# data[].attributes.body
The foundation of the Saint Bernard breed is firmly embedded in the history of the mountain pass and the monastery of the same name. The Great Saint Bernard Pass that links Switzerland and Italy has a rich past, the history of which has been taken back to 57 B.C. when Caesar attempted to conquer alpine tribes to ensure safe passage over the Alps during the Gallic Wars.

# data[].attributes.body
The Hospice and congregation were founded in the eleventh century by St Bernard de Montjoux (also known as  St Bernard of Menthon), Archdeacon in the City of Aosta on becoming apparent it required a reliable income, a complete list of all donations to the monastery commenced in 1125

# data[].attributes.body
It is thought that dogs were probably first kept at the Hospice around 1660 and 1670 with their initial purpose as watchdogs against marauders as this was a common path of pilgrimage for those journeying to Rome through the mountains of Italy and Switzerland.

# data[].attributes.body
The artist Salvatore Rosa painted two dogs from the Hospice around 1690 whilst the first written references to dogs at the Hospice date from 1703 and are nearly always described as being large but would be relatively smaller than that of modern Saint Bernard. It is also reported that M J Bourrit an artist from Geneva wrote about the monks and their rescue dogs in 1774.

# data[].attributes.body
Of all the dogs Barry is the most famous Saint Bernard to have lived and worked at the Hospice. It is claimed that he saved 40 or more people during his life however some question this figure as the monks kept no records. Tending to the needs of travellers was an everyday event and detailed records of rescues made with or without the assistance of dogs were not deemed necessary.  Barry was brought to Berne by a monk in 1812 where he died two years late aged 14. He is honoured to this day with always having one dog kept at the Hospice in his namesake. No other Saint Bernard has received the notoriety or equalled the number of rescues as those made by the legendary Barry.

# data[].attributes.body
the saint bernard becomes a popular house pet you may even get an elf pet one from your elf!

# data[].attributes.body
The more successful their rescue work became coupled with the decrease in accidents resulted in the their reputation spreading far and wide. With an excellent sense of direction, an acute ability to navigate through dense fog, snow storms and to warn of an impending avalanche,  the dogs always accompanied the monks or marronniers on treks. But the dogs later did make expeditions on their own in small packs of two or three to search for travellers buried in after an avalanche or snow storm. The dogs would often dig through metres of snow and ice and if found alive the traveller would be kept warm, conscious and comforted by one dog one whilst the other would return to the Hospice to raise the alarm. Over the approximated 200 years that the Saint Bernard dogs worked on the Pass it is estimated that 2000 people were rescued. The last rescue recorded was of a 12 year old boy who was nearly frozen to death and found in a crevice and was awakened by a Saint Bernard dog in 1897.

# data[].attributes.body
People believe that Schumacher who retained strong ties with the monks at the Hospice aimed to maintain an ideal embodied in the old Barry type whilst other breeders found favor in heavy heads, strong stops, and short muzzles. After a number of years of indiscriminate breeding by some breeders and also what can be described as confusion about the breed in general, the Swiss Standard was introduced in 1887 following which a degree of order prevailed. Swiss breeders were upheld as the authority through confirmation to the Swiss Standard and ironically the Hospice ignored the Swiss Standard entirely. Schumacher retired from breeding in 1890.

# data[].attributes.body
The colour of the Hospice dogs was typically red-brown and white which was wide-spread among farm dogs in Switzerland and was the singular recognizable characteristic of the Saint Bernard. Therefore as the need arose the monks did not find it difficult to replenish their pack from local stock and given their isolation for long periods throughout the year specific types for that or any given area evolved swiftly.

# data[].attributes.body
film makers created the movie Beethoven about a saint bernard and the movie is still popular today.