All About The Saint Bernard Trivia Quiz

Answer: Switzerland

The Saint Bernard is from the Great Saint Bernard Hospice in Switzerland by the Alps Mountains, just meters away from the Italian border. The Hospice was known for its avalanche rescue dogs, which were later named Saint Bernards. These dogs would follow the trails of those lost in the snow, lick them awake if possible, and lead them back to the Hospice for care from the monks who lived there.

Answer: 1880

Before 1880 the Saint was known by many different names. These included 'Sacred Dogs', 'Barry Dogs', 'Noble Steeds', and 'Saint Dogs'. 'Saint Bernard' was an obvious choice for an official name, after the dogs' original home at the Great Saint Bernard Hospice in Switzerland.

It became the commonly used name by the late 1800s, 1880 being the year that the name was officially bestowed upon the breed.

Answer: Gastric torsion

Gastric torsion, or bloat, can be deadly to big dog breeds. It is more common in the Saint Bernard because they are very deep chested.

Saint Bernards are also prone to bone disorders thanks to their weight and how quickly they grow. Common problems for Saints are bone cancer and joint displasia.

Answer: a short muzzle

An ideal Saint Bernard as described by the American Kennel Club does have a short muzzle; so this is not a serious fault at all.

While these other options might not be disqualifications, they are serious faults and should not appear in show and good quality breeding stock. Saints usually have brown eyes, though blue can also appear. Their base color should always be white, with various brown spots. In addition, a healthy Saint's tongue should be not be black, although the roof of its mouth can be.

Answer: Newfoundland

Although Newfoundland dogs share ancestry with many other breeds of dogs, they were crossed with the Saint Bernard in the 19th century. In the late 19th century, however, the Saint that was in use at the Saint Bernard Hospice for so many years was nearing extinction as a species, and many other large breeds were crossed with it to keep the breed alive.

These included the English Mastiff and the Great Dane.

Answer: False

Bigger breeds like the Saint Bernard normally don't live as long as smaller breeds. They have a 8-10 year average span, which is common for dogs of this size.

Different surveys conducted in different countries have put the average lifespan of Saint Bernards at different years, but 10 years appears to be the oldest average age.

Answer: False

Saints like to lie around and sleep! Belying their large size is their gentle and sleepy behavior. Saint Bernards should be trained to be this way, however; if socializing around humans is left too long in the training of a puppy, Saints can be tense and fearful.

Overall, Saints are loyal and generally calm dogs.

Answer: either smooth or rough

Saint Bernards have a variety of coat types, and they have had both smooth or rough fur. While the rough fur tends to be heavy and flat, the smooth coat is slick to the dog's body.

Saints also have a wide variety of coat colors, with red, white, and sometimes black patches. They often have red/brown patches that extend from the ears to the eyes, with a white strip down the middle of the face.

Answer: Molosser

Saints are classified as a molosser breed, which many kennel clubs use to include mastiffs and guard dogs. The term comes from the ancient Greek dog breed of Molossus, which was kept by the Greek tribe Molossians. Stories say that these dogs originated in Asia. It might have been that these dogs were in fact two separate breeds, a mastiff and a livestock guard dog, hence the modern kennel club classification.

Male Saints can be 140 to 180 lb, or 64 to 82 kg. This puts the Saint Bernard in the category of giant dogs, which is any breed of dog growing over 99 lbs. Female Saints are also large: they can grow from 120 to 140 lbs, or 54 to 64 kg.

Answer: False

The famous Saint's name was Barry. He saved over 40 lives in the Alps and is still known today. He lived from 1800 to 1814 at the Great Saint Bernard Hospice in Switzerland. He saved those who had been lost and frozen in the Alps, by licking them and, in the case of a young boy, then carrying them to safety. This caused his death, however: one soldier that he had been searching for who had been lost for days woke when he licked him and, believing the dog to be a wolf, stabbed Barry to death.

Some of Barry's remains were taxidermied after his death. They are displayed in the Natural History Museum in Bern. In honor of the dog, the Hospice always keeps a Saint Bernard named Barry in residence.