| Breeds : The Working Dogs |
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The Bullmastiff |
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As the name suggests this breed was developed by crossing the Bulldog and the Mastiff. The Bullmastiff looks quite similar to the Mastiff except that it has less wrinkled skin on the face, the lips are not as drooping, the ears and tail are set higher up, and it stand slightly shorter than the Mastiff.
The Bullmastiff is a calm, obediant, strong and courageous breed. A well-trained Bullmastiff serves well as a guard dog and is an affectionate companion.
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The Mastiff |
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The Mastiff is one of the oldest breeds belonging to Europe. They were
originally used for hunting large game and also played an important role as
warriors during battle.
A standard for this breed was established in 1883.
The Mastiff is a large, heavy and strong breed. Typical characteristics of this breed constitute of loose and wrinkled skin on the head and the face, a short muzzle and the drooping lips. It is a friendly and calm breed but if provoked, it can be very dangerous.
It is a good breed to have as a pet but remember to keep strangers at bay.
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The Rottweiler |
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The breed was developed in Germany and used for guarding and herding purposes. In the early 1900's the German Police realised the outstanding capabilities of the breed and used them as trackers.
The Rottweiler is strong, calm and extremely agile. It usually attacks
without warning. They are very dominant and require careful handling when
agitated. They are not suitable pets for everybody.
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The Saint Bernard |
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The Saint Bernard aquired its name from the monastery of the Great Saint Bernard Pass in the Alps. The dogs were kept in the monastery and used as rescue dogs to track people that had either lost their way or were injured in snowstorms.
The Saint Bernard is popular as pet since it is a friendly, quiet and strong breed. They also have an excellent nose making them an efficient tracker & watchdog.
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Dogue de Bordeaux |

The
Dogue de Bordeaux is a very powerful dog, with a very muscular body, yet
retaining a harmonious general outline. Stocky, athletic, imposing, he has a
very dissuasive aspect. An excellent family pet, he guards what is his, even his
owner. He will bond to his family and feel separation is a form of punishment.
The
Dogue is one of the oldest French Breeds. Its actual origins are obscure but it
probably descended from one of the strains of Mastiff type dogs that accompanied
Macedonian and Roman armies through Asia, Europe and Britain. They were used as
guardian dogs for protecting homes, butcher shops and vineyards, as well as pack
hunting dogs that baited bulls and pursued boards, bears and jaguars. The breed
narrowly missed extinction during the two world wars but enjoyed resurgence in
the 1960’s. Sometime in the early 1980’s the first Dogue was imported to the
United States. The breed is now used today almost exclusively as a companion and
house guardian.