Mastiff

A mastiff is a large and powerful type of dog, not a single breed. Mastiffs are among the largest of all dogs. They have mostly been guard dogs, protecting homes and property, and over the centuries they have also been used for hunting, in war and in blood sports.

History

European and Asian records going back 3,000 years show dogs of the mastiff type. Besides guarding, they were set to dog fighting and to the baiting of bulls, bears and even lions.

Mastiffs most likely developed from the large dogs that guard livestock. Historical and archaeological evidence suggests the two have long been different in both shape and purpose, and they form separate genetic populations. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale and some kennel clubs still group them together as molossoid dogs. Several livestock guardians carry the word in their names, among them the Pyrenean Mastiff, the Spanish Mastiff, the Tibetan Mastiff and the Kurdish Mastiff, but they are not considered true mastiffs. The same goes for the Belgian Mastiff, an extinct draft dog, and the Alpine mastiff, an extinct guardian type.

Many older English sources call mastiffs bandogs. Strictly, a bandog was a dog kept on a chain and let loose at night, but the two words were often used for the same animal. In the twentieth century “bandog” was revived in the United States for some large fighting dogs of mastiff type crossed with bulldogs.

Appearance

A typical mastiff has a short coat, a long tail set low and large feet. The skull is big and bulky, the muzzle broad and short, and the ears hang down.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.