Few breeds have collected as many stories as the Saint Bernard. Here are the most common Saint Bernard myths and facts, set against the record as told in Saint Bernard Club of America material, especially Fact and Fiction About Our Breed by Arthur Hesser.
Myth: The breed began when one stray dog arrived at the hospice
Fact: Tales of a single dog, often said to be a Pyrenean, mating with a hospice dog have no record behind them. Hesser explains that the hospice dogs came from the valley dogs of the surrounding Swiss countryside, and that one or two crosses cannot create a new breed.
Myth: Bernard de Menthon created the breed
Fact: The hospice is named for him, but by Hesser’s account there were no Saint Bernard dogs there in his time. The dogs appear roughly 700 years later, with the breed’s beginning placed between 1660 and 1670.
Myth: Barry died saving his forty first traveler
Fact: Barry, the most famous hospice dog, is credited with saving about forty people. Hesser calls the story of his death on a final rescue a fable. Barry retired and died in Bern in 1814, and he can still be seen at the natural history museum there.
Myth: The breed died out in the hard winters of 1816 to 1818
Fact: Several dogs were lost, and reports spread that the breed was gone. Only the hospice strain was nearly lost, and the monks replenished it within two years from the same valley stock.
Myth: The hospice crossed its dogs with Great Danes or Mastiffs
Fact: Hesser writes that no such crosses were ever made at the hospice. The only experimental cross there was with the Newfoundland, beginning in 1830, which is how the rough coat (Langhaarig) came into the breed. English Mastiff crosses did happen in England, with dogs exported from Switzerland.
Myth: Some Saints weigh 300 pounds
Fact: The Young Saint Bernard: His Care, Feeding, and Training calls tales of 250 to 350 pound Saints just that, stories. A few dogs exceed 200 pounds, but that is rare. Mature males normally weigh 150 to 180 pounds and females somewhat less, and the breed standard sets minimum heights rather than any weight.
Myth: You can find a dry mouth Saint
Fact: There is no such thing as a dry mouth Saint. Every Saint drools, and anyone who tells you otherwise does not know Saints.
Myth: A pure, massive Swiss strain is better
Fact: The SBCA says there is no such thing as a pure, massive Swiss strain Saint, not even in Switzerland. Every Saint traces back to Swiss ancestors, and a dog’s quality should be judged against the breed standard.
Myth: One coat is better than the other
Fact: The SBCA’s Congratulations on Your New Companion the Saint Bernard states there is no preferred coat type, and both coats shed and need regular grooming. Read more in Smooth vs Rough Coat Saint Bernards.
Myth: A Saint makes a good watchdog
Fact: The Young Saint Bernard: His Care, Feeding, and Training describes the Saint as placid, even tempered, and a great dog for children, a guardian but not a watchdog. Learn more about Saint Bernard temperament.
The FzyBr Saints
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Barry die on a rescue?
No. SBCA material by Arthur Hesser calls that story a fable. Barry retired and died in Bern in 1814.
Were Saint Bernards crossed with Great Danes at the hospice?
No. According to Hesser, the only experimental cross at the hospice was with the Newfoundland, beginning in 1830.
Do Saint Bernards weigh 300 pounds?
No. The SBCA’s Young Saint Bernard booklet calls those claims stories. Mature males normally weigh 150 to 180 pounds.
Is there a Saint Bernard that does not drool?
No. Every Saint drools. There is no such thing as a dry mouth Saint.
Is a smooth or rough coat Saint better?
Neither. The SBCA says there is no preferred coat type.
More Saint Bernard Guides
- Saint Bernard history
- Smooth vs rough coat Saint Bernards
- Saint Bernard size and growth
- Saint Bernard care and grooming
- The complete Saint Bernard Guide
- Saint Bernard puppies in Massachusetts from FzyBr Saints
Sources
Breed facts on this page come from the Saint Bernard Club of America (SBCA), the AKC parent club for the breed, and the official AKC breed standard, written here in our own words.
- SBCA: Fact and Fiction About Our Breed, by Arthur Hesser (PDF)
- SBCA: The Young Saint Bernard: His Care, Feeding, and Training (PDF)
- SBCA: Congratulations on Your New Companion the Saint Bernard (PDF)
- SBCA: About the Breed
- SBCA: Breed History
Keep reading in our Saint Bernard Guide, or learn about future FzyBr Saints puppies. Questions? Call us at 908-577-0923.