The St. Bernard or St Bernard (UK: /ˈbɜːnəd/, US: /bərˈnɑːrd/) is a breed of very large working dog from the western Alps in Italy and Switzerland.[3] They were originally bred for rescue work by the hospice of the Great St Bernard Pass on the Italian-Swiss border.[4][5] The hospice,[when defined as?] built by and named after Italian monk Bernard of Menthon, acquired its first dogs between 1660 and 1670.[4] The breed has become famous through tales of Alpine rescues, as well as for its large size.