Mastiff

History

The father of many modern dog breeds, the Mastiff originated in ancient Babylonia, where he hunted ferocious prey such as lions. The breed likely came to Europe with Phoenician traders in the 6th century BC. By the time the Roman Empire spread to Britain, the Mastiff was well established as a fierce fighting dog who could hunt wolves, bear and anything else he was set upon. The Mastiff lost his popularity in modern times when dog fighting was forbidden and wolves were vanquished in the U.K. During WWII, any remaining Mastiffs were either used in the war effort or put down, as it was deemed unpatriotic to feed their giant appetites when people were starving in the streets. By 1945, only eight breeding animals remained in Britain, where the breed maintained its purest form. Fortunately, a number of Mastiffs had been exported to North America, and breeders imported fresh breeding stock to rejuvenate the breed.

Personality

Despite his history as a fighting dog, the Mastiff is docile and level-headed. He is an exceptional watchdog and protector, and his intimidating size is often enough to scare intruders away. He is gentle with children, but can become overprotective of them. Mastiffs get along well with other dogs and family pets as long as they have been socialized at an early age.

Mastiff Breeders:

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