Temperament
The Mastiff breed is a combination of grandeur, 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 themselves 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 10 guard dogs. The breed is innately good natured, calm, easygoing, and surprisingly gentle. It is a well-mannered house pet but needs sufficient room for exercise and activity. This is an extremely loyal breed, though not excessively demonstrative. It is exceptionally devoted to its family and good with children.
Health
This is a particularly large dog demanding correct diet and exercise. The expected lifespan is 9 to 11 years.
Major issues 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 hips, elbow, eyes, thyroid, and DNA for PRA.
History
The Pugnaces Britanniae (Latin) is an extinct breed of dog and progenitor to the English Mastiff.
The Mastiff name probably evolved from the Anglo-Saxon word "masty", meaning "powerful". The Mastiff is descended from the ancient Alaunt and Molosser and is recognized as the oldest British breed. The Mastiff might have been brought to Britain in the 6th century BC. It was used in the blood sports of bear-baiting, bull-baiting, dog fighting, and lion-baiting. Throughout its long history, the Mastiff has contributed to the development of a number of dog breeds.
When Sir Peers Legh was wounded in the Battle of Agincourt, his Mastiff stood over and protected him for many hours through the battle. Although Legh later died, the Mastiff returned to Legh's home and was the foundation of the Lyme Hall Mastiffs. Five centuries later this pedigree figured prominently in founding the modern breed.
Some evidence exists that the Mastiff came to America on the Mayflower, but the breed's documented entry to America did not occur until the late 1800s.
In 1835, the Parliament of the United Kingdom implemented an Act called the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835, which prohibited the baiting of animals. Subsequently, the Mastiff lost popularity and was virtually decimated in England by the Second World War; however, sufficient numbers had been brought to America by that time to keep the breed going. Since that time, it has gradually been restored in Britian.
Famous English Mastiffs
- "Hercules" from the film The Sandlot
- "Carlo" in The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, a Sherlock Holmes story
- Sir Peers Legh's Mastiff, from the Battle of Agincourt
- Paul Levesque aka Triple H and Stephanie McMahon own an English Mastiff named Bluto.
- Kazak is the pet Mastiff of Winston Niles Rumfoord, a wealthy space traveler in Kurt Vonnegut's novel The Sirens of Titan.
- "Moss and Jaguar" of the Japanese series Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin and its sequel Ginga Densetsu Weed
Clubs by country
External links
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Mastiff