A St. Bernard Dog with two priests - Switzerland. The earliest written records of the St. Bernard breed are from monks at the hospice at the Great St. Bernard Pass in 1707, with paintings and drawings of the dog dating even earlier. The dogs never received any special rescue training from the monks. Instead, younger dogs would learn how to perform search and rescue operations from older dogs. The name "St. Bernard" originates from the Great and Little St. Bernard Hospice two traveller's hospices on the often treacherous Great and Little St. Bernard Passes in the Western Alps.