Facts about Saint Bernard
- 09
Drool from Saint Bernards contains a natural antibiotic compound that helped monks treat frostbite and wound infections during Alpine rescue operations in the 1700s and 1800s.
- 08
Saint Bernards have been featured in over 50 films and television shows since the 1920s, making them one of cinema's most recognizable dog breeds.
- 07
Barry's preserved body was mounted and displayed at the Natural History Museum in Bern, Switzerland, where it remains on public exhibition today as a tribute to the legendary rescue dog.
- 06
Double coats of oily fur allow Saint Bernards to withstand Alpine temperatures dropping below minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit while remaining dry during rescue operations.
- 05
In modern times, Saint Bernards have been bred smaller than their Alpine ancestors, with show dogs typically weighing 120 to 180 pounds compared to the original 200-pound mountain rescue dogs.
- 04
A single Saint Bernard named Barry saved approximately 40 people during his 12-year career with the Swiss hospice monks between 1800 and 1812.
- 03
Saint Bernard dogs possess a specialized organ called the vomeronasal organ that allows them to detect scents buried under 20 feet of snow during avalanche rescues.
- 02
The breed's name comes from the Great St. Bernard Pass in Switzerland, where Hospice monks used these dogs for mountain rescue missions starting in the 1700s.
- 01
Weighing up to 200 pounds, Saint Bernard dogs were originally bred by monks in the Swiss Alps during the 1600s to rescue avalanche victims.