Alpine Spaniels were kept by the canons of the monasteries in the Alps in order to search for travellers during heavy snow storms, including the Great St. Bernard Hospice in the Great St. Bernard Pass between Italy and Switzerland. The dogs would be dispatched in pairs to search for fallen travellers and were trained so that upon finding them would return to the canons in order to lead rescuers back to the unfortunate individuals. The Alpine breed was also used as a watchdog to guard sheep and cattle of mountainous regions, including the Himalayas.