SAINT BERNARD COLLECTION

EVERYTHING DEDICATED TO YOUR ST. BERNARD RIGHT HERE

One stop, fast shopping for your SAINT'S health and beauty needs. Plus, we added a couple of other items you may need to keep your St. Bernard looking and feeling his best.

ST BERNARD HISTORY BITS & PIECES AND THE SCOOP ON THE BARREL

Saint Bernard History: It is pretty obvious the St. Bernard originated from Mastiff or molosser type dogs brought to the Alps. The ancient Romans probably brought them along as they swept Europe conquering as they went. Alpine Mastiff, Tibetan Mastiffs and Mastiffs all contributed genetic code to the Saint.

Bits & Pieces: Brutal winters from 1816 to 1818 led to more avalanches that in recorded history. As a result, many brave St Bernards lost their lives as they valiantly attempted rescues.

In the 1850s Newfoundland dogs were brought in to add new vigor to the few remaining bloodlines, which had become tightly inbred.  While the monks believed the Newfie's abundant coat would protect them from the frigid temperatures, that did not work out. The long coat of the Newfies collected ice and snow and weighed the dogs down, which hampered their abilities to search and rescue.

That Barrel? The monks of the St. Bernard Hospice deny that any St. Bernard ever carried casks or small barrels around their necks. Sir Edwin Landseer’s 1820 painting, Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler, was probably the source of the myth. Ever the savvy marketers, the monks kept casks around for photographs with tourists.