At 165 to 180 pounds, the Saint Bernard is
one of the heaviest dogs in existence. Powerfully built,
with a large and muscular body, the St Bernard has broad,
sloping shoulders, a very broad back and even broad feet.
The head of the St Bernard can only be described as
massive, and includes a short, squarish muzzle, and
high-set, sharply drooping ears. All St Bernards have
dense, heavy coats, but some are short-haired and others
long-haired. The long-haired variety is the result of a
cross with the Newfoundland dog in the early nineteenth
century. Long-haired or short-haired, St Bernard coats
are usually red and white and brownish yellow. Necessary
markings are: white chest, feet and tip of tail,
noseband, collar or spot on the nape; the latter and
blaze are very desirable. Never of one color or without
white.
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