Tag Archives: mastiff

Dog Breed: Bullmastiff

The bullmastiff was — as you might guess — bred from the Old English Mastiff as a watchdog. The breed is 60% Mastiff and 40% bulldog. The breed was developed in the late 1800s specifically by gamekeepers to protect game on reserves and large estates from poachers. The Mastiff wasn’t aggressive enough or fast enough; the bulldog was a little too small and ferocious — gamekeepers needed a fearless dog that would attack on command. The cross was perfect for catching and holding poachers without mauling them. The bullmastiff — nicknamed the Gamekeeper’s Night Dog — is known to this … Continue reading →

Dog Breed: Mastiff

The Mastiff — also known as the Old English Mastiff — is an old breed. In England alone, the breed has been around for more than two thousand years as a watchdog. But the history of the Mastiff goes back farther than that! The breed is thought to come from Asia. Mastiffs are depicted on Egyptian monuments from around 3000 BC — which means that these dogs have a history that may be more than five thousand years long! In literature, the breed first appears in 1121 BC. When Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC, he wrote of courageous dogs … Continue reading →