Books about bulldog breeds, other molossers and big breeds

Surveys the history of the different types of mastiffs, sharing a common lineage from the ancient Mastiff type, and developed with varying appearances and characteristics, but still sharing certain traits - most particularly their size, their strength, and their courage. The book explains the standards of the breed, and discusses training, nutrition, working dogs, dog shows, and health care. It features the expertise of some of the world's leading authorities on the Bullmastiff, the Mastiff, the Neapolitan Mastiff, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog, the Dogue de Bordeaux, the Mastin Espanol, the Mastin Pirenos, the Tibetan Mastiff and the Fila Brasiliero. more information

In this book Veterinarian Dan Rice discusses 40 breeds of big dogs, from the Great Danes, to the Irish Wolfhounds, St. Bernards, and many others. Big dogs come in a great variety of colors, appearances, and coat types, and have many different kinds of personality. The author advises on health problems related to size, discusses breeding idiosyncrasies, and gives expert information on special nutrition and feeding schedules for rapidly growing breeds. Each of these profiles includes a full-color photo of the dog that is being described. There is also detailed information on the traits, origins, and lineage of many large breeds, some of them dating back thousands of years in historical records. more information

This book brings a meaningful historical perspective to the subject of fighting dogs, one of the world's oldest canine groupings. These dogs and the purposes for which they were developed have been an endless source of fascination and intense study for several centuries. They have existed in some form and in numerous societies for thousands of years. A Complete History of Fighting Dogs details the dogs of war, and all the forms of baiting and fighting sports that were developed and the dogs that were used in them. Contains lots of historical and contemporary illustrations. more information

Pit Bulls and Tenacious Guard Dogs
by Carl Semencic
Hardcover. Publisher: Thomasson Grant & Howell (1991)
The author provides an explanation of what guard dogs are and provides his personal assessment of the following breeds, considered suitable as "effective home and personal guardian breeds" : Pit Bull, American Staffordshire Terrier, Akita, American Bulldog, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Bouvier des Flandres, Boxer, Bullmastiff, Bull Terrier, Canary Dog, Doberman Pinscher, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, German Shepherd Dog, Giant Schnauzer, Kuvasz, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Rottweiler, Spanish Mastiff, Tibetan Mastiff, Tosa. Breeds included in the book are all deemed potential "manstoppers," i.e., "a dog possessing both the temperament and physical ability to stop a human intruder by inflicting such serious bodily harm as to render further advance physically impossible." One may or may not agree with his selection of breeds for this book and debate whether some of the breeds described here really are natural guard dogs, but the breed descriptions are very straightforward about physical and behavioural characteristics of each of the breeds (with plenty of color photographs), and mentions suitability with children and availability of the breeds in the US. More information

The History of Fighting Dogs
by Dieter Fleig , William Charlton (Translator)
Hardcover: 141 pages
Publisher: TFH Publications; (December 1996)
Traces the history of the dog fights with different opponents, dogs against bulls and bears, monkeys, opossums, and donkeys, rats, or dog against dogs, and its effects on our dog breeds today.
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