Page 15 - ShowSight Presents - The Mastiff

HISTORY OF THE
ENGLISH MASTIFF
The breed now called the Mastiff in English speaking countries is more commonly known as the Old English
Mastiff. It is a giant shorthaired dog, with a heavy head and short muzzle which has been bred in England for over two thousand years as a watchdog. The term “mastiff” describes a group of giant varieties of dog rather than a single breed.
So far as the Mastiff is concerned, it has a longer history than most. Caesar
describes them in is account of invad- ing Britain in 55 BC, when they fought beside their masters against Roman legions with such courage and power as to make a great impression. Soon afterward there are several different accounts of the huge British fighting dogs brought back to Rome where they defeated all other varieties in combat at the Circus.
During the Anglo-Saxon times one Mastiff had to be kept for each two villains. By this means wolves and
other savage game were kept under control. The nobility also used them in hunting packs. It was as protectors of the home, however, that they were most used, and probably as a result of centuries of such service that the Mastiff has acquired unique traits as a family dog.
Anecdotes extolling the power and agility of Mastiffs as well as their devotion to their masters would fill a large volume of marvels. The story of St. Peers Legh, Knight of Lyme Hall at
by DIANE COLLINGS & TONI HYLAND
“THE TERM ‘MASTIFF’
DESCRIBES A GROUP OF GIANT VARIETIES OF DOG RATHER THAN A SINGLE BREED.”
English postcard picturing six Mastiffs from the famous English Kennel, Hellingly.
242 • SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2017