COUNTRY: Great Britain
WEIGHT: 175-190 pounds
HEIGHT: Minimum 27!/2-30 inches
COAT: Short, smooth
COLOR: Apricot, fawn or fawn-brindle, all with black mask
OTHER NAMES: Old English Mastiff
GROUP: Mastif
Early cynologists disagree just where the Mastiff originated, but they concur it is an ancient type. These dogs were depicted in bas reliefs as early as the Babylonian era, about 2200 BC, with their roots most likely leading back to the ancient Tibetan Mastiff. When the Romans arrived in England, the Mastiff had already preceded them, likely brought by ancient dog-traders. The English dogs' courage and power so impressed the Romans that they took examples of the breed back to Rome to fight in the arenas. These English powerhouses often defeated the homebred variety of molossus.
It was the Mastiffs' use as bandogs that brought them to prominence. Mastiffs, a derivative of the Latin mastinus meaning house-dog, roamed the grounds of estates and guarded castles, as well as lowly huts. Peasants were compelled to keep at least one Masnff for every two serfs to ward off savage beasts and villains. The Legh family of Lyme Hall, Cheshire, is recorded to have kept Mastiffs since 1415. English kings showed their pride in the dogs and displayed generosity by gifting Spanish royalty with the breed. Henry VIII sent Charles V a battalion of 400 Mastiffs as war dogs. The mastiff type was so common in England at the time of the Norman invasion that the French word dogue, meaning mastiff, was incorporated into the English language to describe all of the canine species!
Mastiffs served time in the pits facing large, tough opponents during the Elizabethan era. Following the decline of the forbidden matches, these dogs entered a downward trend. During the mid-19th century, the breed was revitalized and believed to have been crossed with the Al-pine Mastiff (St. Bernard). It was during this period that Mastiff fanciers "laid down the law" against the original longer head, now unfashionable. The wide use of one stud, with short, blocky head—but otherwise very faulty—created almost insurmountable problems.
Interest waned. From 63 Mastiffs at an 1871 English show, the entry dropped to zero just a few years later. The war years of the next century took further tolls on the breed. In 1945, only eight Mastiffs of breeding age were left in all of Britain! But a pair of fine pups, donated by a top Canadian kennel, helped restore the breed in its homeland, where it now is firmly entrenched.
In 1941, it was recognized in America and, currently, the Mastiff holds steady mid-way in AKC registrations. Throughout the years, Mastiffs have traveled the usual hills and valleys of popularity: large dog vs. small dog; hairy vs. smooth; tough vs. mellow.
Despite his giant size and forbidding appearance, the Mastiff is a good family pet, with those same qualities making him a worthy watchdog. He is a creature of habit and does not transplant easily, meaning that buyers who choose the Mastiff should plan to keep him for life. Tragically, like so many of the giants, he is not long-lived.
WEIGHT: 175-190 pounds
HEIGHT: Minimum 27!/2-30 inches
COAT: Short, smooth
COLOR: Apricot, fawn or fawn-brindle, all with black mask
OTHER NAMES: Old English Mastiff
GROUP: Mastif
Early cynologists disagree just where the Mastiff originated, but they concur it is an ancient type. These dogs were depicted in bas reliefs as early as the Babylonian era, about 2200 BC, with their roots most likely leading back to the ancient Tibetan Mastiff. When the Romans arrived in England, the Mastiff had already preceded them, likely brought by ancient dog-traders. The English dogs' courage and power so impressed the Romans that they took examples of the breed back to Rome to fight in the arenas. These English powerhouses often defeated the homebred variety of molossus.
It was the Mastiffs' use as bandogs that brought them to prominence. Mastiffs, a derivative of the Latin mastinus meaning house-dog, roamed the grounds of estates and guarded castles, as well as lowly huts. Peasants were compelled to keep at least one Masnff for every two serfs to ward off savage beasts and villains. The Legh family of Lyme Hall, Cheshire, is recorded to have kept Mastiffs since 1415. English kings showed their pride in the dogs and displayed generosity by gifting Spanish royalty with the breed. Henry VIII sent Charles V a battalion of 400 Mastiffs as war dogs. The mastiff type was so common in England at the time of the Norman invasion that the French word dogue, meaning mastiff, was incorporated into the English language to describe all of the canine species!
Mastiffs served time in the pits facing large, tough opponents during the Elizabethan era. Following the decline of the forbidden matches, these dogs entered a downward trend. During the mid-19th century, the breed was revitalized and believed to have been crossed with the Al-pine Mastiff (St. Bernard). It was during this period that Mastiff fanciers "laid down the law" against the original longer head, now unfashionable. The wide use of one stud, with short, blocky head—but otherwise very faulty—created almost insurmountable problems.
Interest waned. From 63 Mastiffs at an 1871 English show, the entry dropped to zero just a few years later. The war years of the next century took further tolls on the breed. In 1945, only eight Mastiffs of breeding age were left in all of Britain! But a pair of fine pups, donated by a top Canadian kennel, helped restore the breed in its homeland, where it now is firmly entrenched.
In 1941, it was recognized in America and, currently, the Mastiff holds steady mid-way in AKC registrations. Throughout the years, Mastiffs have traveled the usual hills and valleys of popularity: large dog vs. small dog; hairy vs. smooth; tough vs. mellow.
Despite his giant size and forbidding appearance, the Mastiff is a good family pet, with those same qualities making him a worthy watchdog. He is a creature of habit and does not transplant easily, meaning that buyers who choose the Mastiff should plan to keep him for life. Tragically, like so many of the giants, he is not long-lived.