This is why Saint Bernard dogs are depicted with a barrel around their necks

In many pictures, Saint Bernard rescue dogs are shown with a small barrel around their necks. Where does this depiction come from, and what does the barrel actually contain?

Although Saint Bernard dogs really started working as rescue dogs in the Alps, there is something off about the barrel around their necks. Stay with us and learn about its story!

The story of the Saint Bernard dogs

High in the Alps, near the border of Italy and Switzerland, lies the Great St. Bernard Pass, which has been used by people to cross the mountain range since the Bronze Age. During their conquests, the Romans also built a temple here in honor of Jupiter. Saint Bernard of Menthon (who was canonized in 1681 and declared the patron saint of the Alps in 1923) founded the Great St. Bernard Monastery on this site in 1049, which became a refuge for travelers.

The monastery was maintained by a group of monks who took care of weary travelers and served as a search and rescue team on the mountain. They began training dogs from the villages in the valleys below to assist them in their mission.

With their strength, weather-resistant coats, and excellent sense of smell, the dogs had all the qualities needed to guide and rescue travelers.

We cannot be certain when the dogs joined the monks, as a fire destroyed the monastery at the end of the 16th century, causing the loss of its archives. Based on information from external sources, historians estimate that the dogs arrived at the monastery sometime between 1550 and 1660.

The oldest surviving written reference to the dogs dates back to 1707. In this, it was written that one of the dogs helped the cook turn the spit.

The Saint Bernard dog breed known today is the result of centuries of breeding in the monastery and the surrounding areas.

Its ancestors were probably a mastiff-like breed brought to Switzerland by the Roman armies, where they then interbred with the region’s native dogs.

By 1800, the monks already had their own kennel and breeding program, and by 1880, their dogs became known throughout the region. This is also thanks to a dog named Barry, who legend has it, saved the lives of 40 people.

This is how the barrel ended up around the Saint Bernard dog’s neck

In paintings and cartoons, Alpine rescue dogs are often depicted with a barrel around their necks. As it turns out, this has little to do with reality.

The depiction dates back to 1820 and originates from a 17-year-old English painter named Edwin Landseer, who portrayed two Saint Bernards standing over a stranded traveler in his painting. One dog in the painting barks anxiously while the other licks the hand of the traveler. It was the latter dog in Landseer’s painting that first featured the distinctive barrel around its neck, which according to Landseer contained brandy (though it is commonly referred to as rum).

Although drinking alcohol in such harsh conditions is quite a bad idea (as it dilates the blood vessels, thereby lowering body temperature), the depiction caught people’s attention and has since persisted.