The Mastiff dog has a long history; these dogs have been domesticated for more than two thousand years. The Romans bred the ancestors of modern Mastiff dog breeds for use as guard dogs and hunting dogs and in brought these dogs to the British Isles in the 6th century when they conquered Britain. These dogs, already favorites with the Romans (including Julius Caesar, by many accounts) quickly became popular in Britain as well and became the ancestors of the modern English Mastiff. Mastiffs also were part of the war party when Hannibal crossed the Alps and were a favorite of the Kublai Khan, who kept a kennel of thousands of the dogs.
The Mastiff dogs remained a favorite of British royals, guarding castles and estates. Mastiffs were used for bear baiting between the 12th and 19th century. This was a very popular sport at the time. The dogs were used to attack chained bears, tigers and bulls.
The first Mastiff breed came to America with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, though they didn’t become popular there until the 1800s. Used during the World Wars to pull heavy munitions carts, they fell out of favor during these lean times because of their great appetites. Growing again in popularity today, Mastiff dogs are used as search and rescue dogs, companions, show dogs, guard dogs and police dogs.
The Mastiff used to be trained to be fearsome warriors and hunters, but now these dogs are trained to be loving, gentle pets and helpful working dogs. Of course every dog is a little different, but most Mastiffs are exceptionally calm and even tempered animals. However, they can be a little stubborn, especially once they get older and set in their ways (not to mention very large). It’s best to make sure that your Mastiff is well trained while they’re still very young.
While yesterday’s Mastiff breed was a fierce opponent, today the Mastiff is gentle and affectionate. While every Mastiff is an individual, the majority of dogs are calm and easy going. Mastiffs can be a bit of a challenge to train. They can be a bit stubborn, and with their size, you’re better off if you get all your training done when the dog is young and of smaller stature. At the same time, some Mastiffs are very sensitive to harsh words from their family.
If you want to share your life with a mastiff dog, be prepared for drooling, snoring and wheezing. They take up a lot of room, even though they are not a very active breed. At the same time, they are loyal guardians who will keep you and your family from harm. Mastiffs rarely bark. If they find an intruder, they will “detain” him until help arrives or you give him the okay. Mastiffs really don’t need to be taught to guard they just fall into it naturally. If you have children, you couldn’t choose a better companion. Small children need to be watched just because of the sheer size of the dog, but your Mastiff will be gentle, patient and long-suffering.
Mastiffs tend to be shy around new people and will often sit quietly close by until introduced. They generally get along with other pets if they have been socialized well when young. If your new Mastiff hasn’t had this training as a puppy, you’ll have to either train them how to interact appropriately with other animals or make sure that your dog can’t be around other pets without close supervision.
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