Post by charmingnancy on Jan 12, 2009 17:43:25 GMT -5
Saint Bernard
Group: 3- Working Dogs
Origin: Italy and Switzerland
Purpose: Originally, watchdogs and companions to the Swiss monks during their winter isolation
Description:
The Saint Bernard is powerful, intelligent, strong and muscular. The breed was bred to work and, while its original job was rescue work in the Alps, this soon expanded to include pulling carts filled with farmers' produce and milk bottles being delivered door to door. With his steady temperament around people and other animals, the Saint Bernard is an excellent and dependable worker. Todays' Saint Bernards are often seen participating in Obedience Trials, Tracking Tests, Agility Trials, Draft Tests and Weight Pulling Tests.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat and Colour:
Coat very dense, short-haired (stockhaarig), lying smooth, tough, without however feeling rough to the touch. The thighs are slightly bushy. The tail at the root has longer and denser hair which gradually becomes shorter towards the tip. The tail appears bushy, not forming a flag. Colour white with red or red with white, the red in its various shades; brindle patches with white markings. The colours red and brown-yellow are of entirely equal value. Never of one colour or without white. Faulty are all other colours, except the favourite dark shadings on the head (mask) and ears. There is also a long haired variety.
Head: Like the whole body, very powerful and imposing. The massive skull is wide, slightly arched and the sides slope in a gentle curve into the very strongly developed, high cheek bones. The muzzle is short, does not taper, and the vertical depth at the root of the muzzle must be greater than the length of the muzzle. Eyes set more to the front than the sides, are of medium size, dark brown, with intelligent, friendly expression, set moderately deep. The teeth should be sound and strong and should meet in either a scissors or an even bite, the scissors bite being preferable. Ears of medium size, rather high set, with very strongly developed burr (Muschel) at the base.
Neck: Set high, very strong and in action, is carried erect. Otherwise horizontally or slightly downward. The junction of head and neck is distinctly marked by an indentation. The nape of the neck is very muscular and rounded at the sides which makes the neck appear rather short. The dewlap of throat and neck is well pronounced; too strong development, however, is not desirable.
Forequarters: Shoulders sloping and broad, very muscular and powerful. Forearms very powerful and extraordinarily muscular. Forelegs straight, strong.
Body: The withers are strongly pronounced. The back very broad, perfectly straight as far as the haunches, from there gently sloping to the rump, and merging imperceptibly into the root of the tail. Chest very well arched, moderately deep, not reaching below the elbows. Belly distinctly set off from the very powerful loin section, only a little drawn up.
Hindquarters: Well developed. Legs very muscular. Hocks of moderate angulation. Dewclaws are not desired; if present, they must not obstruct gait. Feet broad, with strong toes, moderately closed, and with rather high knuckles.
Tail: Starting broad and powerful, directly from the rump is long, very heavy, ending in a powerful tip. In repose, it hangs straight down, turning gently upwards in the lower third only, which is not considered a fault.
Faults Considered as faults are all deviations from the standards, as for instance a sway back, and a disproportionately long back, hocks too much bent, straight hindquarters, upward growing hair in spaces between the toes, out at elbows, cow-hocks, and weak pasterns.
Size:
Height at shoulder of the dog ought to be 27-1/2 inches (70 cm)
minimum, of the bitch 25-1/2 inches (65 cm). Female animals
throughout are of a more delicate and finer build. Adult males weigh between 140 and 180 lbs., and adult female weigh between 120 and 140 lbs. The world's heaviest and largest dog in known history was a Saint Bernard named Benedictine, which weighed 162 kg (357 lbs). Benedictine surpassed Zorba, the largest English mastiff on record, which measured 8 feet, 3 inches long and weighed 343 lb.
Temperament:
St. Bernards are gentle, friendly, and generally fond of children. Extremely loyal, the St. Bernard is eager to please its owners. Due to its large adult size, it is essential that proper training and socialization begin while the St. Bernard is still a puppy, so as to avoid the difficulties that normally accompany training large animals. An unruly St. Bernard may present problems for even a strong adult, so control needs to be asserted from the beginning of the dog's training. While generally not as aggressive as dogs bred for protection, a St. Bernard will bark at strangers and their size makes them good deterrents against possible intruders.
Health:
The very fast growth rate and the weight of a St. Bernard can lead to very serious deterioration of the bones if the dog does not get proper food and exercise. Many dogs are affected by hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia. Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) has been shown to be hereditary in the breed.
St. Bernards are susceptible to eye disorders called entropion and ectropion. The FCI standard indicates that this is now a major fault. The breed is also susceptible to epilepsy and seizures, a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy, and eczema.
Average Lifespan:
The average life span of a St. Bernard is about 11 years, and some insurance companies will not issue a life insurance beyond 11 years.
History:
While the true origin of the Saint Bernard is not well documented, it is known that the breed was bred by monks of the Hospice du Grand St. Bernard in Switzerland during the 17th century. The most accepted estimate is that the breed originated sometime between 1660 and 1670. These dogs were likely descendants of the mastiff type Asiatic dogs that were first brought to the region by Roman armies. Until about the year 1700, it is believed that the dogs were used as watchdogs and companions to the monks during their winter isolation. The dogs were said to have initially accompanied the monks on mountain patrols after bad snowstorms searching for lost or trapped travelers. The dogs were said to have an uncanny sense of detecting impending avalanches and somehow learned their rescue techniques from the monks. Eventually, the dogs were sent in unaccompanied in packs of two or three to find lost travelers. The dogs would find the buried people in the snow, dig them out, rouse them and, if the traveler was unable to move, one dog would lie on top of him to provide warmth while the other would return to the hospice to alert the monks that they had found someone. Those travellrs who could walk were simply led to the hospice by the dogs. Even today, the instinct to dig and rouse those lying in snow still exists within the breed. The Saint Bernard as a breed is credited with having saved over 2,500 travelers lost in the snow.
During the winters of 1816 to 1818, the snowstorms were particularly severe and many dogs perished while doing rescue work. As a result, the strain living at the hospice came close to extinction. However, records indicate that the monks somehow completely replenished this strain two years later with similar dogs from nearby valleys and, although no records exist to confirm this, it is rumored that the remaining dogs may have been crossed with Great Danes or English Mastiffs.
The first recorded breeding outside of the hospice was in Switzerland in 1855 by Herr Heinrich Schumacher who started the first stud book and worked to maintain the original hospice type. The high demand for these dogs unfortunately led to the detriment of the breed and, in an effort to preserve the original breed type, the Swiss Kennel Club was founded in 1883 and adopted the first Swiss Saint Bernard Standard in 1884. Today, there are three Saint Bernard Standards: a modified old Swiss version still used in the U.S., the English version, and a revised Swiss version adopted by all FCI countries in 1993.
One of the most famous St. Bernards is Beethoven, who has starred in 6 movies.
Sources:
Wikipedia
CKc
Canada's Guide to Dogs
Pictures:
Photobucket
Group: 3- Working Dogs
Origin: Italy and Switzerland
Purpose: Originally, watchdogs and companions to the Swiss monks during their winter isolation
Description:
The Saint Bernard is powerful, intelligent, strong and muscular. The breed was bred to work and, while its original job was rescue work in the Alps, this soon expanded to include pulling carts filled with farmers' produce and milk bottles being delivered door to door. With his steady temperament around people and other animals, the Saint Bernard is an excellent and dependable worker. Todays' Saint Bernards are often seen participating in Obedience Trials, Tracking Tests, Agility Trials, Draft Tests and Weight Pulling Tests.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat and Colour:
Coat very dense, short-haired (stockhaarig), lying smooth, tough, without however feeling rough to the touch. The thighs are slightly bushy. The tail at the root has longer and denser hair which gradually becomes shorter towards the tip. The tail appears bushy, not forming a flag. Colour white with red or red with white, the red in its various shades; brindle patches with white markings. The colours red and brown-yellow are of entirely equal value. Never of one colour or without white. Faulty are all other colours, except the favourite dark shadings on the head (mask) and ears. There is also a long haired variety.
Head: Like the whole body, very powerful and imposing. The massive skull is wide, slightly arched and the sides slope in a gentle curve into the very strongly developed, high cheek bones. The muzzle is short, does not taper, and the vertical depth at the root of the muzzle must be greater than the length of the muzzle. Eyes set more to the front than the sides, are of medium size, dark brown, with intelligent, friendly expression, set moderately deep. The teeth should be sound and strong and should meet in either a scissors or an even bite, the scissors bite being preferable. Ears of medium size, rather high set, with very strongly developed burr (Muschel) at the base.
Neck: Set high, very strong and in action, is carried erect. Otherwise horizontally or slightly downward. The junction of head and neck is distinctly marked by an indentation. The nape of the neck is very muscular and rounded at the sides which makes the neck appear rather short. The dewlap of throat and neck is well pronounced; too strong development, however, is not desirable.
Forequarters: Shoulders sloping and broad, very muscular and powerful. Forearms very powerful and extraordinarily muscular. Forelegs straight, strong.
Body: The withers are strongly pronounced. The back very broad, perfectly straight as far as the haunches, from there gently sloping to the rump, and merging imperceptibly into the root of the tail. Chest very well arched, moderately deep, not reaching below the elbows. Belly distinctly set off from the very powerful loin section, only a little drawn up.
Hindquarters: Well developed. Legs very muscular. Hocks of moderate angulation. Dewclaws are not desired; if present, they must not obstruct gait. Feet broad, with strong toes, moderately closed, and with rather high knuckles.
Tail: Starting broad and powerful, directly from the rump is long, very heavy, ending in a powerful tip. In repose, it hangs straight down, turning gently upwards in the lower third only, which is not considered a fault.
Faults Considered as faults are all deviations from the standards, as for instance a sway back, and a disproportionately long back, hocks too much bent, straight hindquarters, upward growing hair in spaces between the toes, out at elbows, cow-hocks, and weak pasterns.
Size:
Height at shoulder of the dog ought to be 27-1/2 inches (70 cm)
minimum, of the bitch 25-1/2 inches (65 cm). Female animals
throughout are of a more delicate and finer build. Adult males weigh between 140 and 180 lbs., and adult female weigh between 120 and 140 lbs. The world's heaviest and largest dog in known history was a Saint Bernard named Benedictine, which weighed 162 kg (357 lbs). Benedictine surpassed Zorba, the largest English mastiff on record, which measured 8 feet, 3 inches long and weighed 343 lb.
Temperament:
St. Bernards are gentle, friendly, and generally fond of children. Extremely loyal, the St. Bernard is eager to please its owners. Due to its large adult size, it is essential that proper training and socialization begin while the St. Bernard is still a puppy, so as to avoid the difficulties that normally accompany training large animals. An unruly St. Bernard may present problems for even a strong adult, so control needs to be asserted from the beginning of the dog's training. While generally not as aggressive as dogs bred for protection, a St. Bernard will bark at strangers and their size makes them good deterrents against possible intruders.
Health:
The very fast growth rate and the weight of a St. Bernard can lead to very serious deterioration of the bones if the dog does not get proper food and exercise. Many dogs are affected by hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia. Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) has been shown to be hereditary in the breed.
St. Bernards are susceptible to eye disorders called entropion and ectropion. The FCI standard indicates that this is now a major fault. The breed is also susceptible to epilepsy and seizures, a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy, and eczema.
Average Lifespan:
The average life span of a St. Bernard is about 11 years, and some insurance companies will not issue a life insurance beyond 11 years.
History:
While the true origin of the Saint Bernard is not well documented, it is known that the breed was bred by monks of the Hospice du Grand St. Bernard in Switzerland during the 17th century. The most accepted estimate is that the breed originated sometime between 1660 and 1670. These dogs were likely descendants of the mastiff type Asiatic dogs that were first brought to the region by Roman armies. Until about the year 1700, it is believed that the dogs were used as watchdogs and companions to the monks during their winter isolation. The dogs were said to have initially accompanied the monks on mountain patrols after bad snowstorms searching for lost or trapped travelers. The dogs were said to have an uncanny sense of detecting impending avalanches and somehow learned their rescue techniques from the monks. Eventually, the dogs were sent in unaccompanied in packs of two or three to find lost travelers. The dogs would find the buried people in the snow, dig them out, rouse them and, if the traveler was unable to move, one dog would lie on top of him to provide warmth while the other would return to the hospice to alert the monks that they had found someone. Those travellrs who could walk were simply led to the hospice by the dogs. Even today, the instinct to dig and rouse those lying in snow still exists within the breed. The Saint Bernard as a breed is credited with having saved over 2,500 travelers lost in the snow.
During the winters of 1816 to 1818, the snowstorms were particularly severe and many dogs perished while doing rescue work. As a result, the strain living at the hospice came close to extinction. However, records indicate that the monks somehow completely replenished this strain two years later with similar dogs from nearby valleys and, although no records exist to confirm this, it is rumored that the remaining dogs may have been crossed with Great Danes or English Mastiffs.
The first recorded breeding outside of the hospice was in Switzerland in 1855 by Herr Heinrich Schumacher who started the first stud book and worked to maintain the original hospice type. The high demand for these dogs unfortunately led to the detriment of the breed and, in an effort to preserve the original breed type, the Swiss Kennel Club was founded in 1883 and adopted the first Swiss Saint Bernard Standard in 1884. Today, there are three Saint Bernard Standards: a modified old Swiss version still used in the U.S., the English version, and a revised Swiss version adopted by all FCI countries in 1993.
One of the most famous St. Bernards is Beethoven, who has starred in 6 movies.
Sources:
Wikipedia
CKc
Canada's Guide to Dogs
Pictures:
Photobucket