Why do saint bernards carry barrels

Instead, these mammoth canines would dig the person out of the snow, then lie on or beside them, offering warmth. Since the dogs worked in pairs, one dog would head back to the monastery to alert rescuers. However, it wasn't uncommon for the dogs to lose their own lives while trying to save people.

These brave animals often died in avalanches in the course of their rescue duties. Jane Meggitt has been a writer for more than 20 years. In addition to reporting for a major newspaper chain, she has been published in "Horse News," "Suburban Classic," "Hoof Beats," "Equine Journal" and other publications.

Share It. Saint Bernard History The monastery and hospice of Saint Bernard in Switzerland dates back to the 11th century, although it did not receive that name until the s. Between and , monks at St.

Bernard acquired the progenitors of the heroic lineage. The dogs were mastiffs, descended from stout Asiatic breeds meant for war, and slightly smaller than the behemoths we see today. Their fur was also shorter and their tails longer, but these alpine hounds laid the genetic groundwork for the future of the breed. Bernards were sent out in packs to search for stranded travelers. When they found one, part of the pack would report back to the monks, and the others would attempt to dig out and warm the wanderer.

Over time, they would be selected and bred specifically for these traits, resulting in the gentle giants we love today. By , St. Bernards would be constant companions of marroniers, using their abilities to help smell and dig out travelers who had become lost or buried under snow.

Bernards out in small packs without human accompaniment. Able to dig upwards of ten feet after catching a scent, packs would split when a person was found — some staying with the wanderer, and others returning to alert hospice workers.

Bernards are credited with saving over 2, lives between and , when the last documented recovery was made other reports list as the most recent rescue, but no documentation was found. A year old boy was licked awake and led to safety after becoming lost and nearly freezing to death.

Edwin Landseer's famous painting, seen above, spawned the legend of the "licker" barrel. Truth to the Legend? What of the famed barrel around the neck? Legend has it that these dogs would carry beer or brandy in order to warm wayward wanderers. We believe this to be false. Though alcohol can cause a warming sensation in the belly, it actually makes you colder by causing your blood vessels to dilate.

Blood rushes to the skin's surface, which is why you may blush and feel hot, but overall body temperature declines rapidly. More importantly, St. Bernard monks have a source for the legend. The barrels we see were a conjuration of Edwin Landseer, an English painter. In popular culture, these dogs are often depicted with small kegs tied around their necks, delivering warming brandy to snowbound mountaineers.

But this would be a lousy rescue idea. Alcohol brings blood closer to the skin, so its warming effect is illusory—drinking can actually lower body temperature. The monks of St. Bernard claim that their dogs never carried wine or brandy though some were trained to bring milk from cowsheds, which is where the myth may have begin. In , the famed British painter of animals Edwin Landseer painted a barrel-carrying St.