If you heard the words "medical dog" you could have a number of different thoughts. Some people might look confused, others might look amused thinking you're pulling their leg. Yet others might try in vain to find out what it really means, and some people might even believe you're referring to the growing popularity of using medical dog tags as jewelry. For my part however, if I hear the words medical dog mentioned I immediately think of the giant Saint Bernards who gained fame by rescuing unfortunate travels from dangerous snow bound situations.

Probably no one has ever called the Saint Bernard a medical dog, though that is the picture that always comes to mind. These gentle beasts are popular with many people and have long been considered a family dog. They love children, and can live peaceably with other animals as well. They love as much attention as they can get and are very affectionate.

As a medical dog in the present day, the Saint Bernard isn't much utilized, but in the days when they were bred especially for the purpose of coming to the aid of people in need, the Saint Bernard was in full demand. The greatest and most well known of these dogs was a Saint Bernard medical dog named Barry.

The earliest Saint Bernard breed was bred with a short, glossy coat which made it easier for them to stay in the freezing weather conditions, whereas the latter breed of Saint Bernard with the Newfoundland mix sported a longer coat. This was unsuited to the prevailing weather conditions as their shaggy coats would always be full of icicles. This ruled them almost instantly as a good breed of medical dog, and the original short haired Saint Bernard was kept for this purpose.

If you're getting a Saint Bernard medical dog for your family, you need to realize that they grow very large and very fast. So you'll need to have somewhere that your dog can stay without tearing your house up into shreds. You'll also need to be able to give it enough nutrition during its formative growth years as these medical dogs need to be kept nourished constantly to help in their massive bone growth.

As a family dog, the Saint Bernard loses much of the need for it to be a medical dog, but don't close that door just yet. These dogs are very intelligent and will rush to your aid if there is something amiss. Much as they used to in the early days of the 17th century.

You can picture it in your mind. The great Saint Bernard making his way through the treacherous snowed in passes to save unwary travelers from a plight of certain death. And don't forget to add the small cask of brandy around the Bernard's neck. That adds the finishing touch to your mental picture of the great medical dog, the Saint Bernard on his medical rounds.