History and OriginThe beginning of the St. Bernard started in 200 A.D. in Switzerland. It is believed that they have descended from mastiff-type dogs brought over from Roman armies and they were then bred with dogs native to Switzerland. At that time they were known as the Talhunt or the Bauenhund dogs, and were used for guarding, hearding, and drafting.
By the year 1050, a monastery and hospice was founded by Archdeacon Bernard de Menthon (as the breed was later named). It was located on a pass through the western Alps between Italy and Switzerland. The St. Bernard was brought to this monastery in the mid-1600's and was used by the monks as watch dogs and companions. Because of the breed's keen sense of smell and ability to predict avalanches, they became ideal rescue dogs for travelers stranded on The Great St. Bernard Pass. When they found a stranded traveler, they would lie beside them to keep them warm while another St. Bernard would lead a monk back to the stranded traveler for rescue. Due to inbreeding and disease, the population of the St. Bernard started to decrease. The monks then bred them with Newfoundlands, which created long-haired St. Bernards. It is believed that Great Danes and Bloodhounds may have also been used to breed. In the early 1800 they were brought to England for their Mastiff bloodline, though breeding of the St. bernard continued in Switzerland. The name St. Bernard became official in 1880 and the breed spead all over Europe and then reached the United States. The St. Bernard Club of America was formed in 1888 where the international breed standard was developed. St. Bernards were popularized with the release of the 1992 film and it's five sequels "Beethoven." For more information about the history of the St. Bernard visit http://www.petwave.com/Dogs/Dog-Breed-Center/Working-Group/Saint-Bernard/Overview.aspx |
Shows the location of The Great St. Bernard Hospice.
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This video illistrates how St. Bernards are still being trained for avalanche rescue to this day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SDNevLk5kg&NR=1&feature=endscreen
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