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Mastiff

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For other uses, see Mastiff (disambiguation).
The Mastiff by Philip Reinagle, 1805

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, fighting each other and such animals as bulls, bears and 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 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 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.[7][8] In the 20th century, the term "bandog" has been revived to describe some lines of large mastiff-type guard dogs.[7]

List of mastiff breeds

Extant breeds

Breed Alternate name(s) Country of origin Purpose Image
Aksaray Malaklisi Turkish Mastiff and
Central Anatolian Shepherd		 Turkey Guard dog and
livestock guardian dog
Alano Español Spanish Alano and
Spanish Bulldog		 Spain Bull-baiting and
big-game hunting
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog - United States Guard dog
American Bulldog Old Southern White Bulldog,
Old Southern White,
English White Bulldog,
White English,
Hill Bulldog and
Country Bulldog		 United States Guard dog,
catch dog and
farm dog
American Bully Am. Bully and
Bully		 United States Companion dog
Boerboel South African Mastiff South Africa Guard dog
Boxer German Boxer and
Deutscher Boxer		 Germany Guard dog and
big-game hunting
Broholmer Danish Broholmer and
Danish Mastiff		 Denmark Guard dog
Bulldog English Bulldog and
British Bulldog		 United Kingdom
(England)		 Companion dog;
formerly bull-baiting
Bullmastiff Gamekeeper's Night Dog United Kingdom
(England)		 Guard dog
Bully Kutta Indian Mastiff,
Pakistani Mastiff,
Sindhi Mastiff,
Indian Bully and
Pakistani Bully		 India and Pakistan Guard dog,
big-game hunting and
dog fighting
Campeiro Bulldog Brazilian Bulldog,
Countryside Bulldog and
Pampas Bulldog		 Brazil Catch dog used in slaughterhouses
Cane Corso Italian Mastiff,
Italian Corso Dog,
Italian Corso and
Cane Corso Italiano		 Italy Guard dog and
catch dog
Cão Fila de São Miguel São Miguel Cattle Dog,
Chien Fila de San Miguel,
Saint Miguel Cattle Dog,
Azores Cattle Dog and
Azores Cow Dog		 Portugal Cattle-herding dog and
catch dog
Cimarrón Uruguayo Cimarrón,
Uruguayan Cimarrón,
Cimarrón Creole,
Maroon Dog,
Cerro Largo Dog,
Perro Cimarrón,
Cimarrón Dog and
Uruguayan Gaucho Dog		 Uruguay Guard dog
Dogo Argentino Argentine Dogo and
Argentine Mastiff		 Argentina Guard dog and
big-game hunting
Dogo Guatemalteco Guatemalan Dogo,
Guatemalan Bull Terrier and
Bullterrier Guatemalteco		 Guatemala Guard dog
Dogue Brasileiro Brazilian Dogo and
Brazilian Dogge		 Brazil Guard dog
Dogue de Bordeaux French Mastiff,
Bordeaux Mastiff and
Bordeauxdog		 France Guard dog
English Mastiff Old English Mastiff and
Mastiff		 United Kingdom
(England)		 Guard dog
Fila Brasileiro Brazilian Mastiff and
Cão de Fila Brasileiro		 Brazil Guard dog
French Bulldog Bouledogue Francais France Lap dog
Gran Mastín de Borínquen Puerto Rican Mastiff,
Mastín Borincano,
Becerillo de Borinquen and
Perro Barsino de Hacienda		 Puerto Rico Guard dog and
hunting dog
Great Dane Deutsche Dogge,
German Mastiff and
German Boarhound		 Germany Big-game hunting
Neapolitan Mastiff Mastino,
Mastino Napoletano,
Italian Molosso and
Can'e presa		 Italy Guard dog
Olde English Bulldogge - United States A re-creation of the extinct
Old English Bulldog
Perro de Presa Canario Canary Mastiff,
Canary Catch Dog,
Canarian Molosser,
Presa Canario and
Dogo Canario		 Canary Islands Guard dog,
catch dog and
dog fighting
Perro de Presa Mallorquin Ca de Bou,
Majorcan Mastiff,
Mallorquin Mastiff,
Mallorquin,
Perro Dogo,
Presa Canario Mallorquin,
Dogo Mallorquin,
Majorcan Bulldog,
Mallorquin Bulldog and
Silverback Mastiff		 Spain Bull-baiting
Rottweiler Rott and
Rottie		 Germany Guard dog
Serrano Bulldog Brazilian Mountain Bulldog and
Mountaineer Bulldog		 Brazil Herding dog used in slaughterhouses
Tosa Tosa Inu,
Tosa Ken,
Tosa Tōken,
Japanese Mastiff,
Japanese Tosa,
Japanese Fighting Dog and
Tosa Fighting Dog		 Japan Dog fighting

Extinct breeds

Breed Alternate name(s) Country or region of origin Era Purpose Image
Alaunt Alaunt de Boucherie Europe and Central Asia Classical antiquity and
the Middle Ages		 Hunting,
guarding and
dog fighting
Alpine Mastiff Barry Dog and
Saint Dog		 The Swiss Alps Classical antiquity to the 19th century Guarding
Bullenbeisser Bärenbeisser and
German Bulldog		 Germany Extinct by World War II Bull-baiting (as Bullenbeisser) and
bear-baiting (as Bärenbeisser)
Cordoba Fighting Dog Cordoba Dog,
Cordobese dog and
Perro de Pelea Cordobés		 Argentina Extinct after the 1920s Dog fighting
Dogo Cubano Cuban Mastiff,
Cuban Dogo and
Cuban Dogge		 Cuba the 16th to the late 19th century Recapturing runaway slaves
Fila da Terceira Terceira Mastiff and
Cão de Fila da Terceira		 Portugal Declared extinct in 1970;
currently being re-created		 Catch dogs
Molossus Molossian Hound,
Epirus Mastiff and
Molosser		 Southern Europe Classical antiquity War dogs,
hunting,
guarding and
dog fighting
Old English Bulldog Great Britain and Ireland the 17th to the 19th century Bull-baiting and
dog fighting
Toy Bulldog Miniature Bulldog and
English Toy Bulldog		 the United Kingdom
(England)		 the 18th to the early 20th century Lap dogs

References

  1. ^ a b Oxford Dictionaries 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Young & Bannasch 2007, p. 49.
  3. ^ a b Encyclopædia Brittanica 2019.
  4. ^ Young & Bannasch 2007, p. 48-49.
  5. ^ Parker 2012, p. 45.
  6. ^ Hancock (2001).
  7. ^ a b Fogle (2009), p. 36.
  8. ^ Wynn (2011).

Bibliography

  • Hancock, David (2001). The Mastiffs: The Big Game Hunters - Their History, Development and Future. Ducklington, Oxon: Charwynne Dog Features. ISBN 9780951780114.
  • Fogle, Bruce (2009). The Encyclopedia of the Dog. New York: DK Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7566-6004-8.
  • Encyclopædia Brittanica (2019). "Mastiff: breed of dog". www.britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  • Parker, Heidi G. (2012). "Chapter 3: The history and relationship of dog breeds". In Ostrander, Elaine A.; Ruvinsky, Anatoly (eds.). The Genetics of the Dog. Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CAPI books. pp. 38–53. ISBN 9781845939403.
  • Oxford Dictionaries (2019). "Mastiff". Lexico.com. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  • Wynn, M. B. (2011). History of the Mastiff: Gathered from Sculpture, Pottery, Carvings, Paintings and Engravings. Read Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-4465-4892-9.
  • Young, Amy; Bannasch, Danika (2007). "Chapter 4: Morphological variation in the dog". In Ostrander, Elaine A.; Giger, Urs; Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin (eds.). The Dog and its Genome. Cold Spring Harbor, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. pp. 47–66. ISBN 9780879697815.
  • Media related to Mastiff at Wikimedia Commons
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