Working Dogs: St Bernard

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An ancient breed, the St. Bernard believably descends from the heavy fighting dogs brought in to Switzerland by Roman armies in the 1st century A.D.. He earned fame in the Swiss Alps, where, at the Hospice of St. Bernard, dogs were raised and trained to rescue travelers who get lost in the snow. Its a huge, powerful dog having a strong back and well-developed hindquarters and muscular and strong shoulders. The head is distinguished with its broad forehead, wrinkles and furrow, and muzzle with loose-skinned lips. Its rather high-set ears are medium-sized and lie near the cheeks, and his lower eyelids fit rather loose. The long tail hangs with a flimsy upward curve at the tip. He comes in two coat types: shorthaired (smooth, dense, and tough) and longhaired (medium length, plain to slightly wavy).

WEIGHT: 150-180 pounds

HEIGHT: males minimum of 27 1/2 inches; females minimum of 25 1/2 inches

COLOR: white with red, or red with white; brindle patches with white markings. 

By Tip Writer

Working Dogs: Mastiff (English Mastiff)

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Perhaps Asiatic in origin, the Mastiff comes down from ancient fighting dogs. In 55 B.C. it fought beside its masters in Britain against Caesar's Roman legions, and later at the Circus in Rome, when dogs were pitted against bulls, lions, bears, and tigers. So useful it was as a guard against wild animals that Anglo-Saxon law demanded it on large estates. It is a massive and strongly built dog, slightly arched over the loin, his forelegs straight and hind legs beefy. His head is broad and slightly rounded between the ears, the muzzle stark, forehead a bit wrinkled, dark eyes set apart, and V-shaped ears falling near the cheeks. His long, tapering tail drops straight in repose and produces a slight curve when the Mastiff is in action. The coat is coarse, short, and close-lying.

WEIGHT: 135-185 pounds
HEIGHT males at least 30 inches; females at least 27 1/2 inches,
COLOR: apricot, silver fawn, or dark fawn-brindle, with dark muzzle, ears, and nose

By Tip Writer