largest dog breed in the world
The English mastiff, often called simply mastiff, is considered the largest breed of dog in the world. According to the Guinness Book of World Record, Zorba, an English mastiff, went down in history as the heaviest and largest dog ever in 1989 with a weight of 343lbs and measure over 8 feet from nose to tail. Many said that it resembled a little donkey.
History of the mastiff
The mastiff has a long and sadistic history of its association with humans which dates back to the ancient times. Millions of years ago, giant dog-like beasts inhabited the earth’s surface. They were known as Molossus or simply dogs. Age old images of dogs like these can be seen on Babylonian relics dating back to 2200 BC. By then these dogs were already used for war purposes. Sculptures from ancient Assyria also show mastiff-like drawings from about 650 BC.
How this breed came into existence is rather debatable. But one thing is for sure that the mastiffs’ ancestors hailed from Central Asia. They were introduced in Britain by the Phoenician traders around 500 BC. The British were highly impressed with the dog’s size and its brutal strength. The mastiff gradually naturalized in England. The English people involved the mastiffs into animal fight often, as a result of which, many mastiffs lost their lives. The mastiffs were popular with the Romans as well who trained them as war dogs. The mastiff is supposed to have been Julius Caesar’s favorite dog.
The mastiff in England
Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, the mastiffs began to fade away from the English soil. A bunch of dog-lovers started recreating the mastiff by mixing blood from shorthaired St. Bernhards. This yielded good results. Right before the Second World War, the mastiff became a common species of dog to be spotted again on the English soil. Dog shows with high quality mastiffs became a common feature all over England. However, soon after the war, the mastiffs almost faded into oblivion. In October 1946, fifteen mastiff enthusiasts held a meeting in London about the revival of the dog. Their attempts did not yield any success. In 1948, two promising mastiff puppies were brought to Britain from the United States of America. These two individuals revived the mastiff in England by the second half of the twentieth century. In 1949 there were fifteen mastiffs in the country which rose to fifty by 1950. The English mastiff was thus saved!
Physical Appearance
With a huge body, broad skull and a square like head, the English Mastiff is one of the largest dog breeds in the world in terms of mass. The standard height for this breed is 30 inches at the shoulder for males and 27.5 inches at the shoulder for females. A male mastiff weighs somewhere between 68-110 kilograms and a female’s weight ranges from 54-91 kilograms. The coat color varies from fawn or apricot to golden yellow. Apricot may have a reddish hue sometime and a black mask is visible in all the cases.
Mastiff temperament
The mastiff is an agreeable, laid back dog, commonly known as the ‘gentle-giant’. It is loyal, confident and courageous. It is rather calm and dignified and rarely barks. However it drools excessively and snores loudly. A mastiff is essentially patient with children. It is possessive about its owner and makes an excellent guard-dog. It keeps intruders at bay with its large size. It refuses strangers to enter the house unless the owner accepts them. If properly trained, a mastiff can gel well with other dogs as well.
Mastiff maintenance
Mastiff as pet is easy to maintain. It has a smooth shorthaired coat and is an average shedder. It requires minimal grooming. Brushing and wiping with a towel once in a week is enough. Bathe with a shampoo when required. A mastiff tends to be lazy when indoors .However it remains active when given proper exercise, which comprises a good walk or a game. A temperate and cool weather is suitable for the mastiff. Training should be loving yet strict to prevent it from becoming spoilt. Moreover contrary to its size, a mastiff eats less. The average life span of a mastiff is 9 to 11 years.
So if you are looking for a dog which can be domesticated and at the same time act as a ‘guard’, mastiff surely is the best option for you.