[Illustration: MR. GEORGE SINCLAIR'S ST. BERNARD CH. LORD MONTGOMERY
Photograph by C. Reid, Wishaw]
The following is the description of the St. Bernard as drawn up by
the members of the St. Bernard Club:
* * * * *
HEAD--The head should be large and massive, the circumference of the
skull being more than double the length of the head from nose to
occiput. From stop to tip of nose should be moderately short; full
below the eye and square at the muzzle; there should be great depth
from the eye to the lower jaw, and the lips should be deep throughout,
but not too pendulous. From the nose to the stop should be straight,
and the stop abrupt and well defined. The skull should be broad and
rounded at the top, but not domed, with somewhat prominent brow.
EARS--The ears should be of medium size, lying close to the cheek,
but strong at the base and not heavily feathered. EYES--The eyes
should be rather small and deep set, dark in colour and not too close
together; the lower eyelid should droop, so as to show a fair amount
of haw. NOSE--The nose should be large and black, with well developed
nostrils. The teeth should be level. EXPRESSION--The expression should
betoken benevolence, dignity, and intelligence. NECK--The neck should
be lengthy, muscular, and slightly arched, with dewlap developed,
and the shoulders broad and sloping, well up at the withers. GENERAL
DESCRIPTION OF BODY--The chest should be wide and deep, and the back
level as far as the haunches, slightly arched over the loins; the
ribs should be well rounded and carried well back; the loin wide and
very muscular. TAIL--The tail should be set on rather high, long,
and in the long-coated variety bushy; carried low when in repose,
and when excited or in motion slightly above the line of the back.
LEGS--The fore-legs should be perfectly straight, strong in bone,
and of good length; and the hind-legs very muscular. The feet large,
compact, with well-arched toes. SIZE--A dog should be at least 30
inches in height at the shoulder, and a bitch 27 inches (the taller
the better, provided the symmetry is maintained); thoroughly well
proportioned, and of great substance. The general outline should
suggest great power and capability of endurance. COAT--In the
long-coated variety the coat should be dense and flat; rather fuller
round the neck; the thighs feathered but not too heavily. In the
short-coated variety, the coat should be dense, hard, flat, and short,
slightly feathered on thighs and tail. COLOUR AND MARKINGS--The colour
should be red, orange, various shades of brindle (the richer colour
the better), or white with patches on body of one of the above named
colours. The markings should be as follows; white muzzle, white blaze
up face, white collar round neck; white chest, forelegs, feet, and
end of tail; black shadings on face and ears. If the blaze be wide
and runs through to the collar, a spot of the body colour on the top
of the head is desirable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account