Country/Date of Origin:
Great Britain/100 BC
Standard bearer of the family
of dogs that share its shape and
phlegmatic nature, the Mastiff
is one of the oldest breeds of
dogs. Its ancestors were brought
to Britain by the Roman
invaders. They in turn got the
dogs from Egyptians who in turn
got them from Babylonians and
Assyrians. The recorded history
of the giant molossus dog goes
back to the beginnings of
recorded history. It was a war
dog and a guard animal and even
a dispatcher of big game. Today,
it has a much softer temperament
although it retains a lot of its
natural guarding instincts. The
Mastiff is one of the original
breeds exhibited and registered
in the American Kennel Club.
