Mini St. Bernard

It is best to look at the history of the Cocker Spaniel and the St. Bernard since the Mini St. Bernard has not been around long enough to have much history. The Cocker Spaniel originated in the United States in the 1800s from the English Cocker Spaniel as a hunter and retriever. The English Cocker Spaniel has been around since the 1300s but were eventually divided as to their size and whether they hunted on land or in water. It is believed that they came to the United States back in 1620 on the Mayflower. The American Cocker Spaniel is the smaller breed and is used to flush and retrieve game birds like woodcocks. The Cocker Spaniel was registered with the American Kennel Club in 1878 and they are the 29^th most popular dog breed in America. The St. Bernard came from Switzerland way back in 980 A.D. and were used as search and rescue dogs in the Swiss Alps. They were named after Saint Bernard de Menthon, who developed and established the breed. They were also used to assist travellers as they went through the Alpine pass between Italy and Switzerland and were able to find and rescue victims buried in the snow after an avalanche. They would work in teams and one dog would go get the rescue team while the other dog would lay with the victim to keep them warm. Some say they can also predict storms and avalanches because of their excellent hearing. The St. Bernard was accepted into the American Kennel Club in 1885 and they are the 49^th most popular dog breed in America.