Dog breed from the movie Beethoven
The breed of dog from the film “Beethoven” is St. Bernard. The main four-legged head of the family, named Beethoven, won the hearts of all family members, but the father of the family had a hard time. For a long time he came to terms with the appearance of a huge and fluffy pet in his house. However, the dog’s charisma and loyalty won out, and the foundling remained with its new owners.
It is believed that the Romans brought strong and large dogs with them to the Alps, which helped the soldiers conquer Europe. Since then, furry dogs began to live in the mountains - in the Alps. They were used to save people, because the animals were distinguished by their remarkable strength and high level of intelligence. It is believed that these dogs can sense the approach of avalanches, so monastic travelers used them to accompany them.
It was as a service, working dog that St. Bernards were used, and only in the 19th century did Beethoven’s dog breed begin to be used as a human companion.
Intelligence of St. Bernards
Due to its enormous size and sad expression on its face, many people consider the breed not very smart. But this is not so, St. Bernards are endowed with high intelligence, they are able to make lightning-fast decisions, and react to events quickly.
Saint Bernards love their owners very much, they try to please and please in every possible way. This is why training a dog is easy and brings pleasure not only to humans, but also to animals.
High intelligence is manifested in excellent terrain orientation, which is inherent in the breed at the genetic level. If you are going on a hike, then you cannot find a better companion who will lead you home in a difficult situation.
Where did the name of the dog breed come from?
Saint Bernard means "Saint Bernard" in French. In the Alps, on the Mons Jovis pass, there was a monastic shelter, the founder of which was the son of a French baron, who ran away from home almost immediately after graduating. While studying in Paris, he became interested in theology and chose serving God instead of a well-fed and rich family life. He founded a shelter that had about 100 rooms for weary travelers.
Young, healthy and strong men were selected to serve in such a monastery, because they had to live in harsh natural conditions. Is it any wonder that the monks chose equally hardy and strong animals as their assistants? It was in this monastery shelter that the standard of St. Bernards was bred, which were used to save people.
Interestingly, the shelter only housed males. The bitches and puppies lived in the valley. Before going to work, the dogs were trained, strengthening such qualities as reliability, endurance, strength, and obedience.
History of the Saint Bernard breed
Saint Bernard
The history of the formation of the breed goes back so far that experts can only make guesses as to who actually was the ancestor of rescue dogs. Most modern researchers are inclined to believe that the ancestors of today's St. Bernards were Tibetan Great Danes - massively built dogs that settled throughout Central and Asia Minor in the 4th century BC. e. The animals came to Europe with the convoys of Alexander the Great, who brought them as war trophies, first to Greece, and then to Ancient Rome. However, some scientists continue to consider St. Bernards to be the “product” of mating a Great Dane with a Mastiff.
As for the name of the breed, the animals owe it to the Catholic saint Bernard of Menton, who founded a kind of shelter for travelers and pilgrims in the Swiss Alps. The establishment was located on the Great St. Bernard Pass, known for its extreme weather conditions and steep descents. Due to constant avalanches and crumbling mountain slopes, the trip to Bernard's shelter was a real game of survival. As a result, the monks of the local monastery often had to arm themselves with shovels and, instead of prayers and night vigils, go in search of tourists freezing under snowdrifts.
In the 17th century, the first St. Bernards began to be involved in rescue operations, which were bred directly at the monastery. The animals had thick skins, withstood the cold and had an excellent sense of smell, allowing them not only to smell a person under a snow pile, but also to predict the next avalanche. In addition, the dogs served as a living heating pad: having dug up the victim, the St. Bernard lay down next to him to warm him up and help him hold on until help arrived.
Child with a Saint Bernard puppy
At the beginning of the 19th century, as a result of an unknown infection, most of the dogs in the monastery of St. Bernard died. Fearing the complete extinction of the breed, the monks decided to “pump up” its surviving representatives with Newfoundland genes. However, the experiment was only half a success. The offspring born after such a mating looked more impressive due to their shaggy coat, but turned out to be completely unsuitable for working in the mountains. Snow stuck to the long hair of the mestizos, which is why the dog’s “fur coat” quickly became wet and became covered with an ice crust. Ultimately, the monks sent the shaggy St. Bernards into the valleys, where they began to be used as guards. Short-haired animals continued to serve on mountain passes.
In 1884, the Saint Bernards had their own fan club, whose headquarters were located in Basel, Switzerland. And three years later, rescue dogs were included in the breed register, and a separate appearance standard was approved for them. In the USSR, St. Bernard breeding began only after the end of the Great Patriotic War, after several breeding animals were exported from Germany. At first, the dogs were used exclusively for crossing, which helped domestic breeders to develop such an interesting breed in all respects as the Moscow Watchdog.
In the 90s, breeders' interest in St. Bernards began to wane. In the conditions of a sharp change in the state system and a rethinking of the value system, good-natured and sedate giants were no longer valued. Aggressive bodyguard dogs have come into fashion, becoming a symbol of financial independence and assertiveness of their owners. The gradual revival of the breed began only in 1996, after the founding of the first National Club of St. Bernard Fans. The organization united several smaller clubs, as well as breeding nurseries, which set the goal of preserving and improving the breed, and, if possible, returning its lost popularity.
Description of the Beethoven dog breed
Saint Bernards are very strong and hardy dogs that are large in size. For excellent health, these animals must receive not only high-quality nutrition, but also sufficient physical activity. Life in a city apartment is too hard for a working dog. There can be only one way out of the situation - frequent and long walks.
Beethoven's breed from the film is not known for its longevity. Like all large dogs, St. Bernards live up to 8 years.
These animals grow quickly, increasing significantly in size. In order for the bones not to weaken and health to remain strong, it is necessary to carefully observe and provide a complete diet for the animal.
Unlike their ancestors, who served monks in the Alps, modern animals are much larger and have more expressive faces. However, the basic standard was established even then and is considered the ideal to which leading breeders strive.
The powerful body is covered with thick hair of white and red colors. Various combinations, spots and shades of red are acceptable. The upper lip hangs down, and there are small wrinkles on the large forehead.
St. Bernard's character
St. Bernards with owner
St. Bernards make loyal friends, wonderful watchdogs and first-class nannies. Under no circumstances should you be fooled by the dog’s external detachment, reinforced by a melancholic look. Representatives of this breed are quite lively and sociable creatures who are no strangers to either fun or playful games. With age, Alpine rescuers accumulate sedateness and phlegmatism, while young individuals are literally bursting with excess emotions. Not knowing how to express their own affection, young St. Bernards frantically attack their owners in an attempt to “embrace” them. From the outside, such a manifestation of feelings looks comical, since it is a rare person who can stay on his feet under the pressure of such a carcass.
As befits a faithful family man, the St. Bernard directs all his energy to serving his household. At the same time, he will not shake his rights and demand close attention to his own person, and he will never respond to annoying children’s pranks with a dissatisfied grumble. Moreover, he will be happy to take whatever part he can in all the little ones’ “conspiracies” - remember Beethoven from the Hollywood comedy of the same name? In general, St. Bernards are very calm and calm pets that cannot be angered. They greet strangers who step on the threshold of their house either friendly or indifferently; they are practically not interested in the neighbor's cats, as well as dogs.
A distinctive character trait of St. Bernards is the deep thoughtfulness into which they fall from time to time. It is unlikely that it will be possible to eradicate this feature, so take it for granted that sometimes your pet will think a little longer than expected about the action being performed. These good-natured giants prefer passive rest. A Saint Bernard lounging on a rug or sofa, as a rule, is in a borderline state between sleep and wakefulness, not forgetting to monitor the actions of people along the way. “Calm, just calm!” – this legendary phrase of a prankster with a propeller has become something of a life principle for St. Bernards, which they try not to change even in the most extreme situations.
Oh, I love you so much...
Saint Bernard with a child
Famous representatives of the Beethoven dog breed
After looking through history, you can learn about many famous dogs of the breed from the film “Beethoven”. Most of them have achieved recognition due to their working qualities, but there are representatives who have gained popularity for their appearance.
Saint Bernards in the Guinness Book of Records
The huge dog Benedictine entered the book of records for his enormous weight, which reached 140 kg! The dog Hercules, who weighed 128 kg and had a neck girth of 96.5 cm, is slightly inferior to his giant relative.
It was the St. Bernards that were included in the book as one of the strongest dogs in the world. The male Raittes Brandy Bear and the female Barbara managed to drag more than 2 tons of weight.
Barry, known throughout the world, became a record-breaking rescuer, because during his life he managed to pull 40 people out of the clutches of death. He lived in the 1800s at the Saint Bernard Monastery. The most famous rescue story was how Barry pulled a little boy from an ice cave whose mother had died in an avalanche.
"Little Bear" on a Norwegian ship
In the middle of the last century, a small St. Bernard appeared in the family of a whaling ship captain, who was named Bamsi, which means “little bear.” During the Second World War, the already experienced tailed sailor serves on a patrol ship of the Norwegian army. He became famous for carefully guarding his comrades, rescuing them from various troubles, and reconciling them during quarrels. The government made Bamsi a symbol of the Norwegian resistance, and after his death a monument was erected to the faithful dog.
Film actors and heroes of works of fiction
- Stephen King wrote a wonderful book about a St. Bernard, Cujo , who contracted a serious illness. A film was made based on this book.
- Astrid Lingren, in his work “ On the Island of Saltkrok, ” mentioned the pet of one of the heroines, who also belongs to the St. Bernard breed.
- The St. Bernard-Collie mix became one of the heroes of Jack London's The Call of the Wild
- St. Bernard Lel was one of the key characters in the Strugatsky brothers’ story “ Hotel “At the Dead Climber” .”
- Felix is the Family's Best Friend was released , the main character of which was a representative of this strong breed.
- The heroine of the Soviet film “ Where are you, Bagheera?” "became a spectacular St. Bernard.
- In the story of Peter Pan, there was a four-legged St. Bernard dog, Nana.
- Maxipes Fic was published in Czechoslovakia , describing the adventures of a giant St. Bernard.
Beethoven is 25 years old! Secrets of your favorite comedy that you didn't know about
Source: globallookpress.com
This year the wonderful family film “Beethoven” turns 25 years old.
In honor of this date, Teleprogramma.pro learned interesting details about the cult comedy comedy that you have probably never heard of.
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Source: globallookpress.com
“Beethoven” was one of the first films in the career of the famous American actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The 10-year-old artist played the school friend of George Newton's son, Ted. Gordon-Levitt himself considers his small role in “Beethoven” fateful - it was after the filming of this film that he finally became convinced that he wanted to connect his life with cinema.
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Still from the film
The dogs that starred as Beethoven were trained by the widow of the great comedian Buster Keaton, Eleanor Keaton. She taught the St. Bernard puppy, who “played” the Newton family’s pet as a child, to behave correctly on camera, as well as several adult dogs. By the way, the creators of the sequels to the original comedy turned to Eleanor for help during the filming of the sequel films. Note that after the release of Beethoven, St. Bernards again became one of the most popular dogs in the United States - thousands of American families living in private homes got puppies of this breed.
In the early 90s, these giants were not very popular in America because of their size.
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Still from the film
In the wake of the popularity of the comedy, it was decided to make an animated series about the adventures of Beethoven. Only one season of the animated “Beethoven” was aired on television, in the creation of which only two artists from the original film took part - Nicole Tom and Dean Jones.
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Still from the film
The choice of actor Dean Johnson to play the role of the antagonist - a veterinarian and, part-time, organizer of a gang of dog thieves - is not accidental. The fact is that Johnson starred in the 1979 leading role in the Disney film “The Shaggy Prosecutor.” He played the role of a lawyer who suddenly turned into a dog. The creators of “Beethoven” thought it would be funny if Dean played the main villain in a film about the adventures of a good-natured dog, while his hero 13 years ago was forced to hide from similar hunters for man’s best friends. By the way, the American Veterinary Association was outraged that the negative character in Beethoven was their colleague. They sent a petition to the head of the cinematographers' union demanding that they look into this issue and somehow rehabilitate the image of the veterinarian in the eyes of viewers.
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Still from the film
The director of the film, Brian Levant, after the phenomenal success of the comedy, decided not to abandon the “dog” theme. He made three more films about his favorite animals: "Snow Dogs" in 2002, "Scooby-Doo 3: The Mystery Begins" in 2009 and "Scooby-Doo 4: Curse of the Lake Monster" in 2010.
How much do they cost and how to choose a St. Bernard puppy?
If you have weighed the pros and cons, and also studied the conditions of keeping such a large animal, then you should not immediately run to the poultry market. In such places you can buy a “fake” and it is not similar to the breed - this is only a small of the possible problems. The animal may be sick or have a character unusual for the breed. When purchasing a puppy similar to Beethoven, do not expect the same character from him, because the dog’s behavior is the result of the work of specialists in breeding the breed from the film “Beethoven”.
Find a reputable St. Bernard club and ask for reviews of breeders. You can go around several and compare dogs.
The price of St. Bernard puppies ranges from 15 to 45 thousand rubles and depends on the title of the parents.
In addition to having pedigree documents, take an interest in medical records. Have mandatory vaccinations begun? Are they treated for internal and external parasites in a timely manner?
A conscious approach to the arrival of a new family member will minimize the risk of getting something that is not quite what you expected.
Health and illness
Outwardly, St. Bernards look powerful and invulnerable. However, the animal's health is not strong enough. Typical diseases of St. Bernards include:
- Dysplasia of the elbow or pelvic joints. The disease is genetic. The disease can be diagnosed only after the pet’s skeleton is formed. At the time of purchase, it is impossible to determine whether the puppy has a disease, so you should ask the breeder to provide the test results of the pet's parents. The disease can be detected in the early stages by noticing lameness, lethargy, and incorrect paw placement in the animal while running.
- Wobbler syndrome. Curvature of the cervical spine, which leads to poor coordination in movement.
- Eye diseases. The most common of them are: cataracts and problems with the eyelids (eversion and entropion).
Regular examination and washing will help prevent the occurrence of diseases. If you notice any redness or abnormal discharge, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.
Regular visits to the doctor and timely vaccinations will also help reduce the risk of common dog diseases.
Lifespan
Representatives of the St. Bernard breed are not long-lived. The lifespan of pets is usually from 8 to 10 years. In order for a pet to live a relatively long time, the owner needs to properly care for it.
Mating and birth
Mating of a St. Bernard is carried out after two years, on the third estrus of the female. A dog's pregnancy lasts two months. Childbirth occurs on the 64th day. If the owner does not intend to mate the pet regularly, then it is better not to do this at all. Untied animals gradually lose desire and are no longer attracted to the opposite sex. Dogs that have become sexually active and do not have regular matings behave anxiously and restlessly.
Maintenance and care of St. Bernard
Saint Bernard needs a permanent place. Prepare a trestle bed with bedding or a thin mattress for him in a quiet place. The animal should not lie down on beds, sofas or chairs.
Long-haired dogs need to be combed once every 1-2 days. After walks, St. Bernards wash their paws; in urban conditions, it is better to protect the pads with a special ointment. If the dogs are heavily soiled, bathe them with a mild pet shampoo.
The eyes should be wiped daily with a swab dipped in cold boiled water or a special lotion.
It is better to feed the dog from a bowl mounted on a high stand. The animal needs walks 2-3 times a day, preferably at a calm pace. Trips to nature, where the St. Bernard can run or swim, are useful.
