Videos Mastiff Breed Information
The Mastiff or Molosser is a name for a group comprising
several breeds of large, solidly-built
dogs, probably all descended from the same
root stock. The name derives from Molossia, modern day Epirus.
Molossers are sometimes called
"mastiffs". The proper noun
"Mastiff", however, is used to refer to the English Mastiff, a breed that originated
in England over two thousand years ago. Other terms include
"Mastín" (Spanish),
"dogge" (Germanic), and
"dogue" or
"dogo" (Romance languages).
Breeds such as the Bullmastiff,
Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, Mastin Del Pirineo, Spanish Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Tibetan Mastiff, and many others fall
into the larger category of "Molossers", but are not
"Mastiffs". Each is a separate and distinct
breed.[1] The Boxer breed is also included, as it is a
creation from other Molossers including the Original English
Bulldog.
Molossers typically have heavy bones, pendant ears, a relatively
short and well-muscled neck, and a short muzzle. Although some
Molossers are used for search and
rescue, such as the Newfoundland and the Saint Bernard, most are used as
guard dogs, due to their deep voices
and natural guarding instincts, or livestock guardian dogs for
protection against large predators as well as poachers. Some breeds
like the Greater Swiss
Mountain Dog have also been used as cart dogs.
1. Origins
The first known record of a molosser-like dog was in 1121 BC, when a Tibetan mastiff trained for hunting was
gifted to a Chinese emperor. The mastiffs would later be imported
to Mongolia, Mesopotamia and Central Asia where they would mix with local
dogs, resulting in a loss of long hair and colour uniformity. The
main features, such as height and a massive head with a big short
muzzle were kept. The dogs were considered valuable in Babylon, and are mentioned in cuneiform in the 4th century BC. A large mastiff-like dog
is shown on the ancient terracotta by
Byrs Nimruda. The dog is rather
tall: 90 cm at the withers, has a stocky head and powerful hind
quarters. The dogs were used for hunting in ancient Assyria. Archeological digs of the Ashurbanipal palace (7th century BC) revealed pictures of dogs
felling wild horses and donkeys. Assyrian mastiffs were also used
for military purposes and for protection.
The ancient mastiffs would later be imported from Assyria and
Babylon to Egypt and Asia Minor. Xerxes I of Persia led predatory wars
to enlarge the borders of his empire, taking with him large war
dogs in his Army. After his army's defeat by the Spartans, the mastiffs were taken to Greece as
trophies of war. The mastiffs would be bred in Molossia and from
there, spread all over the Mediterranean under the name of
"epirian" dogs or molosses.
The Alans kept mastiff-like dogs taken
from Eastern Europe which acted as retrievers, watchdogs and
fighting dogs. The mastiffs were used in unison with sighthounds to
hunt Wisent, aurochs and bears. Groups
of Alanian tribes came to Europe during the Migration Period, fighting on the
territory of modern France, Spain, Portugal and Northern Africa,
taking with them their dogs. The Alanian mastiffs then spread to
the British Isles. [1]
The Bulldog breeds split from the
Molossers in England and spread to the New World with colonization
as well as Western Europe and, though smaller, are considered by
some to still be Molosser breeds.
2. List of molosser breeds
* Akbash Dog
* Alano Español (Spanish
Alano)
* Alapaha Blue Blood
Bulldog
* Alp Mastiff (Cane Garouf)
* American Bulldog, including:
o JDJ American
Bulldog
o Scott's American
Bulldog
o Southern White
American Bulldog
* American Mastiff
(Panja)
* American Pit Bull
Terrier
* American
Staffordshire Terrier
* Antebellum Bulldog
* Anatolian Shepherd
Dog
* Appenzeller
Sennenhund
* Argentine Dogo
* Bandog
* Bergamasco
* Bernese Mountain Dog
(Berner Sennen)
* Boerboel (South-African
Mastiff)
* Boston Terrier
* Boxer
* Branchiero Sicliano
* Brazilian
Bullmastiff
* Broholmer
* Bucciriscu
Calabrese
* Bulldog
* Buldogue Campeiro
* Bullmastiff
* Bully Kutta (Pakistani
Mastiff)
* Ca de Bou (Perro de Presa
Mallorquin, Mallorquin Bulldog, etc.)
* Cane Corso (Sicilian
Brancheiro)
* Cão da Serra da Estrela - see Estrela Mountain Dog
* Cão de Castro
Laboreiro
* Cão de Fila
de São Miguel
* Cão de Fila da
Terceira
* Cão de Gado
Transmontano
* Catahoula Bulldog
* Caucasian Shepherd
Dog
* Central Asia Shepherd
Dog
* Dosa Inu (Korean heavier form of
Tosa)
* Dogue de Bordeaux (French
Mastiff)
* Dogo Argentino
* Dogo Cubano
* Dogo Guatemalteco
* Dogo Sardesco
* English Mastiff
(Mastiff)
* Entlebucher Sennenhund
(Entlebucher Mountain Dog)
* Fila Brasileiro (Brazilian
Mastiff)
* Gran Mastin de
Borínquen
* Great Dane (German Mastiff)
* Grosser Schweizer
Sennenhund (Greater Swiss Mountain Dog)
* Gull Terr
* Hovawart
* Himalayan Sheepdog
* Indian Mastiff (Sindh
Mastiff)
* Kangal Dog
* Kuvasz
* Landseer (sometimes
considered a colour variety of the Newfoundland)
* Leonberger
* Moscovskaya
Storozhevaya Sobaka (Moscow Watchdog)
* Neapolitan Mastiff
* Nebolish Mastiff
* Newfoundland
* Olde English
Bulldogge
* Perro Cimarron
* Perro de Presa
Canario
* Perro de Toro
* Pit Bull
* Polish Tatra Sheepdog
(Tatra Mountain Sheepdog, Tatra Shepherd Dog, Polski Owczarek
Podhalanski, Owczarek Podhalanski)
* Presa Canario
* Pyrenean Mastiff
* Pyrenean Mountain Dog
(Great Pyrenees)
* Rafeiro do Alentejo
* Rhodesian Ridgeback
(African Lion Hound)
* Rottweiler
* Sage Koochee (Afghan Sheepdog)
* Saint Bernard
* Šarplaninac
* Shar Pei
* Spanish Mastiff
* Saint Bernard (Alpine
Mastiff)
* Tibetan Kyi Apso (Bearded
Tibetan Mastiff)
* Tibetan Mastiff
* Tosa (Japanese Mastiff)
* Valley Bulldog
* Vucciriscu
* Xochaso
Nebolish Mastiff the standard originally recorded in 1867
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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