Mastiffs

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Bobaras Mastiffs

Mastiffs - History

There exist three versions of Mastiffs: the Dogue de Bordeaux (French Mastiff), the Neapolitan Mastiff and the English Mastiff. All European Mastiffs have descended from the Tibetan Mastiff, the most ancient domestic dog. It's believed that Alexander the Great brought them to Greece from India in about 300 B.C. Later Romans adopted them for circus combats. The Latin word Molossus, for the Mastiff, means "massive." English scientists have a theory that the Phoenicians brought the Mastiff right to Britain around 500 B.C.

Dogue de Bordeaux were known as hunting dogs in France since the 12th century. They hunted large game: bears, wolves, boars, pigs, and deer. Natural born killers, they were used in wars, and helped to guard and drive cattle. It's the main breed to participate in dog fighting that was extremely popular in the 20th century.

Neapolitan Mastiffs (Mastino Napoletano) survived in Campania as a direct descendant of the Roman Molossus. They were also used in wars and as guard dogs. The breed standard was set in 1949.

English Mastiffs have been known to take part in battles since the Roman invasion. Caesar mentioned their fighting skills in 55 CE. References to this breed appear even in ancient Egypt and China. In England the nobility used Mastiffs for pack hunting, and peasants used them for protecting their property from wild beasts.

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