The Saint Bernard is a very large, strong, muscular dog, with a powerful head. The Saint Bernard is extremely loyal and friendly. They are faithful, highly intelligent, and unassuming, with a mellow and benevolent demeanor. This breed makes a great watchdog and even its massive size is a great deterrent.

The Saint Bernard breed has two different coat varieties: the smooth or shorthaired, and the rough or longhaired. Both varieties of coat are extremely dense in texture and are water resistant.

The Saint Bernard Club of America is one of the oldest breed clubs in the U.S., first organized in 1888 only four years after the formation of the American Kennel Club.

The most popular use of these gentle giants is in the area of search and rescue. The Saint Bernard's prowess as a search and rescue dog is legendary. The Saint Bernard hails from the Great Saint Bernard Pass, a treacherous mountain route high in the Swiss Alps. In the 10th century, a monk named Bernard De Menthon founded a Hospice in the Pass to benefit all passing travellers.

Each morning the monks from the Hospice searched the pass for lost travellers. The monks took along dogs known as Thalhunds or "Dogs of the Valley far below".

Noticing how the dogs easily located people buried deep in snow, they quickly became part of the rescue work of the Hospice.

Next they were called Alpine Mastiffs, a name that remained until 1856 when Sir Edward Landseer coined the name Saint Bernard and immortalized the dogs in many famous paintings.

The normal height is 25-28 inches and weight is 105-200 pounds. These dogs are gargantuan in size. "Benedictine" won the honor of the largest dog on record by tipping the scales at 305 pounds.

These lovable dogs can live successfully in an apartment though daily exercise is required. Like other big dogs with flaws, they can drool and be messy eaters.