The Dogue De Bordeaux is a large, powerful French mastiff, developed in France in the 14th century to pull carts, transport heavy objects and guard flocks.
This immensely strong dog, has a muscular and stocky body, a massive head (the largest in the canine world), flattened muzzle, undershot jaw, deeply furrowed brow and expressive eyes. Their coat is short and varies from shades of fawn to a rich mahogany colour. Dogues are typically well tempered and despite their powerful appearance, they have a loving and sweet personality. With early training and socialisation, they make good family pets who are loyal and protective of their human companions. However, their great strength makes them unsuitable for young children and the elderly. The breed is also known to be very stubborn. This, mixed with their natural strength, makes strict training crucial from a young age, including proper socialisation so they do not end up with potential aggression towards other dogs or strangers. Even with this in place, they do still have a tendency to dominate other pets and are best kept either on their own or with another Dogue. This breed isnt for everyone and is best suited to an experienced owner thats the ability to handle and exercise a strong dog.
History
The origins of the Dogue de Bordeaux are not entirely clear. It is likely that the original dog of this type existed in France as far back as the 14th Century and was used as a farm guard dog. Due to its strength and size, it was also used to pull carts and transport heavy goods. Sadly, it was also used in the fighting pits, often against bulls or bears.
