The Dogue de Bordeaux or simply called Dogue, is one of the most massive-sized dogs in the world and is one of the most ancient, too. Hailing from France and also named as French Mastiff, one can’t help but be in awe with this dog’s unbelievable size and compact muscled body. True to its form, the Dogue is indeed powerful, strong and magnificent.

As early as 14th century, this breed has been flourishing in the region of Bordeaux, France as a prized hunter, herder and guard of families and properties. Its powerful and hard body and unsurpassed intellect has been used to carry heavy loads, pull product-filled carts and fight enemies with the French army. Additionally, another job that adds to this breed’s resume is bull baiting wherein bulls, jaguars and grizzlies are pitted against it and the winner can only be declared if either one is too exhausted to fight or is dead.

The Dogue is often the companion of wealthy families and is used as a vineyard and mansion guard. The poor masses have the French Mastiff for a companion as well but it is not as highly regarded compared to the mastiff of the rich ones. However, when the French Revolution hit the region, the wealthy families and their pets crumbled but not the poor people and their Dogues.

The strong and champion Dogues of today are said to have come from the survivor breed of the poor people. The French Mastiff is well-known for its unswerving devotion and loyalty to its master and curiously, this has angered Hitler. His dislike for the French Mastiff led to the execution of many of this breed during World War I.

Theories suggest that the Dogue de Bordeaux either descended from the Tibetan Mastiff or the Greek Molasser that accompanied the Greeks in their quest across Europe. There are speculations too that before, the Dogue de Bordeaux has two varieties namely the Dogue and the Doguin. The Dougin is said to have wilted away in to history and that the Dogue was the only type left to continue the bloodline.

There are also many dog breeds today that originated from the Dogue de Bordeaux and these breeds were particularly bred for bull baiting purposes. The Bullmastiff and the Bulldog are only two of the modern breeds that have been proven to be descendants of the Dogue. Indeed, tracing back the history of these pseudo-Dogues, you will realize that breeders were trying to create a smaller version of the giant French Mastiff but at the same time still very powerful in crushing the bulls and bears.

The Dogue de Bordeaux of the present have been carefully bred to possess a calmer and non-aggressive temperament, very far from their bull baiting days temperament. Today, this breed is still a loyal companion, a vigilant guard dog and an ever reliable family pet. You would never expect it for its size but this French breed has the tendency to be very attached with the family that owns it and it is very affectionate towards them, too.

The Dogue is often compared to the English Mastiff but the latter is often measured in length while the Dogue is measured in width and muscle composition. For the male Dogue, the minimum weight is 110 lbs while for the female Dogue, the minimum weight is 99 lbs. The coats should be in light red to deep ultra red with occasional markings of black, brown or red mask.