St. Bernard in Magistrate’s gown. The ancestors of the St. Bernard were the herding dogs of Swiss farmers as well as hunting dogs and watchdogs. The breed fet its name from the hospice at S. Bernard Pass. First reports of the dogs' presence at the pass date to the 17th century, and they remained loyal companions to the monks there until 2004, when the monks began to divest themselves of the dogs and focus the time they spent on the dogs to minister to people.