Where did Mastiffs come from? The Mastiff is regarded as probably the oldest of all British dogs, and its ancestors were used by the Assyrians for hunting big game. They are portrayed in Egyptian paintings that date back to 3000BC, and the earliest mention of a Mastiff in literature was in 1121BC.

Mastiffs were originally bred as war dogs and are directly descended from the Molossus, developed by Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). They were used by the British army when they fought the Roman legions in 55BC. They were so fearsome and courageous that Caesar mentioned them in his account of the battle.

When in 1415 Sir Peers Legh was wounded in the Battle of Agincourt, his Mastiff stood over and protected him for many hours through the battle and through the night. The Mastiff was later 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. Sir Henry Lee, of the same family, was saved from death by one of the dogs, which pinned to the floor a valet who had come to his master's bedroom to murder him.

It is believed that this large, powerful dog was introduced into Britain in the sixth century B.C. by the adventurous Phoenician traders, and was used by the Britons in hunting and in warfare. The Romans found him well established when they invaded the island in 55 B.C., and thereafter mastiffs, because of their great size, strength, and courage, were used to fight in the Roman amphitheaters.

Are there any famous owners of Mastiffs?  Hannibal, Kublai Khan, King Henry VII, Douglas Fairbanks, Rutherford B. Hayes, Marlon Brando, Charles Dickens, George C. Scott, Charles Darwin, Bob Dylan and of course, Barry Corbin.

What colors can I choose from?  Mastiff are fawn, apricot  and brindle.  Here are 3 of our 2013 puppies in each color...

Are Mastiffs the largest dogs? Mastiffs are the largest dog breed in terms of mass. Though the Irish Wolfhound and Great Dane are taller, they are not nearly as robust.

What’s the difference between Mastiffs, English Mastiffs, and Bull Mastiffs?  The short version is  that Mastiffs and English Mastiffs are the same.  Many people use all three names interchangeably, but Bull Mastiffs are actually a separate breed. They were created in the 1860‘s by breeding Mastiffs with English Bulldogs.  Bull Mastiffs are not quite as large as Mastiffs.  They are a little “squarer” in body, shorter and not as heavy as a Mastiff.  Temperamentally, Bull Mastiffs tend to me a little more tenacious than Mastiffs.  Mastiffs are definitely “family” dogs and love being an important part of the family.

An interesting article just came out March 1, 2014 that lists the TOP 5 EASYGOING DOG BREEDS.

I wasn’t surprised to see Mastiffs as #1 on the list!  They asked 122 vets their opinion and Mastiffs came out on top.

I was saddened by some of the comments from people who do now know the difference between the Mastiff breeds.  The night before, a boy was mauled by a Bull Mastiff and people were automatically lumping Mastiffs and Bull Mastiffs together.  Bull Mastiffs were created to make a more aggressive Mastiff breed.  I have known many wonderful Bull Mastiffs who were socialized and treated as part of the family.  If they are left to their own devices and not trained, you never know what can happen with such a large, powerful dog.  This is a prime example why those of us who own Mastiffs of any type, even our docile English Mastiffs, owe it to our dogs to socialize them at an early age.