Shortfinals’s Blog

Eddie the St Bernard!

I love dogs – big dogs, small dogs, feisty dogs, calm dogs – I just love ‘em. In my travels I meet lots of dogs, but some really stick in my mind.

Let me introduce you to Eddie. He is a St Bernard, and, as you can see, he is a SERIOUSLY large dog. He lives on a Wiltshire farm which takes in bed and breakfast guests – they built a very smart, modern accommodation block, just opposite the Victorian farmhouse. Each morning, we would walk about 60 feet across the farmyard to take breakfast in a splendid dining room, next to the old farm kitchen. One snag – we had to get past Eddie, first! He was not allowed in the house (he had a very impressive ‘dog house’ of his own), and knew that he would be made a fuss of by visitors, if he lay across the doormat in this sunny spot. Here you can see him snoozing away, waiting to be petted. One other ‘bonus’ for Eddie – he knew that there was a chance that some of the visitors would carry out a small gift for him (in the form of a scrap of bacon, or piece of sausage) on their way back to their rooms. I must admit that I often paid this ‘toll’ ! He is a gentle, friendly giant.

St Bernard’s are named after Bernard of Menton, who established a lodge for travellers in a high pass in the Alps between Switzerland and Italy during the 11th century, the dogs being used to rescue those who became stranded. The legend that these dogs carried small barrels of brandy around their necks is just that – a legend. However, barrels are still used for photographic purposes, to please the many tourists! Typically, this very large breed has a number of major genetic faults; distressingly, this includes osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. The breed’s average lifespan is, therefore, between 10-11 years.