Earlier this week Le News visited Barry Land in Martigny, Switzerland, to meet the newest members of its canine family. The two litters, born on 22 March 2017 and 25 March 2017, are now seven weeks old.
One litter of nine healthy pups are the offspring of a short-haired father and a long-haired mother, two breeds of the large world-famous Grand Saint Benard. The second litter of eleven are the pups of two short-haired parents.
The gestation period for this breed is nine weeks. Once born the pups grow rapidly, gaining one kilogram per week. Birth weight is typically 600 t0 800 grams. Adults weigh between 50 and 95 kilograms, as much as a human.
Because they grow so fast, it is important for them to eat well to avoid bone growth deformities. The lifespan of the Grand Saint Benard is up to nine years on average.
The dogs smell 50 times better than humans and sleep between 12 and 15 hours a day.
At ten weeks the pups will be weened, with some leaving to new homes. Those welcoming the dogs into their homes will have parted with CHF 2,400, a significant sum.
More on this:
Fondation Barry website (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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