Mastiff facts for kids

A Mastiff

Dogue de Bordeaux, one of mastiff breeds

Mastiff type means a large molosser dog. The term "mastiff type" has been used synonymously with the term "molosser". For example, the bulldog breeds, the Great Dane, mountain dogs, pit bulls and even smaller dogs such as the Boston terrier, may be considered "mastiff types" in this broad sense. The descriptive term, mastiff type, should not be confused with the breed, the English mastiff that is commonly referred to as the Mastiff.

List of mastiff breeds

List of extant breeds

Breed	Alternate name(s)	Country of origin	Use	Image
Aksaray Malaklisi	Turkish mastiff & Central Anatolian shepherd	Turkey	Guard dog & livestock guardian
Alano Español	Spanish Alano & Spanish Bulldog	Spain	Bull baiting & big game hunting
American Mastiff	---	United States	---	---
Bandog	---	---	---
Boerboel	South African Mastiff	South Africa	Guard dog
Boxer	German Boxer & Deutscher Boxer	Germany	Big game hunting
Broholmer	Danish Broholmer & Danish Mastiff	Denmark	Guard dog
Bulldog	British Bulldog & English Bulldog	England	Bull-baiting
Bulldog Campeiro	---	Brazil	---	---
Bullmastiff	---	England	Guard dog
Ca de Bou	Perro de Presa Mallorquin, Majorca Mastiff, Mallorquin Mastiff, Mallorquin p, Perro Dogo, Presa Canario Mallorquin, Majorca Mastiff, Majorcan Bulldog & Silverback Mastiff	Spain	Bull baiting
Cane Corso	Italian Mastiff, Italian Corso Dog, Italian Corso & Cane Corso Italiano	Italy	Catch dog & guard dog
Cane da presa	---	Italy	---
Cão Fila de São Miguel	São Miguel Cattle Dog, Chien Fila de San Miguel, Saint Miguel Cattle Dog, Azores Cattle Dog & Azores Cow Dog	Portugal	Herding dog
Cimarrón Uruguayo	Cimarron, Uruguayan Cimarron, Cimarron Creole, Maroon Dog, Cerro Largo Dog, Perro Cimarron & Cimarron Dog	Uruguay	Guard dog
Dogo Argentino	Argentine Dogo & Argentine Mastiff	Argentina	Big game hunting & guard dog
Dogue de Bordeaux	Bordeaux Mastiff, French Mastiff & Bordeauxdog	France	Guard dog
English Mastiff	Mastiff Old English & Mastiff	England	Guard dog
Fila Brasileiro	Brazilian Mastiff & Cão de fila brasileiro	Brazil	Guard dog, livestock guardian & tracking dog
Gaddi Kutta	Indian Leopardhound, Indian Panther Hound & Mahidant Mastiff	India	Big game hunting & livestock guardian	---
Gran Mastín de Borínquen	Puerto Rican Mastiff, Mastín Borincano, Becerillo de Borinquen & Perro Barsino de Hacienda	Puerto Rico	Guard dog & hunting dog	---
Great Dane	Deutsche Dogge & German Mastiff	Germany	Big game hunting
Guatemalan Dogo	Dogo Guatemalteco, Guatemalan Bull Terrier & Bullterrier Guatemalteco	Guatemala	Guard dog
Korean Mastiff	---	Korea	---	---
Neapolitan Mastiff	Mastino, Mastino Napoletano, Italian Molosso & Can'e presa	Italy	Guard dog
Olde English Bulldogge	---	United States	Recreation of extinct Old English Bulldog
Perro de Presa Canario	Canary Mastiff, Canary Catch Dog, Canarian Molosser, Presa Canario & Dogo Canario	Canary Islands	Guard dog, catch dog & dog fighting
Rottweiler	---	Germany	Guard dog, herding dog, draft dog & police dog
Shar Pei	Cantonese Shar-Pei	China	Big game hunting dog fighting
Terceira Mastiff	Fila da Terceira & Cão de Fila da Terceira	Portugal	---
Tosa	Tosa Inu, Tosa Ken, Tosa Tōken, Japanese Fighting Dog, Japanese Mastiff, Tosa Fighting Dog & Japanese Tosa	Japan	Dog fighting

List of extinct breeds

Breed	Alternate name(s)	Country or region of origin	Era	Use	Image
Alaunt	Alaunt de Boucherie	Central Asia & Europe	Classical antiquity & Middle Ages	Hunting, guard dogs & dog fighting
Alpine Mastiff	Cane Garouf, Patua	Alps	Classical antiquity to 19th century	guarding
Bullenbeisser	German Bulldog	Germany	Extinct by World War II	Bull baiting & bear baiting
Dogo Cubano	Cuban Mastiff, Cuban Dogo & Cuban Dogge	Cuba	16th to late 19th century	Recapture of runaway slaves
Molossus	---	Southern Europe	Classical antiquity	War dogs, hunting, guard dogs & dog fighting
Old English Bulldog	---	Great Britain & Ireland	17th to 19th centuries	Bull baiting & dog fighting

Genetic relationship

The dog genome indicates that the mastiffs and molossers are genetically closely related.

Semantic overlap with other terms

As to the extent that foreign loanwords from the English word "dog" (such as "Dogo" or "Dogge") may be translated as "Mastiffs", molosser breeds such as the Dogo Argentino,Dogo tyson and Dogo Canario may also be considered "Mastiffs". However, these terms may refer not only to breeds called "Mastiffs" in English, but also to Bulldogs and pit bulls. In addition, historical records of the development of these breeds shows that they have not only Mastiff and other molosser ancestry, but also dogs from several other branches, including sighthounds, terriers, and scenthounds.

Images for kids

• 

  The Mastiff by Philip Reinagle, 1805

See also

In Spanish: Mastín para niños