This breed is truly a member of the Molossian family. His appearance, great size, strong limbs
and magnificant head tell us that there is no doubt about this.
The origin of the Saint Bernard is unsurtain, but the breed as we know it today did not originate nor developed at the St. Bernard Hospice. Mr. Richardson wrote
in 1851 that the Monastry in St. Bernard imported British Mastiffs in 1660, and they kept them as watchdogs. After a terrible plague, the number of these
dogs were heavy reduced and the monks were forced to cross the remaining dogs with long-haired italian and pyrenean dogs, later also other breeds.
Where Mr. Richardson have got this information from I do not know, and I can not find evidence of this elsewhere, so it thereby stands on its own.
In one of my old books from the late 1800's it can be read that Schumacher sent a letter to Pastore Macdona 29 of august 1867. In this he wrote;
"According to what the Holy Fathers at the Monastry at St. Bernard tells, is the breed a result of a crossing between a Danish bitch and a Pyrenean flock-guardian.
The offspring of this crossing, who inheritated great size and power from the danish dog and from the pyrenean dog intelligence, his good nose and divotion,
have for centuries proven by their uncredible work, that they deserve to be a breed of their own."
It is however beleived that the first dogs were kept at the Hospice between years 1660 and 1670, and the employment of these first Hospice-dogs was
as watchdogs. Salvatore Rosa painted,around 1690, two dogs from the Hospice, and they were described as "Küherhunde" (cowherd's dogs). The first written
evidence of the dogs at the Hospice dates from 1703.
The dogs from the Hospice are nearly always described as as having exeptional size, but old skulls of the dogs from the Hospice, kept at the
Natural History Museum in Bern, reveal a diversity in head shapes. The collection shows at least two variations which lived during the same period of time. The larger heads have a pronounced
stop and a short muzzle, while the smaller skulls reveal much less stop with longer muzzles. There is agreement that the dogs was typically red-brown and white.
Max Siber wrote in the Swiss Stud Book #1 of 1884; "Some fanciers believe that Saint Bernards have only lived on the namegiving pass. This is not true, Saints have been kept elsewhere on Swiss passes
and they are even at home in the valleys of the Valais and in the countryside of Berne".
Heim and Schumacher believed that the monks on the Great St. Bernard crossed their dogs with Newfoundlands because the Newfoundland was crowned with the aura of a life saver. Heim sets the date
of this crossbreeding at 1830 while Schumacher says that Barry, the most famous dog from the Hospice, was "the representative of the old Saint Bernard breed before Newfoundlands were cross-bred".
In the same old book as I referred to earlyer it is written that the Monastry-Prior Deléglise wrote 14 january 1856; "Both Newfoundlands we recieved last vinter from Stuttgard has grown very well, especially the male,
who already have began working in the mountains". In the same book it is written; "A terrible snowstorm in 1812 led to that most all dogs at the Monastry had to be used in live-saving, with the result that almost everyone
of them died. What could be done to not let breed disappear? The monks descided to get some Newfoundland Dogs, since they were famous for their power and is use to a cold climate. The first offsprings was not a success since all
puppies had long hair. Then the monks took one of these dogs and crossed it with one of their own old dogs, and with much better luck. The shorthaired dogs are kept at the Hospice and the longhaired is given away."
At left "Bertina von Biel" & "Tiger von Biel". At right "Iung Athos von Biel".
All dogs belonging to Major Bloesch, Biel-Schweiz. Pictures taken at the beginning of this century.
As mentioned above the monks only kept the short-haired dogs and gave the long-haired ones to patrons in the valley.
The long-haired dogs were not suited for the duties in the mountain since the snow attacted to their long coat, eventually bringing the dog to
the ground under this heavy burden.
Heinrich Schumacher began his breeding program in the latter 1850's and he was the first individual to use a stud book. Schumacher must be
considered the first breeder of purebred Saints, and the foundation sire of Schumacher's kennel was the short-haired legend Barry, born in 1856.
"Blassi", Schumacher's first bitch, born in 1854, was also from the Hospice, but she was long-haired. Schumacher continued to use dogs from the Hospice
during each third generation of breeding, but he however maintained strong inbreeding. After the third generation of offspring Schumacher bred only short-haired dogs.
In 1862 Schumacher began shipping dogs to England, Russia and the USA. While Schumacher's breeding program worked toward an ideal,
embodied in the old Barry, other breeders found favor in heavy heads, strong stops and short muzzles.
Germany established their own standard in 1878. The Swiss St. Bernard club was founded in Basel in 1884, and they got their standard in 1887, the same year the breed was officialy recognized as a Swiss breed.
The Hospice continued to ignore the aspects of the standard, breeding their own way
as they "always" have done, making dogs who can save lives in the snow-covered mountains.
Schumacher retired from breeding in 1890. He stated that "new breeders" were trying to ruin his work by exaggerating size, breeding dogs with short, thick, round heads and muzzles which
were not long enough. Regardless of Schumacher's critisism the public favored the heavy, long-haired dogs.
The Saint Bernard courage and devotion is well known. He is Friendly and calm, but watchful and bonds well
with the children of their human family.
Today, in the modern St. Bernard, two varieties of the breed is allowed; Short-hair (Stockhaar) and Long-hair, but the two varieties is otherwise equal. The basic colour is always white
with either small or large reddish-brown splashes or a continuous reddish-brown blancet covering back and flanks, either solid or broken up by white. A curly coat or a totally
white, or totally reddish-brown is not allowed. Chest, feet, tip of tail, muzzle band, blaze and patch on neck must be white.
The minimum heigth for male St. Bernards is 70 cm. (27,5 in) with a maximum of 90 cm. (35,3 in). The females have a minimum of 65 cm. (25,5 in) and a maximum of 80 cm. (31,4 in). But dogs who exceed the maximum size will not
be penalized, provided that they are constructed the right way and have the correct movement.
Some of the information on this page comes from The History of Saint Bernard Dogs by the Natural History Museum of Bern. I will strongly recommend their site
for much more on the history of the great "Alpenhund". Click on the blue text or at the link a the bottom of the page.
