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St. Bernard
A descendant of the Tibetan
mastiff, this ancient breed was founded in 980 AD by a monk
named St. Bernard de Menthon. Related to the infamous
Great Dane somewhere down the line, the St. Bernard has been
popular as a rescue dog since the seventeenth century. Thousands
of people have been saved by this breed in many circumstances
from drowning to avalanches. Is it any wonder? This strong and
muscular breed is gargantuan in size and in accomplishments.
They are frequent denizens in the Guinness Book of World
Records. One Saint won the honor of being the largest dog on
record, a whopping 305 pounds. Another Saint pulled the heaviest
load, 6,400 pounds of steel on a wheeled cart for 15 feet in
less than 90 seconds time!
An intuitive breed, these dogs are known for their ability to
foretell storms and avalanches. Their sense of smell is also
uncanny. They can find people buried under several feet of snow!
They come to us in two varieties: long haired and short haired.
The short haired variety is often used for mountain work because
of its tolerance of cold temperatures. The long haired variety's
coat tends to gather icicles. Whether long or short, underneath
the hair are strong muscles.
These dogs harbor an intelligent and gentle expression. In this
sense, you can judge a book by its cover. They are extremely
gentle and friendly and are tolerant of children. Slow moving,
patient and one of the most obedient dogs on the map, this breed
is fiercely loyal in its desire to please.
Some issues to look out for are unhealthy hips, joints, heart
and lower eyelid. It' s essential to go with a reputable breeder
to lower the risk or these problems. Bloating is a definite
concern in this breed so 2-3 meals of highly digestible food
each day is a must. Exercise after eating or drinking water is
not recommended. Any St. Bernard owner needs to accept drooling
…and a lot of it! They have a life expectancy of about eight
years.
The lucky St. Bernard owner has royalty at her feet. These dogs
are simply majestic, a large joy to have around. |
Siberian
Thought to have originated 1,000
years ago in Russia, the Siberian is Russia's national cat.
Because they are so common in Russia, the history of their
origin is often taken for granted. Strangely enough, the
Siberian is rare in the U.S. They were first imported here in
1990!
Considered the one of the largest domestic felines, the average
Siberian cat weighs 15 pounds or more. Powerful felines, they
have long coats of curly hair that hide their immense muscles.
Extremely agile, they can leap surprising distances with grace
and ease.
Like the St. Bernard, they are silent and lovable giants. In
fact, these cats are considered one of the most dog-like
of their species. People who claim to be dog people tend
to fall in love with Siberians. They are terribly loyal — this
coupled with their natural intelligence makes them some of the
easiest cats to train. They are more dependent on human
interaction than other feline breeds. Very aware of their
strength, they rarely injure their human friends in play. Head
butting is their trademark way of showing affection to their
favorite humans.
Count on your Siberian to greet your visitors as they walk in
the door. They are social cats and love entertaining guests,
particularly because it means having a fresh lap in which to
lounge. These cats are great for households, not only because of
the qualities mentioned above, but because they tend to produce
less dander than other cats. Some even believe that these cats
are hypoallergenic, if such a thing exists.
So what do Siberians and St. Bernards have in common? You
haven't guessed? They're large, muscular, affectionate and eager
to please. If Siberians were dogs, they would be great at
rescuing because of their intrinsic love for the human race.
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