Popular questions and answers
We talked about St. Bernards with veterinarian, zoo engineer Anastasia Kalinina.