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Mastiff
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The Mastiff, often called the English Mastiff, is a large breed of
dog descended from the ancient Alaunt through the Pugnaces
Britanniae.
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Description
Appearance
With a massive body, broad skull and head of generally square
appearance. It is one of the largest dog breeds in terms of mass,
though the Irish Wolfhound and Great Dane are taller but not
nearly as robust.
Their size is very large and gives an impression of power and
strength when viewed from any angle. The body is massive with
great depth and breadth, especially between the forelegs, causing
these to be set wide apart. The AKC standard height (per their
website) for this breed is 30 inches (76 cm) at the shoulder for
males and 27.5 inches (70 cm) (minimum) at the shoulder for
females. A typical male can weigh 150–250 pounds (68–110 kg), a
typical female can weigh 120–200 pounds (54–91 kg).
The former standard specified the coat should be short and close-
lying (though long haired Mastiffs, called "Fluffies", are
occasionally seen) and the color is apricot-fawn, silver-fawn, fawn,
or dark fawn-brindle, always with black on the muzzle, ears, and
nose and around the eyes. (See Coat Colour Inheritance below.)
Guinness Book of World Records recognizes the heaviest dog of
all time as a Mastiff from England named Zorba, at over 343
pounds (156 kg). Zorba stood 37 inches (94 cm) at the shoulder
and was 8.25 feet (251 cm) from the tip of his nose to the tip of his
tail. Zorba set this record in November 1989, when he was 8 years
old, and about the size of a small donkey. There is a widely
circulated claim that a St. Bernard named Benedictine weighed 357
lbs. This figure is based on "successive studies", rather than direct
measurement of a living dog. The largest direct measurement of
Benedictine's weight was 336 lb. According to the Guinness Book
of World Records, the tallest dog is a Great Dane named Gibson.
The dog is 42.3 inches (107 cm) tall.
Coat and Color
The colors of the Mastiff coat are differently described by various
kennel clubs, but are essentially fawn or apricot, or those colors as
a base for black brindle. A black mask should occur in all cases.
The fawn is generally a light "silver" shade, but may range up to a
golden yellow. The apricot maybe a slightly reddish hue up to a
deep, rich red. The brindle markings should be heavy, even and
clear stripes, but may be light, uneven, patchy, faint or muddled.
Pied Mastiffs occur rarely. Other non-standard colours include
black, blue brindle, and chocolate mask. Some Mastiff have a
heavy shading caused by dark hairs throughout the coat or
primarily on the back and shoulders. Brindle is dominant over solid
colour. Apricot is dominant over fawn, though that dominance may
be incomplete. Most of the faults are recessive, though black is so
rare that it cannot be certain if it is recessive, or a mutation that
might be dominant.
Temperament
The Mastiff breed is a combination of dignity and courage; calm
and affectionate to its master, but capable of protection. This
particular mastiff-type breed is an extremely capable guard. If an
unfamiliar person approaches near their perceived territory or its
master, the Mastiff will immediately position itself between its
master and the stranger. If the approaching person does not back
down, they take immediate defensive action. It is because of this
instinctive behavior that English Mastiffs have earned themselves a
spot in the world's top 5 guard dogs. The breed is innately good
natured, calm, easygoing, and surprisingly gentle. It is a well-
mannered house pet. English Mastiffs need exercise and activity
daily to keep them healthy. The Mastiff is an extremely loyal breed,
exceptionally devoted to its family and good with children and small
dogs.
Health
The mastiff is a particularly large dog demanding correct diet and
exercise. Excessive running is not recommended for the first two
years of the dog's life. However, regular exercise must be
maintained throughout the dog's life in order to discourage slothful
behavior and to prevent a number of health problems. A soft
surface is recommended for the dog to sleep on in order to
prevent the development of calluses, arthritis, and hygroma (an
acute inflammatory swelling). Due to the breed's large size,
puppies may potentially be smothered or crushed by the mother
during nursing. A whelping box, along with careful monitoring can
prevent such accidents. The expected lifespan is about 7 to 14
years.
Major issues can include hip dysplasia and gastric torsion. Minor
problems include obesity, osteosarcoma, and cystinuria. Problems
only occasionally found include cardiomyopathy, allergies, vaginal
hyperplasia, cruciate ligament rupture, hypothyroidism, OCD,
entropion, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), and persistent
pupillary membranes (PPM).
When purchasing a purebred Mastiff, experts often suggest that
the dog undergo tests for hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, thyroid,
and DNA for PRA.
History
In 1918, a dog called Beowulf, bred in Canada from British imports
Priam of Wingfied and Parkgate Duchess, was registered by the
AKC, starting a slow re-establishment of the breed in North
America. Priam and Duchess, along with fellow imports Ch Weland,
Thor of the Isles, Caractacus of Hellingly and Brutus of Saxondale,
ultimately contributed a total of only two descendants who would
produce further offspring, Buster of Saxondale and Buddy. There
were, however, a number of other imports in the period between
the wars and in the early days of the Second World War, and
those whose descendants survive were 12 in number, meaning the
North American contribution to the gene pool after 1945 consists of
14 Mastiffs. In the British Isles, virtually all breeding stopped due to
the rationing of meat. Only a single bitch was produced by the
elderly stock that survived the war, Nydia of Frithend, and her sire
had to be declared a Mastiff by the Kennel Club, as his parentage
was unknown, and he was thought by some to be a Bullmastiff.
After the war, animals from North America, prominently from
Canada, were imported. Therefore all Mastiffs in the late 1950s
were descended from Nydia and the 14 Mastiffs previously
mentioned. It has been alleged that the Mastiff was bred with other
more numerous giant breeds: Great Dane, Bullmastiff and St.
Bernard, as these were considered close relatives to the Mastiff. In
1959, a Dogue de Bordeaux, Fidelle de Fenelon, was imported
from France to the USA, registered as a Mastiff, and entered the
gene pool. Since that time, the breed has gradually been restored
in Britain, has reached 28th most popular breed in the USA, and is
now found world-wide.
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Mastiff
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Country of origin
England
Weight
Male: 150-250 lb
Female: 120-200 lb
Height
26-31in
Coat
Short and smooth
Color
Fawn or apricot as base with black
brindle.
Life span
10-12 years
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The Mastiff has a distinctive head
with a large dewlap and flews.
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