Au Revoir, Mon Ami

Man’s Best Friend

There’s a reason the canine is called “Man’s Best Friend.” Undying loyalty and affection. Constant companionship. Protector, nurturer and, therefore, friend. One such friend was a large and lovable St. Bernard by the name of Steiner, whose owner you’ve come to know as Marveling Brando. Steiner left us not all that long ago, and Brando has never really been the same since. Fate would allow them to reconnect, if only spiritually, at Great Saint Bernard Pass, in Switzerland, where Brando was finally able to put his friend to rest. To gain a greater idea of the dog Steiner was, we first give you a brief history of the breed, followed by a personal account from Marveling Brando himself…

Origin

Connecting Switzerland to Italy, Great Saint Bernard Pass is the most ancient of routes through the Western Alps, where a hospice was founded by St. Bernard of Menthon in 1049 A.D. At 8,100 feet above sea level, it served as a traveler’s refuge. 600 years later, the hospice was named after its founder and large mountain dogs began to be kept at the hospice to guard and protect those staying there. The dogs were rapidly adopted as companion dogs and above all as rescue dogs for travelers who lost their way in the snow and mist. For centuries, the dogs from the Great Saint Bernard Pass saved the lives of a great number of people, averting many deaths in the snow and gaining great reputation, including with troops of Napoleon. On 15th March 1884, the Swiss Saint Bernard Club was founded in Basel. On the occasion of an international cynology congress on 2nd June 1887, the Saint Bernard was officially recognised as a Swiss dog breed and compulsory standards set for the breed. The Saint Bernard has been regarded as Switzerland’s national dog ever since.

One year old and growing fast!

Steiner’s Story

I may have broken major international laws in my quest to find the final resting place for Steiner. I drove down the road to the [Great Saint Bernard] pass and realized when I got 1 km from the destination per my “NeverLost” GPS with Hertz, the road was indeed closed. So, a big thanks goes out to “Peter” Fonda, for the driver’s ed, as I whipped her around and got the heck up outta there. As I sit in a pullover spot on this narrow, nicely snow-plowed road, I watch the roar of this stream race over the rocks and further down the mountain. You see, there are animal people and then there are not. I’m a huge lover of animals of all kinds. Okay, I WILL like a cat every now and then. Steiner was no ordinary dog. He was a 210lb, 3-foot-tall goofy ball of playful fur, slobber and bad breath. I agree with the “Ginger Ninja”, a buddy from San Antonio, when he says you can only have one like Steiner because you won’t allow yourself to hurt like this again. It’s protection. I love all my dogs. Spencer, Buddy, Flake, Jethro and even King Snorter Dudley, but no dog made me feel like Steiner. Even though I wasn’t always the best dad, he would still come lay in my lap when I needed him to. As excited to go on a road trip as any person I’ve ever known (Even if I was the one that had to lift his big ole butt into the car). He was my big, boppy dog!

A fond farewell, on this perfectly weathered day…

So, at this stream, on this mountainside, on this perfectly weathered day of sun and clouds, I am letting the big guy back to his roots. I love you big guy! Au revoir, mon ami.

Go here to learn more about the St. Bernard breed and foundation.