The History Of English Mastiffs

By Nathan Lambert

   The English Mastiff breed of dogs is known for their large size. The weight of these dogs is usually in the hundreds of pounds. For example, the average weight of these dogs is 140 to 220 pounds. Their faces are generally very fatty and droopy, even for fit Mastiffs. The most common color of fur for these dogs is brown.

    The Mastiff's DNA has been tracked, and it was found that they originated in the British Isles. Sadly though, these animals went through a lot of suffering in Britain, since they were used as hunting dogs. They were required to have their toes amputated to where they hobbled so they could not catch the game.

I was unable to find the “English” origin of these dogs, but some of the earliest records are of the ancient Romans who were interested in bringing them back to Rome to be used in fights in the Colosseum.

They were bred to be big, bulky, and strong but also to be kind and docile. It was easy for children to play with these dogs without attacks like bites. Mastiffs were quoted by Sydenham Edwards as “What the Lion is to the Cat, the Mastiff is to the Dog”.