Barry (dog) - Legacy

Legacy

The Hospice has always maintained one St. Bernard named Barry in the original's honor. During Barry's lifetime, his breed did not have one specific name. By 1820, six years after his death, Barry was specifically referred to as being an Alpine Mastiff, while there was also a breed called the Alpine Spaniel which was recorded around the same time period. The English called the breed "sacred dogs", whilst the German Kynology proposed the name "Alpendog" in 1828. Following his death and up until 1860 the entire stock were called "Barry hounds" in the Canton of Bern after Barry himself. It was not until 1865 when the term "St. Bernard" was first used primarily for the breed. Under this name, the St. Bernard has been recognised since 1880 by the Swiss Kennel Club.

Barry is described as the most famous St. Bernard by the Natural History Museum of Bern. Following his death, his skin was preserved by a taxidermist for the museum, while the rest of his body was buried. He was originally given a humble and meek pose as the taxidermist felt that this would serve as a reminder of servitude to future generations. In 1923, his body was refurbished by Georg Ruprecht as his coat had become brittle and had broken into over 20 pieces. During the restoration his body was reposed and his skull shape was modified to match the shape of the St. Bernard of that time in a compromise between Ruprecht and the Museum's director. His original head shape was rather flat with a moderate stop, with the modification resulting in a larger head with a more pronounced stop. A barrel was added hanging from his collar, following the popularization of the myth of the dogs of the monastery using these during the rescues which was originally introduced by Edwin Landseer's work Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveller. The barrel was removed in 1978 by Professor Walter Huber, the director of the museum, although it has since been replaced. A monument to Barry is located opposite the entrance to the Cimetière des Chiens in Paris.

In literary works, Samuel Rogers' poem The Great Saint Bernard is sometimes referred to as Barry, The Great St. Bernard. Henry Bordeaux praised Barry's work in his 1911 novel La Neige sur les pas. Walt Disney Productions made a telemovie entitled Barry of the Great St. Bernard in 1977, and Barry's story has been featured in children's books such as Barry: The Bravest Saint Bernard published by Random House Books for Young Readers.

Until September 2004, 18 dogs still belonged to the hospice at any one time. The Foundation Barry du Grand Saint Bernard was founded to establish kennels in Martigny, a village further down the pass, to take over the breeding of St. Bernard puppies from the friars at Hospice. Around 20 puppies per year are born at the foundation. In 2009, the St. Bernard Dog Museum was opened at the Foundation in Martingny, and to commemorate the occasion, Barry's remains were loaned from the museum in Bern. Each summer the foundation leads dogs up the pass when it is open to the hospice, mainly for tourists, with rescue efforts on the pass now conducted by helicopters.