​THE ST. BERNARD

 

STANDARD ADOPTED BY THE SWISS KYNOLOGICAL SOCIETY IN 1886

 

A: The Smooth-coated St. Bernard

General Character: - Powerful, tall, with great muscular development in all parts of the body; an imposing head, and very intelligent eyes. In dogs with dark mask the expression is more serious, but never sour.

Head: - Large, in correct proportion to the powerful body, very imposing, and well developed. Stop well marked. Skull wide, and of the shape of a flat arch, showing an indication of peak. A clearly defined indentation starts between the eyes and reaches far up the forehead. The bone above the eyes very strongly developed, and its position towards the axis of the head forms a right angle. The skin around the before-mentioned indentation on the forehead, round the eyes, and about the middle of the skull, is drawn more or less into wrinkles. Muzzle straight, not arched, and shorter than it's diameter from the stop downwards: looked at full face, the muzzle appears blunt. Flews slightly overhanging, but underlips not pendent. Teeth not powerful in proportion to size of animal. A black roof to mouth is much liked.

Nose: - Large, with well-dilated nostrils, and always black, like the lips.

Ears: - Thin, wide, and moderately high set on, lying flat to the side without wrinkle, of medium length, broad at the top, getting narrower towards the point, but well rounded.

 

Eyes: - Of medium size; brown, nut-brown, similar to those of a Setter, with an intelligent and friendly expression; set moderately deep. The lower eyelids form, as a rule, near the inner corner of the eye, a slight wrinkle, but lids which are very pendent, showing the haw, are never admissible.

 

Neck: - Short and thick, powerful, very muscular, and arched, carried well upwards, the junction between head and neck marked by a distinct line; clearly noticeable dewlaps, but a too great development is not desirable.

Shoulders: - Broad and sloping.

Chest: - Broad, moderately deep, the lower part not to reach below the elbows.

Back: - Broad, quite straight beyond the loins, if anything slightly arched over the loins, hardly noticeable, sloping towards the root of the tail.

Belly: - Slightly drawn up near the loins.

Tail: - Of medium lenght, very broad at the root, not ending in a fine point; quite straight, or in the lower third - that is, towards the point - slightly bent upwards. The best kind of tail is the one that in formation and covering resembles the tail of an otter. In repose it ought to hang down straight, of have a slight curve similar to an f ; in excitement level with the back, or slightly above, but never curled over the back.

 

Fore Legs: - Straight and powerful.

Hind Legs: - Slightly bent in the hocks; the feet, according to the presence of single or double dew-laws, more or less turned out, which is not to be mistaken for being cow-hocked.

 

Feet: - Broad, with well-arched and closed toes.

Coat: - Very close, broken-haired; thighs slightly bushy; on the tail not strikingly longer than on the body.

Colour: - White-and-red or red-and-white, the red in all shades; white, with grey-yellowish or grey-brownish spots, or these colours with white markings. Red-and-grey to count of equal value. Essential markings are white feet, chest, point of tail; white collar is desirable. Never self-coloured, or without white. Faulty are also all other colours, with the exception of the favourite dark shadings on the head and ears.

 

Height at the Shoulder: - Minimum for the dog, 27½ in.; for the bitch, 24in. The bitch's form is throughout the more delicate.

Faults: - A red nose, or split;  ears set too high; saddle-back; crooked fore legs; coarse tail, and carried too high, or too much curled; self-colour, black-and-white, white-and-black, black, or yellow. The absence or presence of single or double dew-claws is of no importance, as they cannot be considered as signs of purity of breed; but they are liked the same as a black roof to the mouth is much valued.

 

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B: The Rough-coated St. Bernard

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General Character: - The same as the smooth-coated variety, only the body is rather longer, and there are slight differences in the following points.

Head: - The indentation between the eyes is less marked. The wrinkles on the forehead are only indicated, which gives the head a milder and better-tempered expression. The ears short towards the points, and covered with velvety hair; a little longer hair at the roots admissible.

Chest: - Little deeper.

Tail: - Long, slightly bushy, similar to that of the fox. Hair on the top of the tail not curly or parted, not having the appearance of a flag.

Fore Feet: - Well closed, smaller than in the smooth-coated dogs.

Hind Legs: - A little more bent in the hocks.

Coat: - Of medium lenght, flat, slightly wavy, but never curly or bushy; short on the head, ears, and lower part of the legs; fore legs slightly feathered

 

Colour and Markings: - The same as in the smooth-coated.

 

[From the book "The Saint Bernard; It's History, Points, Breeding, And Rearing", by Hugh Dalziel, 1888]