The Saint Bernard’s story begins high in the Swiss Alps, where monks relied on these powerful dogs to help travelers navigate dangerous mountain passes. Over centuries, the breed became renowned for its rescue work, inspired myths that still endure today, survived periods of decline, and eventually found new fame on the big screen through the hit movie “Beethoven.”
Origins in the Swiss Alps
More than 8,000 feet above sea level in the year 1050, snowdrifts could rise as high as 40 feet across a crucial passageway in the Alps. This important route, used by pilgrims traveling to Rome, was notoriously dangerous to cross.
To aid these travelers, a monk named Bernard of Menthon, later canonized as Saint Bernard, established the Hospice of St. Bernard. The hospice provided shelter and assistance to pilgrims making the arduous journey through the mountains.
But helping hundreds of exhausted travelers wasn’t a one-person task. When avalanches struck and people became trapped beneath deep snow, the dogs that would eventually become known as Saint Bernards played an essential role in rescue efforts.
Early Roots of the Saint Bernard
Saint Bernard-type dogs have been present in the region now known as Switzerland since ancient times. Germanic tribes who inhabited the area and periodically raided the Roman Empire used large, powerful dogs as war dogs. These canine giants earned a fearsome reputation throughout Europe.
Breed historians believe the Saint Bernard’s development began when the Romans introduced their own war dogs, the Asian Molossers, to the region. These Molossers were likely bred with native Alpine dogs during the first two centuries AD, laying the foundation for the breed’s eventual emergence.
Monks, Mountain Passes, and Rescue Missions
By the early 1700s, the dogs of the Hospice of St. Bernard had become famous for their lifesaving abilities.
Oliver Goldsmith wrote of Switzerland’s monks in the early 1700s: “They have a breed of noble dogs whose extraordinary sagacity often enables them to rescue the traveler. Though the perishing man lie 10 or even 20 feet beneath the snow, the delicacy of smell with which [the dogs] can trace him offers a chance of escape.”
The most celebrated rescue dog was “Barry,” who worked at the Hospice of St. Bernard between 1800 and 1814. During his lifetime, Barry was credited with saving at 40 human lives.
Although hospice monks had been training Saint Bernard-type dogs for rescue work long before Barry, his remarkable accomplishments made him the breed’s most famous ambassador. His reputation spread throughout Europe, and his name became closely associated with the breed itself. In Switzerland, Saint Bernards were once commonly referred to as “Barryhund.”
The Truth About the Brandy Barrel
One of the most enduring images associated with Saint Bernards is the small cask of brandy hanging from their collars. Despite its popularity, this tradition didn’t originate with the rescue dogs of the St. Bernard Pass.
The image can be traced to a painting created in 1820 by a 17-year-old British artist named Edwin Landseer. His work, “Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler,” depicts two Saint Bernards attempting to aid an avalanche victim. One dog is shown wearing a small barrel around its neck.
The cask was a creative detail invented by Landseer to enhance the painting. In reality, the hospice monks understood the dangers of alcohol for people suffering from hypothermia.
The painting captivated audiences, and the image of the barrel-carrying Saint Bernard quickly became one of the breed’s most recognizable symbols, despite being entirely fictional.
Landseer later became Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, RA, one of England’s most celebrated animal painters and a favorite artist of Queen Victoria. Today, some Saint Bernard owners still place decorative casks on their dogs’ collars for special occasions, honoring a myth that has become inseparable from the breed’s image.
A Breed in Decline and Recovery
By the turn of the 20th century, Saint Bernards faced significant challenges as a breed.
“The breed has changed remarkably since my grandparents’ day,” Janice Holmes Myers says. Myers operates the Massachusetts-based Carmen Kennels, the nation’s oldest registered kennel. She’s a third-generation breeder whose grandmother was showing Saints in the early 1900s.
“In the family scrapbooks are photos of Sea View Abbess. She was the dog of the day. But look at the picture: She’s practically swaybacked! If you trotted her out today, they’d laugh you out of the ring.”
Dedicated breeders in the United States worked to restore the breed’s soundness and type. They looked to exceptional examples of the breed as models, including the British champion Frandley Stephanie, famously depicted in Maud Earl’s painting “I Hear a Voice.”
A dog-show judge of the era observed that if breeders used Stephanie as their guide, “they will soon bring Saint Bernards back to the position they once held in public estimation.”
Through careful breeding programs and the introduction of quality imported dogs, Saint Bernards gradually regained their characteristic appearance and strength. By the middle of the 20th century, the breed once again reflected the qualities that had made it famous.
How ‘Beethoven’ Made Saint Bernards Famous Again
Today, many people first think of the lovable giant from the movie “Beethoven” when they hear the words Saint Bernard.
In the film, a small stray puppy finds his way into the Newton family home. Despite initial resistance from the family patriarch, the puppy grows into a massive, good-natured, and often unruly Saint Bernard weighing nearly 200 pounds.
Although critics largely dismissed the film, audiences embraced it. The success of “Beethoven” and its sequel introduced a new generation to the breed and helped renew public fascination with Saint Bernards.
Producer Ivan Reitman built the film around broad family appeal, pairing a humorous script by John Hughes with a talented cast led by Charles Grodin. But the real star was Beethoven himself.
Before the film’s release, Saint Bernards hadn’t enjoyed major pop culture visibility since the “Topper” television series of the 1950s. The movie changed that, transforming the breed into one of Hollywood’s most recognizable canine stars and reminding audiences why these gentle giants had captured hearts for centuries.