A mastiff is a large and powerful type of dog. [1] [2] Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short (brachycephalic) and the ears drooping and pendant-shaped. [1] [2] European and Asian records dating back 3,000 years show dogs of the mastiff type. [3] Mastiffs have historically been guard dogs, protecting homes and property, although throughout history they have been used as hunting dogs, war dogs and for blood sports, such as fighting each other and other animals, including bulls, bears and even lions. [2] [3]
Historical and archaeological evidence suggests that mastiffs have long been distinct in both form and function from the similarly large livestock guardian dogs from which they were most likely developed; [4] they also form separate genetic populations. [5] The Fédération Cynologique Internationale and some kennel clubs group the two types together as molossoid dogs; some modern livestock guardian breeds, such as the Pyrenean Mastiff, the Spanish Mastiff and the Tibetan Mastiff, and an extinct draught dog called the Belgian Mastiff, have the word "mastiff" in their name, but are not considered true mastiffs. [6]
Many older English sources refer to mastiffs as bandogs or bandogges, although technically the term "bandog" meant a dog that was tethered by a chain (or "bande") that would be released at night; the terms "mastiff" and "bandog" were often used interchangeably. One of the most famous "bandog" programs in England, led to the establishment of a recognized "bandog" breed known today as the Bull Mastiff. The least common "bandog" program in England was funded by Sir Nathanael Dieu-est-Mon'plaisir, the St. Louis Vincent Mastiff or South American Mastiff was named after Vincent Louis who reared plantation dogs originating from St. Louis and other parts of South America. This rare breed is the most expensive mastiff-type dog amongst the "bandog" breeds. [7] In the twentieth century the term "bandog" was revived to describe some large fighting mastiff type dogs crossed with any bulldog in the United States. [8]
Breed | Alternate name(s) | Country of origin | Use | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alano Español |
| Spain | War dog, bull-baiting, big-game hunting | |
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog | United States | Guard dog | ||
American Bulldog |
| United States | catch dog, farm dog | |
Boerboel | South African Mastiff | South Africa | Guard dog | |
Boxer |
| Germany | big-game hunting | |
Broholmer | Danish Mastiff | Denmark | Guard dog | |
Bulldog |
| United Kingdom (England) | Companion dog, formerly bull-baiting | |
Bullmastiff | Gamekeeper's Night Dog | United Kingdom (England) | Guard dog | |
Bully Kutta |
| India and Pakistan | dog fighting | |
Campeiro Bulldog |
| Brazil | Catch dog, butcher's dog | |
Cane Corso |
| Italy | Guard dog, catch dog | |
Cão Fila de São Miguel |
| Portugal | Cattle-herding dog, catch dog | |
Chongqing dog | China | Guard dog | ||
Cimarrón Uruguayo |
| Uruguay | Guard dog | |
Continental Bulldog | Swiss Bulldog | Switzerland | Companion dog | |
Dogo Argentino |
| Argentina | Guard dog, big-game hunting, dog fighting | |
Dogo Guatemalteco |
| Guatemala | Guard dog, formerly bull-baiting | |
Dogue Brasileiro | Brazil | Guard dog | ||
Dogue de Bordeaux |
| France | Guard dog | |
English Mastiff |
| United Kingdom (England) | Guard dog | |
Fila Brasileiro |
| Brazil | Guard dog | |
French Bulldog | Bouledogue Français | France | Lap dog | |
Great Dane |
| Germany | Big-game hunting | |
Kurdish Mastiff |
| Iraq | Guard dog | |
Neapolitan Mastiff | Mastino Napoletano | Italy | Guard dog | |
Olde English Bulldogge | United States | Modern-day re-creation of the extinct Old English Bulldog | ||
Perro de Presa Canario |
| Canary Islands | Guard dog, catch dog | |
Perro de Presa Mallorquin |
| Spain | Bull-baiting | |
Rottweiler | Germany | Guard dog | ||
Serrano Bulldog | Buldogue Serrano | Brazil | Herding dog, butcher's dog | |
Tosa |
| Japan | Dog fighting | |
Breed | Alternate name(s) | Country or region of origin | Era | Use | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaunt | Alaunt de Boucherie | Europe, Central Asia | Big-game hunting, guard dog, dog fighting | ||
Bullenbeisser |
| Germany | to World War II | Bull-baiting (as Bullenbeisser), bear-baiting (as Bärenbeisser) | |
Córdoba fighting dog |
| Argentina | to the 1920s | Dog fighting | |
Dogo Cubano |
| Cuba | 16th – late 19th C | Recapturing runaway slaves, bull-baiting, dog fighting | |
Fila da Terceira |
| Portugal | to the 1970s | Catch dog | |
Molossus |
| Southern Europe | Classical antiquity | War dog, guard dog, big-game hunting, dog fighting | |
Old English Bulldog | Great Britain and Ireland | 17th–19th C | dog fighting | ||
Toy Bulldog |
| United Kingdom (England) | 18th – early 20th C | Lap dog | |
A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globally recognized breeds. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur type, body shape, and coat colour. However, there is only one species of dog. Their behavioral traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, and personality traits such as hyper-social behavior, boldness, and aggression. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years. As a result of their adaptability to many environments and breedability for human needs, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world.
The Pyrenean Mountain Dog or Chien de Montagne des Pyrénées is a French breed of livestock guardian dog; in France it is commonly called the Patou. It originates from the eastern or French side of the Pyrenees Mountains that separate France and Spain and is recognised as a separate breed from the Mastín del Pirineo or Pyrenean Mastiff from the Spanish side of the mountains, to which it is closely related.
Dog fighting is a type of blood sport that turns game and fighting dogs against each other in a physical fight, often to the death, for the purposes of gambling or entertainment to the spectators. In rural areas, fights are often staged in barns or outdoor pits; in urban areas, fights are often staged in garages, basements, warehouses, alleyways, abandoned buildings, neighborhood playgrounds, or in the streets. Dog fights usually last until one dog is declared a winner, which occurs when one dog fails to scratch, dies, or jumps out of the pit. Sometimes dog fights end without declaring a winner; for instance, the dog's owner may call the fight.
A working dog is a dog used to perform practical tasks, as opposed to pet or companion dogs.
A cur was a dog breed used by cattle drovers in England. The breed is now extinct. In the United States, a short-haired dog used in hunting and herding is called "cur-tailed", or "cur" for short.
The American bulldog is a large, muscular breed of mastiff-type dog. Their ancestors were brought to the British North American colonies where they worked on small farms and ranches.
A guard dog or watchdog is a dog used to watch for and guard people or property against unwanted or unexpected human or animal intruders.
The English Mastiff, or simply the Mastiff, is a British dog breed of very large size. It is likely descended from the ancient Alaunt and Pugnaces Britanniae, with a significant input from the Alpine Mastiff in the 19th century. Distinguished by its enormous size, massive head, short coat in a limited range of colours, and always displaying a black mask, the Mastiff is noted for its gentle and loving nature. The lineage of modern dogs can be traced back to the early 19th century, but the modern type was stabilised in the 1880s and refined since. Following a period of sharp decline, the Mastiff has increased its worldwide popularity. Throughout its history the Mastiff has contributed to the development of a number of dog breeds, some generally known as mastiff-type dogs or, confusingly, just as "mastiffs". It is the largest living canine, outweighing the wolf by up to 50 kg (110 lbs) on average.
The Alaunt is an extinct type of dog which came in different forms, with the original possibly having existed in North Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe from ancient times.
Bulldogs are a type of dog that were traditionally used for the blood sports of baiting and dog fighting, but today are kept for other purposes, including companion dogs, guard dogs and catch dogs. Bulldogs are typically stocky, powerful, square-built animals with large, strong, brachycephalic-type muzzles. "Bull" is a reference that originated in England that refers to the sport of bull baiting, which was a national sport in England between the 13th and 18th century. It is believed bulldogs were developed during the 16th century in the Elizabethan era from the larger mastiffs, as smaller, more compact dogs were better suited for baiting.
The Molossus, also known as the Molossian hound and Epirus mastiff, is an extinct dog breed from Ancient Greece.
Bull and terrier was a common name for crossbreeds between bulldogs and terriers in the early 1800s. Other names included half-and-halfs and half-breds. It was a time in history when, for thousands of years, dogs were classified by use or function, unlike the modern pets of today that were bred to be conformation show dogs and family pets. Bull and terrier crosses were originally bred to function as fighting dogs for bull- and bear-baiting, and other popular blood sports during the Victorian era. The sport of bull baiting required a dog with attributes such as tenacity and courage, a wide frame with heavy bone, and a muscular, protruding jaw. By crossing bulldogs with various terriers from Ireland and Great Britain, breeders introduced "gameness and agility" into the hybrid mix.
The Ca de Bou or Perro de Presa Mallorquin is a Spanish breed of catch dog from Majorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands.
The Himalayan Sheepdog, known locally by various names including the Bhote, Bangara or Gaddi Kutta, and sometimes called the Himalayan Mastiff, is a breed of livestock guardian dog from the Himalayas, covering India. The Himalayan Sheepdog is found in the Himalayan foothills from eastern Nepal to Kashmir. The breed is primarily used as a livestock guardian dog, protecting flocks of yak and sheep from various predators, and as a property guardian dog; unusually for a livestock guardian, the breed is also used to assist with herding. The Himalayan Sheepdog is also used to assist in hunting.
A livestock guardian dog (LGD) is a dog type bred for the purpose of protecting livestock from predators.
The Alpine mastiff was a type of molosser, or "flock-guardian phenotype" with the same or similar ancestral origins as the Saint Bernard. However, unlike the Saint Bernard, the Alpine mastiff was never a bona fide breed. It is believed to be the progenitor of the modern English Mastiff, as well as other breeds that derive from these types of dogs or that are closely related. M. B. Wynn wrote, "In 1829 a vast light brindle dog of the old Alpine mastiff breed, named L'Ami, was brought from the convent of Great St. Bernard area, and exhibited in London and Liverpool as the largest dog in England." William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, is believed to have bred Alpine mastiffs at Chatsworth House. It was earlier thought that ears of the Alpine mastiffs were cut to prevent them becoming frost bitten.
The Welsh Grey or Old Welsh Grey was a breed of sheepdog native to Wales. It is likely now extinct.