The St. Bernard has a long history of servitude to mankind. Their origins are the Swiss valleys around the centuries old Hospice of St. Bernard, where the original dogs were used as guard dogs and companions for the community of monks living and working within the Hospice.

The Hospice was used as a way stop for travelers crossing the passes that linked the Swiss Alps with Italy. Because of the treacherous snows, wayfarers often became lost or disoriented or tragically died. Eventually some of the monks began to train these large and gentle dogs to go out on missions to save these passers-by. These dogs seemed to posses an inherent desire to seek out and locate the lost and the missing people, and also possessed the kind of coat that not only protected them from the fierce winds but did not cake with snow and ice. Read the rest of this entry »