Dogue De Bordeaux/French Mastiff Puppies for Sale

Country of Origin:

France

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Breed Characteristics

Average Size: Giant

Average Lifespan: 5-8 years

Kid/Pet Friendly: Sometimes

Registry: aca,akc

Activity Level: moderate

Shedding Level: moderate

Grooming Level: moderate

Trainability: moderate

Good For Novice Owners: low

Adaptability: moderate

Prey Drive: high

Watchdog: very alert

Breed Information

Overview

Shoulder height: 23 - 30 inches. Weight: 120 - 145 pounds.

The Dogue de Bordeaux, also often called the French Mastiff, is an ancient dog breed. One of the facts about French Mastiffs is that their origins stretch so far back that the exact origins are mostly theory instead of fact. What is known is that they originated in the area that is now France, which was called Gaul at the time.

One theory is that this dog breed was indigenous to the area and was developed over thousands of years. Other theories are that they are descendants of another mastiff breed or are descended from the mastiff-type Roman war dogs.

The prevailing theory is that mastiff-type war dogs were brought into the area when the Romans invaded during the first century B.C. These conquering legions would have been Julius Caesar’s and brought these immense war dogs with them. Over the years, these war dogs bred with local dogs to create the “Bordeaux Mastiff” or the “Bordeaux Bulldog”.

They were originally used as fighting dogs and war dogs, similar to their ancestors. Throughout history, they instead began to be used as guardians, drafters, and hunters. During the late 1700s, the Dogue de Bordeaux guarded vast noble estates.

Although the French Revolution removed their aristocratic masters, the dog breed survived by working as a livestock guardian and drover. During this time, they were often called the “Butcher’s Dog” because of their work protecting and driving livestock.

Knowledge of the Dogue de Bordeaux was mostly contained in France, even in modern times. It wasn’t until the release of the Turner & Hooch movie in 1989 that the rest of the world discovered the breed. From there, people fell in love with the now famous dog, Hooch; the drooling, lovable, and stubborn French Mastiff that co-starred with Tom Hanks.

This dog breed has been recorded in the AKC Foundation Stock Service since 1996. The American Kennel Club fully recognized the Dogue de Bordeaux in 2008 as a member of the Working Group. Although this dog breed can still be found on farms or working as therapy or search and rescue dogs, they are more commonly found as a beloved family pet.

Temperament

The Dogue de Bordeaux may be a giant dog, but they are sensitive souls with a sweet disposition. They are loyal and devoted to their families and are loving and affectionate with them. Plus, they get along fantastically with children. They tend to have a high prey drive. Also, their protective instinct, guardian background, and territorial tendencies mean they are naturally suspicious of strange dogs and people they don’t know. As such, socialization and training early and often are important. A well-socialized and well-trained French Mastiff may still be wary of strangers, but will warm up once they’ve been introduced. On the other hand, poorly socialized or trained dogs can react to new situations and people with aggression. Fear, poor training, and poor socialization are some of the most common causes of aggression in dogs. This is true for any dog breed and particularly so for dogs with protective and territorial instincts, which only make good socialization and training even more important.

Did You Know?

Although this dog breed is most commonly known as a Dogue de Bordeaux or French Mastiff, they are also sometimes called a Bordeaux Mastiff or Bordeaux Bulldog. There also used to be two varieties of this dog breed - the Dogue, which is the larger version we know today, and the Doguin, which was considerably smaller. The Doguin faded out of existence long ago, disappearing from historical records after the 1700s, and exists now only as a mention in the modern Dogue de Bordeaux’s breed history.