Monday, November 17, 2014

Proud Momma and Pups; plus an 1892 Article on St. Bernards!

In 1892, in The Fanciers' Journal: Devoted to Dogs, Poultry, Pigeons & Pet Stock, there was a history with quite a bit of detail and opinion of the St. Bernard.  It mentions the great popularity of the breed at that time.  I didn't know any of the rather dramatic beginnings of this breed and found it a good read (although the "begats" were a bit much later in the article).



 THE ST. BERNARD.

from Fred Greshara in Shooting Times.
In treating with the history of the Mount St. Bernard dog, I am aware that I am treading on well-beaten ground, for ever since it has acquired the popularity that it now enjoys in this country of being one of the most fashionable breeds of dogs it has been made the subject of numerous contributions to journals and other manuscripts which are interested in the welfare of the dog. I shall, therefore, only make cursory allusion to its early history, and pass on to the progress that it has made since it became associated with England, something like quarter of century ago.
The Mount St. Bernard dog derives its name from the Hospice of St. Bernard in Switzerland, where it has been kept for many years by the Monks to search for travelers who have lost their way on the snow-clad mountains adjacent to the Hospice. The specimens that were selected for work by the holy fathers were chiefly males which were trained to go out two together every morning and wend their way along the route taken by travelers. Each pair had separate beat, their duty being to journey to the farthest cabin of refuge, about distance of eight miles. In the event of their finding any travelers overcome with the cold, they endeavored to revive them by licking their hands, and if unsuccessful in this returned with haste to the Hospice to seek for further assistance. The lives of many people have been saved in this way in days gone by. dog known by the name of Barry is recorded to have been instrumental in rescuing upwards of forty, and to have died in harness, having been shot in mistake for wolf by man to whose rescue he had gone. There is stuffed figure of famous St. Bernard also named Barry in the museum at Berne.
According to tradition the monks set great store upon the marking of their dogs. Some writers have discredited the fact that the white blaze up the face, white collar round the shoulders and spot on the top of the skull have been encouraged in consequence of their resembling the vestments worn by the Holy Fathers, and also as to the latter preferring dogs that have dew claws on their hind legs to those that have not.   I am, however, satisfied about the correctness of their preference for these properties, and I am further strengthened in my views inasmuch as few years ago some visitors to the Hospice made it their special business to make inquiries on these particular points. 
In this connection I can quite understand that English breeders are disposed to discountenance these matters of detail, for it renders the task of breeding, when they are not taken into consideration, easier, and as matter of fact, as far as the rough-coated variety is concerned, they have produced a dog different in some respects to the St. Bernards that are now seen in Switzerland. Indeed, it is question whether the rough coated animals of the breed have any claim to the name of St. Bernards as it is on record that they were not known until by an accident many years ago all the female dogs at the Hospice were destroyed by an avalanche and the monks were compelled to cross the male that survived with either the Pyrenean sheep dog or the Newfoundland, which cross resulted in long-coated puppies being bred, which were given away as useless to work in the snow in consequence of their rough hair. 
The smooth coated St. Bernard undoubtedly more nearly resembles the dogs patronized at the Hospice in early days, and seeing that far better smooth coated St. Bernards have been imported from Switzerland than rough-coated, and that prominence is always given to them at continental shows, there is every reason to believe that the handsome animal with the rough coat that is so fashionable in this country is only mongrel. In furtherance of my ideas on the subject of white markings, it is to be remarked that all the best smooth-coated St. Bernards that have been imported have superabundance of white distributed in the way that I have described.
It may be argued that the smooth coated St. Bernard is as much mongrel as the rough-coated, inasmuch as it has been acknowledged that the cross with the sheep dog and Newfoundland has had recourse to. The same may be said of English greyhounds, in the veins of the best of which it is known that the blood of bull dog runs. We do know that the rough-coated St. Bernard started on its career mongrel, and that no effort has been made to convert it to the original type of the St. Bernard of the Hospice.
It is of the St. Bernard as it is known in England that I am writing, and in doing so it would be ridiculous on my part to disconnect the smooth from the rough coated, as the two have been so much bred together that with the exception of cue kennel, that of Mr. J. F. Smith, of Sheffield, which consists of imported dogs, there are no smooth-coated St. Bernards in the country that can claim purity of strain in the question of coat.
The first that was heard of St. Bernards in England was in the days of the great lecturer, Mr. Albert Smith, by whom pair were imported from Switzerland and introduced into the program that brought so much popularity to that gentleman, but it was not until Mr. J. C. Macdona introduced the rough-coated Tell and the smooth-coated Monarque and others, and dog shows were instituted, that they became general favorites. Mr. Macdona, who at that time established large kennel and held commanding lead in the breeding of St. Bernards, until he handed his entire kennel over to Dr. Seton. now has the satisfaction of seeing that all the most perfect St. Bernards in the country trace their pedigrees back to the team that he then with so much judgment imported.
The notoriety gained by Tell and Monarque brought others into the field, and the late Mr. J. H. Murchison soon became possessed of some excellent specimens, prominent amongst which was the rough-coated Thor, whom he purchased from Mr. Shumacher, the most successful breeder in Switzerland, which dog afterwards proved himself to be invaluable at stud. The kennels established by Mr. Macdona aud Mr. Murchison were the foundation of the magnificent collections of St. Bernards that are now to be seen in England aud America. It was from the dogs imported by these gentlemen, in connection with roughcoated dog named Leo, brought over from Switzerland by Sir Charles Isham, and bitch by Mr. T. J. Hooper, from which sprung fine lot of St. Bernards that I was fortunate enough to breed at Shefford which appear in the pedigree of almost every dog of note that has recently been bred.
It must not be forgotten that fifteen years ago it was less difficult to win prizes than at the present time, but I believe there is only one case on record where both the cups, all the first prizes, and all the second prizes but one in the St. Bernard classes, both rough and smooth, were won at aKennel Club show by the produce of two bitches, mother and daughter, and all whelped at the same kennels. The party consisted of the Monk, Hector, Queen Jura, Dagmar, Monarque II, The Shah, Abbess, Augusta, and auother from the same litter as Augusta, whose name I forget. Old Bernie produced Monk, Queen Jura, Monarque II, and Abbess to Sir Charles Isham's Leo; Abbess was the dam of the remainder, having bred Hector, Dagmar and the Shah to Thor and Augusta and her sister puppy to Moltke.
As time went on Mr. S. W. Smith appeared in the field with the imported Barry, who won number of prizes at shows in the north of England, and Bayard turned up, having been purchased from northern breeder by Mr. Macdona, and once more brought that gentleman's name to the front. Bayard had strong opponent in Dr. Russell's Cadwallader, who was instrumental in bringing the Orsett Kennels into notoriety, Mr. Norris Elye having been most successful with the produce of this dog and daughter of The Shah. At later period Mr. H. J. Bettertou purchased from Swiss breeder the smooth-coated Guide, aud afterwards Sans Peur, who was at the time in whelp with the celebrated Watch, one of the high-priced dogs that went to America; and then the prospects of the smooth coated variety, which had hitherto, compared with their rough-coated brethren, met with scanty support, were advanced. Mr. Betterton then bought Keeper, and finally sold the lot to Mr. J. F. Smith, who now possesses at Sheffield kennel of smooths that are unrivaled in any part of the world.
This, however, was not Mr. J. F. Smith's first venture with St. Bernards, for he already owned oue of the finest rough coated St. Bernards living inChampion Save, and had been the possessor of Ch. Leonard, rough dog of great merit, whom he purchased from Mr. Thornton, who was at that time considerable breeder of St. Bernards and had produced one of the very best smooths in Champion Leila, who was one of the first high-priceA animals that found their way over to America.
The introduction of Plinlimmon upon the scene is matter of history; how he was bred by Mr. Hall, who gave him in lieu of fee to the owner of his sire, Pilgrim, and how he was eventually sold to Rev. Arthur Carter, then to Mr. J. F. Smith, who disposed of him to Mr. Hedley Chapman. He then became the property of Mr. S. W. Smith, and by him was sent to America at the remunerative price of 1000 pounds, just in the nick of time when the crack Sir Bedivere was about to make his debut. That Plinlimmon should have been given in the place of five guinea fee, and that Sir Bedivere was bred by novice who only kept him because he was the most prettily marked, will be remembered for long time as curious incidents in connection with the two best rough-coated St. Bernards that have ever been produced in England. Peggotty and Princess Florence were the next to create asensation, the former by Guide out of Sans Peur. purchased and brought out by Mr. Duerdon Dutton, and the latter by Mr. Hedley Chapman. Then came Mr. Norris Elye's Alta Bella, who still remains in possession of the field as far as bitches are concerned.
The largest breeders and exhibitors in England at the present time are Mr. J. F. Smith, who owns the celebrated smooths Champion Keeper, Champion Sans Peur, Gondola and several others, amongst which is Triton, son of Keeper, promising youngster, who bids fair to rival the performances of his illustrious sire. Mr. Norris-Elye, the breeder and owner of Alta Bella and her dam, Bellegrade; Miss Carrie Dutton, to whom Champion Peggotty and Claudius belong, and who has been fortunate in breeding Starboard, the most successful puppy brought out this year; Mr. S. W. Smith, the owner of Young Bute, Isabelle aud others; Mr. Thomas Shillcock, who has Marvel, the grand-headed sou of Dr. Roberts' capital stud-dog, Champion Pouf, and Donnybrook Fair, the typical son of Hesper; Mr. A. J. Gosling, who owns the sensational smooth-coated bitch Lola IV, the rough-coated Champion Angelo, Baron Dacre and Tamora. Mr. Hedley Chapman, the late owner of Princess Florence, who now has Sir Hereward and Bessie III; Mr. T. Smith, the owner of Lady Ida (the dam of Princess Florence), Duke of Maplecroft and some promising puppies by Marvel; Rev. R. T. Thornton, the owner of Andromeda, Abyss and others; Dr. Iuman, the owner of Seigfrid and Winona; Mr. T. Thorbury, the owner of Scottish Guide, etc.
The study of breeders of St. Bernards ever since they were first introduced into England has been to increase the size, which for time threatened to be achieved at the expense of the nicer properties which belong to the breed. Perseverance has at length, however, had the desired effect and the St. Bernards of to-day are larger and heavier in bone than they were twenty years ago. There, still, however remains something to be done in order to get more massive hindquarters, for with the increased height there has not been obtained corresponding massiveness of quarters, and many of the tallest St. Bernards have narrow and split-up appearance, which does not denote power and stamina. A St. Bernard, notwithstanding that it stands thirty-three to thirty-four inches in height and weighs 200 pounds, should be able to gallop and stand up for long time in reason as it is required, instead of wanting to lie down at every turn as many do.      Dogs that can't move with freedom on account of their being overgrown or defective in their limbs cannot be called perfect animals, and yet many such are allowed to take prizes on the show bench and are used at stud and reproduce their defects in their offspring. It is far better to give away an inch or two in height and twenty pounds in weight in order to have symmetrical animal.
The chief points of value in a St. Bernard are to be found in its head. Nobility of expression is most important feature, prominent brow with dark hazel eyes tends to this if the muzzle is square and broad with good depth below the eye. The last-named is the one property that must not be dispensed with, for however perfect a St. Bernard may be in all other points if it is weak and snipy below the eye it loses all its grandeur. The most attractive color is deep orange with white markings, when the color round the eyes is shaded off to mahogany, but rich brindle, with the red evenly interspersed with the black, shows off to advantage the white muzzle, the while blaze up the face, the white collar round the neck which extends over the chest and forelegs, the white hind feet and the white tip of the tail.

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