Saint Bernard — size comparison

The Saint Bernard is a very large dog with a broad head, a powerful body and a deep chest. Red patches or a more extensive mantle cover the white coat, often with a darker facial mask. Short-haired and long-haired varieties both have strong legs, broad feet and a tail that hangs low at rest.

Its ancestors lived at the hospice on the Great St Bernard Pass in the Alps. Large dogs are documented there from the seventeenth century, first guarding buildings and later accompanying people and helping locate travellers lost in snow and fog. Accounts of this work made them famous across Europe. Systematic breeding developed in the nineteenth century, with a Swiss breed club founded in 1884.

Saint Bernards are generally friendly with familiar people and closely attached to family. Often appearing calm, they can join play enthusiastically, especially when young. They observe new situations and may loudly announce a stranger. Gentleness combines with confidence, and human company may matter more than constantly finding independent activities.

Measurement sources

• Wzorzec i wielkość
• Charakter, pielęgnacja i historia
• Orientacyjna masa
• AKC — długość życia, pielęgnacja i historia