Before starting the examination of the different Saint Bernard dog standards and their comments, it is our opinion the reader will find useful a brief clarification on what is intended under the terms of "standard" and "beauty" in cynognostics providing, by doing so, some crucial elements for the comprehention of the meaning and the aims of morphogenetic selection.
  A breed Standard should be a description of its ethnic characteristics in a way breeders and judges can orient themselves within the breed they are dedicated to. Unfortunately, in the global landscape, standards able to give an exact picture of a breed are indeed rare. In 95% of cases they represent nothing more than a list of chapters of a long and detailed book, which could be known only by daily experimentation in dozens and dozens of years time, that is to say through a constant, live reading of the breed.
  Therefore it is limiting to talk about standards employed to operate selection and judgement. Only very few standards, as those of Italian compilation, give an orthodox image of the breeds they describe. Generally there are two types of standards.

  a) The English standards, very general, known for their general lack of precision. These kinds of standards are light years away from the so-called "type-image"

The Champ. Ercole del Soccorso, great stud of the past decade in Europe

prescribed by modern cynotechnical science: by reading them, without beeing familiar with the breed, not even Leonardo da Vinci would know how to reproduce the described dog.
   Evil tongues said that the English, as good merchants who live on revenues of the past glories of their great breeders of the XIX century, worked out for themselves these extremly vague, nebulous standards in order to manage to smuggle - in particular to our numerous xenophiles - many of their "haystack" dogs. We believe nevertheless, that English breeders have a very long, firm breeding tradition which gives in under the burden of what is lacking within the standard. In other words if a dog possesses qualities or faults not considered by the standard, but that could be annoverated within the tradition, English judges keep a record of it. The problem emerges when non-English judges, trying to patch up the gaps (that is to complete standard’s defficiency), give very discrepant interpretations.

  b) French, Dutch, Swiss, German and USA standards are, though much more precise and accurate than the English ones (especially the German Standard), are seldom technically precise enough or impeccable. Many of them are archaic, empyric and formulated with ancient terminology.
   For breeds these standards refer to, once again tradition beats contenents.
   And this is something we experienced with a breed we bred for fifty years, a Swiss breed that owns a standard which never changed since 1887, accurate for that time, even ahead of its time in comparison to canine material it derived from, but that is nowadays absolutely obsolete

Int. It. World Champ. Bsg. Sofia del Soccorso, Daughter of World Champions Sando and Diana del Soccorso

We are naturally referring to the Saint Bernard dog.
  It is worth stressing that in the case of this breed as well, the best exemplars were obtained, in over a hundred year period, on the basis of a tradition that gradually built up among breeders and judges and not on the text of the standard, that was written in an archaic German language and was also full of Swiss patois expressions, for the joy of dialect lovers. For example the zygomatic arches were called "hohen Backenteile uber", that is to say "the above of the high part of the cheek".
  In particular Saint Bernards of the so-called "Golden Era" (1920/40), the absolute best exemplars in the history of the breed, represented always the best example of embellished work-type dogs and that is because the great breeders of that time improved and modernized the breed without contradicting or severely disregard the standard and enhancing the working capability of the dogs through a better coordination between structure and gait. The wonderful "Golden Era" prototypes could have been the greatest models ever for the compilation of the new standard according to dictates given during the Münich Congress at the beginning of the 30’s.
  The Swiss decided not to take that opportunity so that the best exemplars were never cynotechnically used.
  Golden era dogs were characterized by excellent functionality, maximum size, generally skinny , mesomorfism, high level of body evolution (they had long limbs), very strong and compact

It. Champ. Veia del Soccorso (mother of Sando del Soccorso)

bone structure, well developed and long muscular fasces, muscular-respiratory constitutional habitus, noblesness, mobility, and excellent attitude towards work trial tasks in the mountains.
  During the postwar period, in particular in Switzerland, because of lack of selection during the war and the "random" reproduction they were subjected to, Saint Bernards lost, with few exceptions, their "Golden Era" characteristics: their size reduced considerably, their heads lost incisiveness and might, and above all, their functionality suffered a great regression.
  As a consequence, one of the first tasks we gave ourselves in the 50’s, as Saint Bernard’s breeders, was to regain the golden era type (the Swiss-German tradition of the 1920/1940), and to accomplish that we used the last survivors of the extraordinary kins we managed to find searching through Europe for years, and dogs we already had and that were descendents of that same kins.
   After a lot of work our efforts paid off; we can claim today that the so-called "Italian" Saint Bernard-type, faithful copy of the golden era dogs, is highly valued across the world and highly requested for reinvigourating blood-lines.

   c) Italian standards, more precise and meticulous, truly represent the breed type.
   In these standards each area and region of the body, every relation between structural portions .

World Champ. Sando v. Geutenreuth owner Moser (Germany), one of the sons of Ercole del Soccorso

is accurately described. These Italian standards, that we will define a maglia stretta, earnest, express in our opinion the very best cynognostics can offer. It is no wonder usual allocutions that fill foreign standards, as "of fine length", "long", "short", "not too long neither too short", improper and empiric terminology are unknown to our standards. It could appear that some Italian standards, as the most detailed ones, makes the breed look static instead of dynamic evolving entities, but these are small defects in comparison to the richness of their contents. Italian standards in fact do enclose the standard itself as well as its comment. This is why they come in very handy to both breeder and judge.
  Bear in mind that the description and the evaluation of ethnic

Int. It. World Champ. Elan del Soccorso father of Ercole del Soccorso

characteristics could have been made based upon the statistic average of biometric components or upon the average obtained from comparison between exemplars of highest value among its population. It is the latter one, in our opinion, the best system to adopt within canine breeds, nevertheless never underestimating the first one. We can only add the compiler of a standard should always keep an eye on the future of the breed and aim at an improved model of actual prototypes.
   Having laid out the necessary premises to different standard types, let’s move on to the different selection methods.
   At the end of this necessary introduction on standards, let’s move on to the selection methods. Naturally we will approach this topic from an exclusively practical aspect with no ambition of explaining or analyzing the mysteries of applied genetics. We wish to stress however that all best dog breeds we know nowadays would have never reached a high value through the generations, unless breeders applied appropriate selection upon the studs.
   The fact is that in nature, wild animals are the outcome of the balance between their genetic constitution and environmental factors, while domestic animals are selected exclusively by man. We can assert that "random" reproduction has been replaced by a "controlled" one. Obviously perfection is not nature’s attribute: this is why breeders, to achieve appreciable results, should concentrate on a not too high number of defined characteristics and give up on some others. One should also consider that there are some morpho-functional characteristics, both positive and negative, that are hereditarily bind. A breeder should consider the for and against arguments. Whoever aspires to perfection is due to fail because the more the selected traits the less efficient the improvement to the breed. This system brought destruction upon many breeds and, as far different countries are concerned, Swiss-bred Saint Bernards (best exemplars of the past) are a classic example.
  According to Giuliani, the best technique in individual selection consists in the genotypical evaluation of studs and in identifying the best exemplars, to pick them out and derive from them selected families or blood-lines. As breeders

It. Int. Champ. Axel del Soccorso, son of World Champ. Jago del Soccorso

we have personally obtained a few studs able to strongly trasmit to their offspring their basic genetic traits. The search for the so-called stud must be carried out among animals of high genetic purity.
  The only evidence available to offer efficient proof of the genetic value of an animal is the assessement of his offspring. Unfortunately, a dog’s life is so short that a correct evaluation of the offspring can be made only after he is already dead. That is true in particular for dogs of giant size, whose lifetime is shorter than average.
  It would be very interesting to succeed in semen conservation of important subjects (sperm bank) and the efforts of our universities should aim to this goal for dogs too. A few problems of legal and bureaucratic nature exist but could however be resolved.di ordine burocratico-legale che possono essere risolti.
  There are various methods of selection, mainly by choice of partners. I’ll skip the so-called "random" breeding, practiced by many, perhaps the majority of breeders who rush with their female to the nearest male. Obviously this practice, true cancer of modern "mass-cynofilia", has nothing to do with planned selection and is in facts its exact opposite. There are some "so-called -breeders" who neglect every genetic study on the subjects, mating their females with the champion of the moment. This is a "system" better than the former, but it is no guarantee of success in selection
  There is also the choice based exclusively on phenotypical traits, meaning among partners

Ippolito del Soccorso

similar in appearancebut not related: as they say "similar to similar", very common procedure in Germany and in Scandinavian countries.
   The product is a "random" outcome, an examplar that could be very appreciable phenotipically but of no genetical value. Then there’s the mating among relatives with the aim of fixating a few basic genetic traits and improve the breed. That is the method we adopted but we have to admit that if it is the shortest way to achieve the goal on one hand, on the other it is the one filled with more difficulties and negative implications.
   Consanguinity can be defined as degree of relation above average between individuals of the same breed. In other words two individuals are consanguineous if they share the same ancestor or couple of ancestors. There could be direct ancestry, as the one between children and their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, and a collateral ancestry as the one that ties between them brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, nephews, cousins. Ancestry degree is measured by calculating the generations between two exemplars directly related, while in the case of collateral ancestry one has to ascend to the common ancestor. Personally as breeders we often used the tight consanguinity (maiting animals related in first and second degree, parents/children, brothers/sisters - closeinbreeding) as well as the medium consanguinity (inbreeding) when animals to mate are relatives in third or forth degree (uncles/aunts, nephews, cousins), and also broad consanguinity (line breeding). The latter method aims at the enhancement of a certain trait, male or female, of genetic heritage among the offspring, with no greater risk than the re-crossing with the same parent, which is the narrowest method of "line breeding".

World Champ. Sando del Soccorso

  It is worth underlining how consaguinity gave a massive contribution to creating and perfectioning lots of dog breeds. It is obvious that its advantages and disadvantages depend greatly both on the breeders ability and on the value of the animals employed. It is however a tricky business because positive traits are transimtted along with the negative ones, which express themselves through the homozygosity.
  We are aware today that consanguinity does not host in itself any good or evil characteristic for it brings to a progressive purification, through homozygosity of the genoma, of the genetic heritage of the forebearers of a family or of a blood-lie. The main problem in consanguinity is the selection. If it is on one hand the only method capable of enhancing positive traits, on the other hand encreases the expression of the negative ones inborn in the family. This is why, if a strict selection is not applied, there is the risk of "depression due to consanguinity" and there coud occur subjects with traits such as small size, reproductively and sexually challenged, malformed, faulty pigmented, enognatous, with faulty immune system.
   That indicates that the inbreeding is not remuneratory for the breeder because he is forced to a strict selection, but, if the method is used correctly, it brings to an improvement of the breed, not to mention that by enhancing the homozygosity of the genetic heritage of the dogs, hereditary traits emerge and, by eliminating unwanted or defective individuals, allows to create families of high genetic purity in which the transmission of desirable traits will present relevant uniformity and constance. The afore mentioned "overwhelming hereditariness", which defines many excellent studs, derives from homozygosity and from the transmission of dominant genes, and that is achieved through the method of inbreeding.
  It is clear that the use of relatives is particularly indicated in those cases when the breeder can dispose of a number of animals whose genotypical and phenotypical profile is of a high level. Since we have been using consanguinity for a long time, we can assert that this method can be applied through various generations; nevertheless one should also aim to build families and blood-lines deferring from one another. If vigour decrease or whatever other fault should be spotted when applaying inbreeding, the problem could be resolved by fusion of some of the parallel blood-lines.
  If this method should fail too, consangiunity should be abandoned, and new blood-lines, completly extrinsic, should be introduced. In this case the ideal would be to mate relatives and very genetically steady males to females of different populations who are not related to the males but healthy, vigorous, fertile, and with an a favorable attitude for lactation. Obtained subjects appear, on the account of the heterozys too, more rustic and could refresh blood-lines of relatives’ kins. We have sometimes used this interracial crossing method,

Bison's Leiko, a Danish grandson of World Champ. Sando del Soccorso

also called "top crossing", with satisfactory results. We have to underline how the introduction of "rustic" studs in the breeding has to be made in a careful and graduated way, although the consanguineous kin is very genetically steady and absorbs with no problem extrinsic "rustic" blood, there is aways the risk of destroying everything that one had patiently built through inbreeding.
   Another fairly successful method we have witnessed consists in the employment of a male stud with bitches partially deriving from the same family group, but dislocated for years in distant foreign countries, very different for climate and alimentary system (as the USA, Australia, etc.).
   "Beauty", from the zootechnical aspect, is synonimous of utility, that is to say that an animal is beautiful when his morpho-functional characteristics indicate maximum attitude towards the purpose he is employed for.
  It is evident that in the dog, as well as in the horse (depending on his functional purpose), "balanced beauty" has a lot of importance; its strength lies in the correct relation between different head regions as well as the neck, the trunk and of the limbs, both singularly and as a whole. Some authors separate within "balanced beauty", the concept of "aesthetic beauty", which strikes the artist and fulfills his spirit. Sculptural shapes, various gaits and the elegance of an arabic horse are part of the "aesthetic beauty", pertaining to the dog also.
   Unfortunately many dog-lovers and judges are dazzled and captured by this kind of beauty and forget that, in cynognostics, the basic beauty is the balanced one between shape and function: that is an adaptational or utility zootechnic beauty.
  The Saint Bernard dog owes his great size to the necessity of digging through the snow large galleries, unbury, dig out and sometimes drag the unfortunates to the nearest shelter, an activity no other dog could perform, exactly because of the large size and might.
  The dachhund has short limbs and a long body to be fit for hunting in burrow.
   Today man replaced dog in many activities. The Saint Bernard, for example, is not employed anymore for solitary task of rescue because man and its technical means partially replaced it.
   Nordic dogs that live in temperate climates are no longer required for sleds. Many share the opinion that,wherever possible, the conditions for dogs to go back to performing their original tasks should be restored and, that way, an occasional trial of their functionality can be achieved.
  Different Saint Bernard clubs organize tests at high altitude in the mountains to reconstruct faithfully the conditions of the past. The Work Group of the Italian Saint Bernard Club (Gruppo di Lavoro del Club Italiano San Bernardo) is among the most active ones in this field and many simulations of "solitary rescue actions in winter weather" have been filmed on the Mont Blanc massive by national tv (RAI) with great success.
   The region of Val d’Aosta has alpine guides who have trained their Saint Bernards since they were puppies, with very satisfactory results.
   Mr. Pronesti’s dog, Xandi, from Aosta, was trained to find a "pion" under a heavy coat of snow. We saw him in action near the Hospice of Saint Bernard on the Mont Mort, one of the most dangerous spots for avalanche frequency.  And the same can be said for nordic sled dogs: fantastic shows are organized with sleddog contests to test and applaud performance of the most functional subjects.
   These tests should give a valid indication for the selection and be extended to all work-dogs’ groups. Without the aptitudinal tests, work-dogs are doomed to inevitable involution, or to the mere task of guardship, performed certainly very well, for example by the Saint Bernard (for his great size), but very distant from his original noble mission of rescue on the snow.
   Of course, many work groups could find employment in different fields (track, rescue, as police dogs in actions against drugs, etc.), but it would be a surplus in regard to their morphological and physiological equipment, fit for their original function.
  The dog posesses another kind of beauty also, which depends solely on fashion (conventional beauty).
  Unfortunately, shows in English-speaking countries privilege the balanced-aesthetic-conventional kind of beauty, mainly the conventional one. In England we witness, for example, setters with rich wonderful coats, the size of a terranova, showing off in shows: these colosses with their massive heads and broad flews are unable to hunt. In the United States we can see Saint Bernards with overbent hindquarters, slant croup, that move in the ring as German shepherds, covering significant distance in gait but unable to perform any task in the mountains
   This dichotomy can be traced in many different breeds and is at the limit of dog shows considered as entertainment and not to be considered zootechnic events. In particular breeders of dogs belonging to utility and hunting groups should react to this exasperation through selection and pay extra care to the outcome in the functional field.

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