Mastiff (breed of dog)
| Mastiff | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| FCI Standard No. 264 | ||
|
||
| Origin : | ||
| Alternative names: |
Old English Mastiff |
|
| Withers height: |
not fixed |
|
| Weight: |
not fixed |
|
| Breeding standards: | ||
| List of domestic dogs | ||
The Mastiff is a British breed of dog recognized by the FCI ( Group 2, Section 2.1, Standard No. 264 ). There are a number of other breeds, particularly Molossians , whose name includes Mastiffs .
Origin and history
The historic mastiff is the ancestor of many of today's dog breeds, such as the Great Dane , the boxer or the bulldog . In the past, “mastiff” or “English mastiff” were the names of massive dogs from Britain, broad-mouthed dogs with wrinkled foreheads, which were also known to the Romans.
The exact origin of this type of dog cannot be found out. Older authors in particular take the Tibetan mastiff or Tibetan mastiff as the progenitor (Shaw, 1891; Dalziel, 1889; Beckmann, 1894), others see the old English mastiff as an autochthonous original breed (Franz, 1781; Walther, 1817; Studer, 1901) or consider a crossing of Tibetan dogs with Britannian dogs possible (Albrecht, 1903). According to more recent findings, the connection to the Tibetan mastiffs is unlikely, as there is no connection to the Tibetan populations. According to another theory , the historical mastiff is a descendant of the Molossian from Macedonia and Epirus , who came to England on merchant ships from Tire and Sidon .
The name first appears in Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York , (1341-1402) in his treatise for Henry IV called The Master of the Game and of Hawks. as Maystif . When it comes to the origin of the name, the Low German mast-teve (heavy, clumsy dog) and the Latin mixtivus " half- breed" come into consideration. In 1991, another interpretation was added: The Belgian shepherd dog specialist Prof. Reul wants to derive English mastiff from Latin mastinus "domestic, tame".
The first clear evidence that mastiffs were used and bred as war dogs comes from the late Middle Ages . For example, in the Battle of Azincourt (1415), the English nobleman Sir Percy Legh was badly wounded on the battlefield and protected from the enemy attackers by one of his English mastiffs. When the nobleman still died, they took his body and the surviving dog to England, where his family received as thanks for their loyalty the race and in 1435 in Lyme Hall with the offspring began (Arnold, 1939; Vocke, 1996 b). These dogs were soon used very successfully as hunting, war and guard dogs.
“A true English blood mastiff loved fighting more than food. You could see his fame in his limping step, scars from battle for honor marked his face; a scratch on every limb, the frequent fights have shortened his ears! (SHAW, 1891) " "
Strength and endurance in connection with his physique established the good suitability of the mastiff in the hunt for bears , bulls and especially wild boars . The boar was initially able to move freely and defend itself, but then until well into the twentieth century one began to tie a boar to a pole so that it could be bitten to death by three or four dogs. The dogs themselves continued every fight and could not be forced to stop even if they were seriously wounded. (Aldrvandus, 1637; Fitzinger, 1876)
The first documented report of a fight between a bear and six “bear dogs” dates back to 1050 AD. To the general amusement of the English nobility , wild bears were caught alive with traps and used to fight the mastiffs.
In the vicinity of London in the 16th century specially created arenas , so-called "bear gardens", were created for the animal fighting forms of bear and bull baiting , in which bulls, bears or other predators were kept for animal fights. The English Queen Elizabeth I and James I were great supporters of such animal fights. James I even kept a large number of bears and lions in the Tower of London , which he bred there together with "bear dogs". (Fleig, 1981 a; Fraser, 1990; Fleig, 1994; Wilcox and Walkowic, 1995; Frinkes, 1996 b) The mastiff-like dogs bred for this purpose were similar to the bull or bear biters known in the Netherlands and Germany .
The start of pure breeding took place in England in 1820, according to other sources in 1835. There was not so much agreement about the appearance, especially about the color controversy . In 1872 a mastiff club was founded and smooth-haired St. Bernard dogs were crossed to refresh their blood . So that these crossbreeds could not simply be dismissed as bastards , the St. Bernard Club simply declared them Alpine mastiffs .
description
The mastiff is a big, massive dog, but well-proportioned. The chest is wide and deep, the body with plastic muscles. In the breed standards of the FCI or KC neither weight nor height is specified. As a rule, males have a height at the withers from 80 cm, bitches from 70 cm.
The FCI stipulates in its breed description that weight and size should be "in the right proportion" to each other and that the dogs should be large and massive.
The skull is wide between the ears, the forehead is flat but wrinkled. Lips at an obtuse angle starting from the nasal septum, hanging slightly so that a square profile is created. The muzzle, nose and ears should have a dark color, the so-called mask. The ears hang, set on at the highest point on either side of the skull. The hair is short, close-fitting, not too fine, the colors apricot, fawn (sand-colored) and brindle are permitted.
Essence
The mastiff is one of the largest breeds of dogs. Due to its size, the mastiff looks awesome, but it is a calm, good-natured dog with a very balanced temperament. He behaves in a wait-and-see manner and cautiously towards new situations. With careful observation he wrinkles his broad forehead.
The mastiff is one of the dog breeds with a very high stimulus threshold , which means that it reacts to stimuli that other dogs can already cause aggression without being excited. Only when its human social partners are threatened will the mastiff try to keep the danger away from them by confronting the aggressor, but not attacking him. When the danger is over, he shows his usual calm.
In his country of origin, England, he is kept as a guardian of large estates. In Germany the breed is only represented in small numbers. The mastiff loves his family and needs contact with his people. He can be brought up well with appropriate care.
Racial Issues
Like many molossoid dogs, the mastiff has a high stimulus threshold and must never show an increased willingness to be aggressive (see also KC, OEMCD, VDH breeding guidelines). Because of its size and massive jaws, the breed is on a list of problematic dog breeds in Germany in some federal states .
In Austria , the mastiff is on the breed list in two of the three list-leading federal states ( Vienna and Vorarlberg ). Depending on the federal state, a dog driver's license (Vienna) or a special permit from the mayor (Vorarlberg) is required.
In Switzerland, six of the thirteen cantons have racial lists on their lists; in these cantons, approval is required. Keeping, breeding and importation are prohibited in the cantons of Geneva and Valais .
literature
- Marie Antoinette Moore: The Mastiff . Denlinger's Publishers, Fairfax 1978, ISBN 0-87714-059-6 .
- Douglas Oliff (Ed.): The ultimate book of mastiff breeds. Howell Book House, New York NY 1999, ISBN 1-58245-080-3 (In German: Das große Molosser Buch. Kynos-Verlag, Mürlenbach 1999, ISBN 3-933228-07-7 ).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Great Dane / Mastiff, Britain's dogs in Roman times. In: Hans Räber : Encyclopedia of Purebred Dogs. Origin, history, breeding goals, suitability and use. Volume 1: Farmers, shepherds and cattle dogs, shepherds, mastiff-like dogs, pinscher-like dogs, spitz-like dogs, Nordic dogs, Schensi dogs, dwarf dogs, poodles, Dalmatians. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-440-06555-3 , p. 388.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Andrea Steinfeldt: "Kampfhunde". History, use, husbandry problems of "bull races" - a literature study. (PDF; 6.2 MB) Hannover 2002, dissertation, p. 42 ff.
- ^ Farm dogs / do Kyi, Poetry and Truth. Hans Räber: Encyclopedia of pedigree dogs. Origin, history, breeding goals, suitability and use. Volume 1, Stuttgart 1993, p. 83 ff.
- ↑ a b Great Danes / Mastiff. The name. In: Hans Räber: Encyclopedia of Purebred Dogs. Origin, history, breeding goals, suitability and use. Volume 1, Stuttgart 1993, p. 389.
- ↑ Great Dane / Mastiff, beginning of pure breeding. In: Hans Räber: Encyclopedia of Purebred Dogs. Origin, history, breeding goals, suitability and use. Volume 1, Stuttgart 1993, p. 392.
- ^ The Kennel Club Standard Mastiff
- ↑ Information page of the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria: keeping fighting dogs (accessed on October 28, 2015)