Once the mastiff reached the Roman Empire, they had already been bred to suit special purposes, the first step in the development of "breeds" within a species. The Romans had developed one breed that very closely resembles the Sennenhund or Swiss Mountain Dog of today (Hubbard). In fact, there were no prehistoric Swiss mastiffs, or doggen, prior to the last century BC (Raulston). The Romans took their mastiffs into Gaul, now known as France. Their mastiffs guarded the mountain passes where a few hundred years later the St. Bernard would be found.
Phoenicians traveling to Italy and on to Spain and France are thought to have carried these guarding dogs with them, perhaps selling them along with sheep and goats to herdsmen in those areas. By this time there were already reported differences in the ancient mastiffs. A number of sources available today refer to the early difference that developed between the white, longer muzzled, graceful "shepherd's" dog and the darker, heavier, dog used for protection and for war (Raulston). Both Strang and von Stephanitz report that Columella, a Roman writer, in about the year 60 AD in De Re Rustica describes two types of guard dogs: the white, swift sheep guarding dog or shepherd's dog and the dark colored, heavy farm guard dog. These early imports from Asia Minor to the Pyrenees were certainly of the first type and were the basis for the breed we now know as the Great Pyrenees.
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The Fiennes tell us that, while these early mastiffs may have been used initially for guarding, their courage and ferocity against predators also suited them for hunting bear and wolf, which existed in Britain in Saxon times. By the Middle Ages, some mastiffs had become butcher's dogs and then were bred for bull-baiting and dog-fighting. With each change in role, came physical changes to enable the dog to better perform in its new role.
In the meantime, throughout the mountainous regions and high plains stretching from Central Asia through Asia Minor and Eastern Europe into the Pyrenees of France, shepherds continued to use the white livestock guardian described before the time of Christ as the protectors of their herds. The descendants of those long-coated white dogs still exist as the Akbash Dog of Turkey, the Tatra of Poland, the Chuvatch of Czechoslovakia, the Kuvasz of Hungary, the Maremma of Italy, and the Great Pyrenees of France. Likewise, the dark colored livestock guardians are also still found in certain areas: the Shar Plainenetz of the former Jugoslavia, the Kangal Dog  of eastern Turkey, and the Tibetan Mastiff.

Mastiff blood with an introduction of the northern "spitz" type dog is thought to be the probable source of the rough-coated ovcharkas of Russia and the Komondor of Hungary, as well as the "bearded" herding dogs of Britain (Fiennes). The Bergamsco of Italy, rarely seen in this country, and the Bearded Collie of Britain are also probable members of this group. That northern native "spitz" type dog is also considered to be the ancestor of many of the Oriental breeds, some of which were crossed with mastiff breeds to produce dogs such as the Tosa Inu, the famed fighting dog of Japan, and the Dosa of Korea.

The descendants of the mastiff are alive and well in the New World, with many of the Old World breeds represented in our homes and show rings. A surprising number of dogs from the lesser known breeds, like the Akbash Dog, the Tatra, the Kangal Dog, the Maremma, serve in their ancient role as livestock guardians on North American farms and rangeland. There they are well-known as protectors of sheep and cattle from mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, wolf, and even the Grizzly bear. South America, likewise, has developed its own mastiffs, the Argentine Dogo and the Fila Brasileiro, breeds specifically designed for the South American ranches and plantations.

Today the descendants of the ancient mastiff are spread throughout the world and come in an amazing variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. However, most still share some of the physical characteristics which set them off from the other breed types thousands of years ago. Even more importantly, they are still known for their courage, their determination, and their watchful demeanor. The modern mastiffs still function as potentially ferocious protectors of man and his possessions.
In Spain, very near the homeland of the Great Pyrenees, the Spanish Mastiff developed. To the north, in Belgium, the feared tracker, St. Hubert's Hound, the ancestor of today's Bloodhound, was developed from the descendants of those fierce hunting dogs of prehistoric times.
The retrievers, like the Labrador and the Chesapeake, are thought also to trace to the ancient mastiffs. From the Alps, the mastiff is thought to have been adopted by the Germanic peoples and then to have traveled to Great Britain with Angles and Saxons. The Great Dane is known as the Deutsche Dogge (or German Mastiff) in most countries today. In Chaucer's day the Middle English words alaunt or alan and alano were also used to indicate early mastiffs. These words may have derived from the word Alani, the name of an Eastern race that lived before the time of Christ in what is now Albania (AKC) or they may have , in fact, been corruptions of the word Allemannni, the Germanic people who invaded France prior to the reign of Charlemagne.
Origins of the mastiff
(part 2)
back to part 1
All rights are reserved by the author, Tamara Taylor. 1997
Tamara Taylor, Turkmen Kangal Dogs, 3814 Lois Rd. E., Sanger, Texas USA 76266-3544. E-mail: Ttaylor7@gte.net Last revision: June, 1998.
Sources:
The American Kennel Club. The Complete Dog Book. 17th edition. N.Y.: Howell Book House, Inc., 1987.
Fiennes, Richard and Alice. The Natural History of Dogs. Garden City, N.Y.: The Natural History Press, 1970.
Hubbard, Clifford L.B. Working Dogs of the World. London: Sidgwick and Jackson Limited, 1947.
The Kangal Dog Club of America Homepage
Leighton, Robert. The New Book of the Dog. Vol. I, II. London: Cassell and Company, Limited, 1916.
Nelson, David and Judy. The Akbash Dog: A Turkish Breed for Home and Agriculture.Delaware, 1983.
Raulston, E. Georgean, ed. The New Complete Saint Bernard. N.Y.: Howell Book House, Inc., 1973.
Strang, Paul D. and James M. Giffen. The Complete Great Pyrenees. N.Y.: Howell Book House,Inc., 1981.
Von Stephanitz, Capt. Max. The German Shepherd Dog. 8th edition. Augsburg, Germany, 1950.


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Whether this story is true is doubtful. However, it does tell us the respect with which the ancient mastiff was regarded. These ancient mastiffs, whatever their origins and prey, are believed to have been the ancestors of the later war-dogs and sheepdogs for which ancient Epirus and Sparta were to become so famous. Molossia, a country in Epirus (located on what is now the Western coast of the Greek mainland), gave rise to the term "Molosser," which was the name given to the famous mastiffs of that region and which is still used to refer to members of the mastiff family.
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bulldog information
Molossers
These early mastiffs also contributed to French breeds like the Dogue de Bordeaux and quite possibly to the many breeds of hounds found in France. To the south, in Italy the Neapolitan Mastiff was born.
Related breeds
Dogue de Bordeaux
Alano Español
Bullmastiff
Mastino neapolitano
Dogo argentino
Broholmer
Ca de bou
Tosa inu
Rottweiler
Boerboel
Great dane
English bulldog
Boxer
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