DO SOME SAINT BERNARD DOGS REALLY HAVE DRY MOUTHS?
YES, ALTHOUGH NO DOG OF ANY BREED HAS A TOTALLY DRY MOUTH (ALL SALIVATE, AND THE AMOUNT VARIES WITH TEMPERATURE, ACTIVITY, ETC.) THERE ARE SAINT BERNARDS WHO DO NOT PRODUCE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF SNOTTY DROOL IN STRINGS THAT HANG FROM THE SIDES OF THEIR MOUTH. THESE DRY MOUTH SAINTS WOULD BE CLOSE TO THE NORM IN THIS REGARD WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER DOG BREEDS.
WHY DO SOME SAINT BERNARD DOGS HAVE DRY MOUTHS WHILE MOST DON'T?
A FEW SAINT BERNARDS HAVE LOWER LIPS THAT ARE NOT PENDANT. THEY DO NOT DROOP AND HANG OUTWARD FORMING A POCKET. THESE SAINTS HAVE DRY MOUTHS.
MANY SAINTS DO HAVE LIPS THAT FORM THIS POCKET. WHEN A POCKET IS FORMED BY THE LOWER LIP, THE NORMAL SECRETIONS FOUND IN THE DOGS MOUTH ARE NOT SWALLOWED, BUT FORM A POOL THAT BECOME A SNOTTY DROOL THAT OFTEN HANGS IN STRINGS FROM THEIR LOWER LIPS. THE AMOUNT OF THE DROOL WILL VARY SOMEWHAT WITH THE SIZE OF THE POCKET.
ARE DRY MOUTH SAINT BERNARDS IN SOME WAY OUTSIDE OF OR FORBIDDEN BY THE BREED STANDARD?
NO, AS A MATTER OF FACT THE ORIGINAL SAINT BERNARD BREED STANDARD ADOPTED IN 1888 AND IN EFFECT UNTIL 1955 IN THE UNITED STATES , STATED EXPLICITLY THAT ,"THE LOWER LIP MUST NOT BE PENDANT" IF THIS HAD BEEN STRICTLY ADHERED TO ALL SAINTS WOULD HAVE DRY MOUTHS TODAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS LARGELY IGNORED AS IS REFLECTED IN THE GENERAL POPULACE OF THE BREED.
EVEN THOUGH THE CURRENT STANDARD ALLOWS A PENDENT LOWER LIP, IT DOES NOT DEMAND IT. IN FACT IT STILL DIRECTS THAT "THE FLEWS OF THE LOWERS JAW MUST NOT BE DEEPLY PENDANT"
WHERE CAN I FIND A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL BREED STANDARD FOR SAINT BERNARDS?
THE ORIGINAL SAINT BERNARD BREED STANDARD WAS ADOPTED BY THE SWISS IN 1887. THIS SWISS STANDARD WITH ONLY MINOR CHANGES WAS ADOPTED ON JUNE 2, 1888 BY THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS AT ZURICH, SWITZERLAND. BOTH ARE REPRODUCED IN HUGH DALZIEL'S 1888 BOOK, "THE SAINT BERNARD: IT'S HISTORY, POINTS, BREEDING, AND REARING" COPIES MADE FROM THAT BOOK ARE AVAILABLE ON THIS WEBSITE.
THE AMERICAN TRANSLATION USED UNTIL 1955 IS RECORDED IN DENLINGER'S 1952 BOOK, "THE COMPLETE SAINT BERNARD"
THE AMERICAN STANDARD AS REVISED IN 1955 CAN BE FOUND IN THE UPDATED VERSION OF THE SAME BOOK TITLED "THE NEW COMPLETE SAINT BERNARD" PUBLISHED IN 1966.
ABOVE FACTS PRESENTED COURTESY OF "HALLELUJAH SAINT BERNARDS"