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The Mastiff is a large breed of dog of the general mastiff or Molosser type.
Tibetan
Mastiff, an ancient breed of dog originating in Tibet.
Appearance: This breed is powerfully
built, with a massive body, broad skull and head of generally
square appearance. The size should be very large, but it must
be balanced by soundness. The body is massive with great
breadth, especially between the forelegs, causing these to be
set wide apart. While no height or weight is specified for
this breed, the approximate height is 25.5 to 30 inches (70 to
76 cm) and weight 175 to 190 lb (79 to 86 kg). The short coat
is close-lying and the colour is apricot-fawn, silver-fawn,
fawn, or dark fawn-brindle, always with black on the muzzle,
ears, and nose and around the eyes.
Guinness Book of World Records recognizes a mastiff from
England named Zorba as the heaviest dog in the world, at over
343 lb (155 kg). Zorba stood 37 inches (94 cm) at the shoulder
and was 8 feet 3 inches (251 cm) from the tip of his nose to
the tip of his tail. Zorba set this record in November 1989,
when he was 8 years old.
Temperament: The Mastiff breed is a combination of
grandeur, dignity, and courage; calm and affectionate to its
master, but capable of guarding. The breed is innately good
natured, calm, easygoing, and surprisingly gentle. It is a
well-mannered house pet but needs sufficient room to stretch
out.
This is an extremely loyal breed and, though not
excessively demonstrative, it is devoted to its family and
good with children. However, it can be very protective of its
owners and must be handled sensibly, since it is exceptionally
powerful and can be difficult to control. When an
"unrecognisable" visitor enters the home, the
Mastiff will usually place itself between its master and the
visitor until their master has recognized the visitor in a way
that appears to be compassionate or friendly.
Health: This is a particularly large dog demanding
suitably 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 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, Britain passed legislation making baiting illegal.
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 risen
in popularity.
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