The following is the English Club's description of the St. Bernard:

Head

Large and massive, circumference of skull being more than double the length of the head from nose to occiput. From stop to tip of nose, moderately short; full below eye, and square at muzzle; great depth from eye to lower jaw. Lips, deep throughout, but not too pendulous. From nose to stop straight. Stop, abrupt and well defined. Skull, broad, rounded at the top, but not domed, with somewhat prominent brow.

Ears

Of medium size, lying close to cheek, but strong at the base, and not heavily feathered.

Eyes

Rather small and deep set, dark in colour, and not too close together, the lower eyelid drooping, so as to show a fair amount of haw.

Nose

Large and black, with well-developed nostrils.

Teeth

Level.

Expression

Should betoken benevolence, dignity, and intelligence.

Neck

Lengthy, muscular, and slightly arched, with dewlap developed.

Shoulders

Broad and sloping, well up at the withers.

Chest

Wide and deep.

Body

Back, level as far as the haunches, slightly arched over the loins; ribs well rounded, and carried well back. Loin, wide and very muscular.

Tail

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 And Feet

Fore-legs, perfectly straight, strong in bone, and of good length. Hind legs, heavy in bone, well bent at the hocks, and thighs very muscular. Feet, large, compact, with well-arched toes.

Size

A dog should be at least 30m. in height at the shoulder, and a bitch 27m. (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, should be dense and flat; rather fuller round the neck; thighs feathered, but not too heavily. In the short-coated variety, should be dense, hard, flat, and short, slightly feathered on thighs and tail.

Colour And Markings

Red, orange, various shades of brindle (the richer the colour the better), or white with patches on body of either of the above-named colours. The markings should be as follows: White muzzle, white blaze up face, white collar round neck white chest, fore-legs, feet, and end of tail; black shadings on face and ears. If the blaze be wide and run through to the collar, a spot of the body-colour on the top of the head is desirable".

Objectionable Points

Ill-temper. Split nose. Unlevel mouth and cankered teeth. Snipy muzzle. Light or staring eyes. Cheek bumps. Wedge head. Flat skull. Wall eyes. Domed skull. Badly set or heavily feathered ears. Too much peak.

Short neck.

Curly coat.

Curled tail.

Flat sides.

Hollow back.

Roach back.

Ring tail.

Open feet or hare feet.

Cow hocks.

Straight hocks.

Self-coloured (i.e., a self-coloured dog is one that has no black shadings or white markings.

Disqualifying Points

Dudley, liver, flesh-coloured nose. Fawn, if whole-coloured, or with black shadings only.

Black, black and tan, black and white, black tan and white, and all white.

The numerical points are as follows, but they are not drawn up by the Club:

Grand Total 100.

The weight of a dog may be from 17olb. to 2oolb. or more; of a bitch from 1501b. to 18olb.

That there is no fear of the St. Bernard dog becoming extinct, as at one time appeared to be not unlikely, may be inferred from the fact that Mr. Hughes-Hughes has just published a volume containing the pedigrees of nearly six thousand St. Bernards. The names of many of them are not to be found in the Kennel Club's publications, Mr. Hughes-Hughes obtaining particulars of such during his visits to Switzerland. A troublesome work carefully compiled.