THE NEW STANDARD FOR THE SAINT BERNARD DOG

(approved by FCI on October 29th 2003; effective from April 1st 2004)

(Translated from German by Dr. Giovanni Morsiani)

The complete text of the NEW STANDARD OF THE SAINT BERNARD DOG, that the Italian Saint Bernard Club (C.I.S.B.) is publishing here as an absolute world premiere, is the product of a 5 year effort made by technicians, judges, club chairmen and breeders from Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Denmark. Special merits go to the late Dr. Jean Maurice Paschoud mourned chairman of the Standard Committee of F.C.I.), lMrs. Christine Rossier (judge and head of the Swiss S.K.G.); Mr. Roland Hans (specialized judge and current honorary chairman of the German Club), Dr. Antonio Morsiani mourned specialized judge and chairman of the Italian Club, who contributed the cynotechnical details and the drawings, Dr. Giovanni Morsiani (specialized judge and current chairman of the Italian Club), Engineer Per Bay (specialized judge and member of the Danish Club) and Mr. Rudolf Thomann current chairman of the Swiss Club).
Years of meetings in Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Denmark produced the present text, which is a great compromise between the former text, empiric and antiquated, and a true standard, cynotechnically orthodox, according to our italian models. It is worth pointing out that the new standard includes most of the Italian requisitions regarding the main regions of the type (and) in harmony with the Comments to the Standard by Dr. Antonio Morsiani, which the new standard uses and even enspheres the DRAFT OF THE IDEAL TYPE OF THE SAINT BERNARD (IL DISEGNO DEL SAN BERNARDO IDEALE); with emphasis on the very important correct proportions: see drafts at page 83-94-98-107 of the book Il Cane di San Bernardo (The Saint Bernard Dog) by A. Morsiani - published by Mursia. The use of the Morsiani publication for the conceiving of a new standard is a huge honour and an extraordinary success for italian Saint Bernard lovers. One should bear in mind that the Saint Bernard is, in fact, the Swiss national dog and that abroad, with the exceptions of in particular for Germany and Denmark, there has always been a slight resistence towards cynognostic deepening of knowledge regarding this breed. The new standard became effective on April 1st 2004, and presents a text that is of course only superficially scientific and rather elementary as far as the cynotechnical detail. Most of measures and relations, especially regarding head-body-limbs proportions, is at long last put in evidence, as well as the eye, skull, muzzle, bite, higth at withers etc. proportions. In other words a HUGE PROGRESS, which puts the new Standard in line with the actual morphological and functional reality of the breed as well as with the historical sum of over a hundred years of breeding the text clearly refers to. Of particular interest is the retrieval of proper trunk-limbs proportions, which consecrate as ideal the "functional though embellished work-dog" described so often and breeded here in Italy too. This F.C.I. standard will be an excellent instrument for study and work for both breeders and dog-judges, as it presents itself as the ONLY TRUE SAINT BERNARD DOG STANDARD, definitely capable of replacing the other two (the English and the American one), that drifted years ago from the proper morphology and functionality of the breed, and are the basis for a dangerous morphological and temperamental involution of many exemplars bred in countries that follow the latter standard's interpretations or have officially adopted it.
Truly, the Saint Bernard dog Standard has had, since it was first set (1887), only a few modifications and updates. Worth mentioning are the 1935 ones (in the middle of the Golden Era), less important the recent ones, in 1981 and 1993. The great German-Swiss and Italian breeding tradition was inspired by its legendary past and tightly bonded to the Golden Era of the Saint Bernard. So as long as the great German-Swiss and Italian breeding tradition went on, a proper morpho-genetical selection could be maintained within the breed, paying particular attention to functionality. Interpretations of the standard regarding the type stayed homogeneous between them in all of continental Europe and in the USA. By the early 70's the gap between different versions grew, while the genetical drive of great prototypes of the past, with the exception of Italy and part of Germany, started to weaken. Therefore it became an imperative that a new standard, reviewed through modern Cynognostics applied to the study on the Saint Bernard and the Comments, "took the breed in its hands", leading it back on the right path.

Dr. Giovanni Morsiani

At an altitude of 2469 meters (more than 8000 ft) above sea level, on the Great Saint Bernard, monks founded a hospice for wayfarers and pilgrims in the XI century. Since the XVII century they kept large mountain dogs that were used to guard and protect them. The first iconographic documents we have regarding the presence of dogs in the Hospice are 1695 paintings and the first written record is a 1707 memorandum. These animals were employed as companions and as retrieval rescue dogs for people who were lost in the snow or in the fog. Chronicles in different languages telling us of these rescue actions as well as the stories Napoleon's soldiers told made the Saint Bernard, at that time known as "Barry-Hund", well known in all of Europe, making of him the epitome of the rescue dog. The progenitors of the Saint Bernard were the large farm dogs peasants kept on their farms, quite widespreaded in those regions. A few generations later the breed stabilized to become an ideal type which is the of the present one. Heinrich Schumacher from Hollingen, near Bern, was the first to issue genealogical documents for his dogs in 1867. The Swiss Dog Stud Book, "Schweizerischer Hundestammbuch", was started in February 1884; the first entry was the Saint Bernard Léon, followed by 28 others registrations. The Swiss Saint Bernard Club was founded on 15th March 1884 in Basel. On 2nd June 1887, during a convention, the Saint Bernard was officially recognized as a Swiss breed and the breed standard was declared as binding. From that day on the Saint Bernard has been regarded as the Swiss national dog.

General appearance

There are two varieties of Saint Bernards:
Short-haired variety
Long-haired variety

Important proportions

· The ideal proportion between the height at withers and the length of the body (measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks - the ishiadic tuberosity): 9:10
· The ideal proportion of the height at withersto depth of chest: see the draft of the Ideal Dog by Dr. Antonio Morsiani. (Distance elbow-ground 50/55% from the height at withers. Distance elbow-withers 50/45% from the height at withers).
· The total length of the head is slightly superior to 1/3 of the height at withers.
· Proportion between muzzle depth (measured at its root) and its length: up to 2:1.
· The muzzle is slightly longer than 1/3 of the total length of the head.

Behavior and Temperament

Friendly by nature; temperament from calm to lively, vigilant.

Head

Powerful, imposing and very expressive.

Cranial region

Skull: strong, broad, slightly rounded from a lateral prospective; the ear-set forms a straight line with the superior part of the head, at the sides the skull is sloping with a gentle curve towards the very well developed cheek-bones. The slope from the skull to the muzzle is sudden and rather steep. The occiput crest is rather slightly marked. Supra-orbital arches strongly defined. Deeply embedded between the eyes and starting at the root of the muzzle, a furrow runs over the whole skull. It is strongly marked in the first half, gradually disappearing towards the base of the occipit. The skin of the forehead forms slight wrinkles which converge towards the furrow. When the dog is alert wrinkles are more visible, but never too pronounced.

Stop: clearly defined.

Facial Region

Nose: black, broad and square with well dilated nostrils.

Muzzle: evenly wide. Nasal bridge, from nose to stop perfectly straight and broad with a slight furrow.

Lips: black pigmented rim, upper jaw flews strongly developed, taut and slightly prominent, forms a wide angle towards the nose: evident labial commissure.

Jaws/Bite: upper and lower jaw strong, broad and of equal length, well developed, regular and complete toothing, scissor or pincer bite. Normally close fitting undershot mouth without any space between the lower and the upper incisor is acceptable. Absence of PM1 (premolar 1) and of M3 is also tolerated.

Eyes: of medium size, dark brown to hazel, set slightly deep and of friendly expression. It is better if present a natural marking of the eyelid rim with a slight angular fold towards the inner angle of the lower lid. The the haw of the lower lid has to show though not exaggeratedly. Slight angular fold of the upper lid is permitted. Eyelid rims should be entirely pigmented.

Ears: of medium size, ear-set wide and high; strongly developed burrs. Ear laps slightly pendent, forming triangles rounded towards the points; the front edge of the flap should lie close to the cheeks, the rear edge may slightly stay off.

Neck: strong and rather long; throat and dewlap moderately developed.

Body

General appearance: imposing, balanced and of great substance, well muscled.

Withers: well defined.
Back: broad, strong, firm. Topline profile is straight and horizontal all the way to the loin.
Croup: long, slightly slant (15°/25°), gently merging with the root of the tail.
Chest: brisket moderately deep with well sprung ribs. It must not project below elbow level. Costal arch is well rounded never resembling the barrel-shape.
Belly and underline: slightly tuck up towards the rear.

Tail: tail-set broad and powerful. The tail is long and heavy; the last caudal vertebra should reach the at least hock joint. In repose it hangs straight down, gently upturned in the lower third; in excitement carried higher.

Limbs:

Forequarters:

General appearance: from a frontal prospective they should be straight and parallel, in stop slightly broad.
Shoulders: shoulder blades slope, muscular and firmly clinging to the chest wall.
Upper arm: longer than the shoulder blade; the angle between the shoulder blade and the upper arm should not be too blunt.
Elbow: close fitting.
Forearm: straight, with strong bone structure and lean musculature.
Pasterns: from a frontal prospective they look as a perpendicular prolongation of the forearm; from a lateral prospective they ares slightly slope.
Feet: broad. Tight, strong toes with rather high knuckles.


Hindquarters

General appearance: muscular and of moderate angulation; from a rear prospective hind-limbs seem parallel and must not be closely together.
Upper thigh: very strong, muscular and broad.
Knee: well angled, must not be turned in or out.
Lower thigh: aslant, rather long.
Hock joints: firm, with a moderate angle.
Metatarsus: from a rear prospective it is straight and parallel.
Feet: broad, closed, strong toes with rather high knuckles. Dew-claws are tolerated only if they do not obstruct gait.

Gait/Movement

Harmonious, far reaching movement with a great hindquarter drive; in motion the back topline must remain steady and firm. Front and hind feet move forward a straight line.

Coat

General appearance:

Short-haired variety (Stockhaar, double coat): very dense, smooth, close-fitting topcoat; without however feeling rough to the touch. Rich undercoat. Thighs slightly feathered, tail very dense coated.

Long-haired variety: topcoat of medium length, straight with rich undercoat. In the cranio-facial region and on the ears the hair is short; on the belly and croup it is usually slightly wavy; forelegs are fringy; thighs very feathered, long-haired bushy tail shaping into a crest.

Colour: Primary colour white with smaller or larger reddish-brown patches (splash-coated dogs) up to an unbroken reddish-brown mantle covering back and flanks (mantle dogs). A broken reddish-brown mantle is of equal value. A brindle reddish-brown colour permissible. Brownish-yellow tolerated. Dark shadings on head desirable. Slight touch of black on body tolerated.
Required white markings: Chest, feet, tip of tail, muzzle band, blaze and patch on neck.
Desirable markings: White collar. Symmetrical dark mask.

Height at withers

Absolute minimum:
Dogs that exceed maximum height are nevertheless positively assessed as long as they show a balanced general appearance and a faultless gait.

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness, with which the fault should be regarded, should be in exact proportion to its degree.
· Lack of sexual characteristics.
· Unbalanced general appearance.
· Limbs too short in proportion to the height at withers (short-legged).
· Excessive skin folds on head and neck.
· Muzzle too long or too short (in proportion to the prescribed measures).
· Lower flews excessively pendolous.
· Missing teeth (other than PM1 and M3), teeth excessively small (especially the incisors).
· Slightly undershot mouth.
· Light coloured eyes.
· Faulty, too loose eyelid rim.
· Sway back.
· Too deep or too narrow croup.
· Tail carried curled over the back.
· Absence of required markings.
· Splayfoot or crooked front legs (southpaws).
· Poorly angulated, open-hocked or cow-hocked hindquarters.
· Faulty movement.
· Curly coat.
· Absence or insufficient pigment on and round the nose, on the lips and lids.
· Faulty primary colour, as patches or shades of tawny in the middle of the white.

Faults that exclude from assessment

· Faulty temperament (excessive shyness), aggressiveness.
· Overshot mouth, distinctly undershot mouth.
· Blue or staring eyes.
· Ectropion (out-turned eyelids), entropion (in-turned eyelids).
· Coat completely white or completely red/brown tawny (absence of basic colour).
· Coat of different colours.
· Failure to reach the minimum height.

Dogs that show physical abnormalities or psycological or behavioural disorders must be disqualified.

N.B. Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum..