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Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Dog Breed Introduction
Dogue de Bordeaux ( also known as French Mastiff, Bordeauxdog, or Bordeaux Mastiff) is a large dog breed of Mastiff type that originated in France. French Mastiffs are popular for their large heads, black or red masks, and pitched nostrils. This pooch is claimed to have the largest head in the canine world, in proportion to the rest of the body. Despite having a low barring, stocky, and strong exterior, French Mastiffs have a sweet and loving personality. These dogs are happy when lounging around the house and spending lots of time with their human family.
French Mastiffs are also very much protective of their families. However, like other mastiffs, they tend to have a strong personality and can be very stubborn. When this is combined with their natural strength, it makes firm training crucial from an early age especially proper socialization to prevent potential aggression towards strangers or other dogs.
Dogue De Bordeaux History
A French Mastiff is an ancient breed that was known in France as early as the 14th century. The history of this dog stretches back into the ancient times that pinpointing its precise origin has proven to be difficult. One of the theory believes the Tibetan Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Mastiff, and Greek mastiff-types as possible close ancestors. Although, there is a theory that maintains the French Mastiff is an indigenous breed developed in French over thousands of years.
One of the appealing origin tale believes that the ancestors of French Mastiffs were introduced in France by the conquering legions of Julius Caesar during the first century b.c. The large-sized mastiff-types were used by the Romans as both ferocious gladiators and war dogs that battled with other dogs and wild beasts in the arena. Initially, French Mastiffs had two size varieties Doguin ( smaller variety) and Dogue( larger variety). However, the smaller version became extinct during the 17th century leaving the larger variety.
During the long history of the French Mastiff, they outlived their role as fighting dogs and came to be employed as guarders, drafters, and hunters. However, their role as guard dogs ended with French Revolution. Fortunately, the breed survived the killings and found work as livestock drovers. This role earned them the name, ” Butcher’s Dog”. The popularity of French Mastiff sky rocket around the world after the release of the film, Turner & Hooch, a movie starring a Stubborn, drooling, but lovable French Mastiff in 1989.
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Lifespan
The average lifespan of a French Mastiff is 5 to 8 years.
Dogue De Bordeaux Grooming
A French Mastiff has a short, fine, and soft coat that sheds all-year round at moderate levels. Weekly brushing of the coat using a rubber curry brush or shedding blade will help to remove dirt and lose hair. Regular brushing confines the loose hair in the brush keeping the dead hair that falls to the floor to a minimum. The jowls and wrinkles on the face should be wiped on a daily basis to ensure they are kept clean and dry to avoid infections.
French Mastiffs need a bath every 4 weeks or so using a hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner to moisturize the coat. After bathing your pet, thoroughly rinse off the grooming products from the coat to prevent skin irritation.
Trim the nails every 3 to 5 weeks if they do not get worn out naturally using nail clippers to prevent cracking, splitting, and overgrowth. Brush the teeth of a French Mastiff at least twice a week if not daily using a dog formulated toothpaste and toothbrush. Clean the ears on a weekly basis using an ear cleanser solution and cotton balls to remove excess wax, debris, or dirt. Always check out for signs of ear infection such as redness, odor, and a dark discharge while cleaning the ears.
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Shedding
A French Mastiff sheds all-year round at moderate levels. Weekly brushing is recommended using a rubber curry brush to keep shedding at a minimum.
Dogue De Bordeaux Coat
A French Mastiff has a has a short, fine, and smooth coat.
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Hypoallergenic
French Mastiffs are not hypoallergenic dogs. They are not suitable for people who suffer from dog allergies. French Mastiffs have a moulting coat that sheds all-year round at moderate levels. Shedding allows dander and fur to spread around the house triggering allergies. A French Mastiff also has large jowls that makes it to drool excessively. Drooling spreads saliva on the surface and walls. Dog’s saliva, mucus, and urine have a protein allergen that aggravates allergies.
French Mastiff Training | Dogue De Bordeaux Training
A French Mastiff much like other mastiff breeds, can be independent and very stubborn. When this traits are combined with their natural strength, it makes a firm and gentle training crucial from an early age. French Mastiffs are protective of their families hence wary of strangers. This makes socialization training a must do from an early age so that the dog learns to differentiate between a foe and a friend. Improper socialization can result to a dog that is either too aggressive or too fearful of others which will result to defensive attacks.
A well-socialized French Mastiff will not end up with potential aggression towards strangers or other dogs. Socialization training starts from the age of 3 weeks while the pup is with the breeder until the age of 16 weeks after the puppy has already settled in its new home. Therefore, it is crucial to get a French Mastiff pup from a responsible breeder who will prove he or she has started to socialize the puppies. Normally, puppies leave for their new homes from the age of 8 weeks.
To properly socialize a French Mastiff, expose it a wide variety of people i.e. people who wear sunglasses, hats, ties, umbrellas, perfumes, umbrellas, and people of different races. Each of this experience will offer new socialization opportunities for your dog. During this period, pet owners should ensure that the puppies get much socialization through contact with people. Apart from people, a French Mastiff must be exposed to different animals, places, surfaces, sight, experiences, smell, and sounds such as sirens, baby crying sounds, whistles, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, and washing machines.
Enrolling a French Mastiff in a puppy class also serves as a form of socialization. These classes deliberately create a controlled environment where puppies get to interact. Puppy classes enables the pet parents to not only identify and correct bad habits such as resource guarding but also have access to training information and assistance. Parents are cautioned against allowing a Dogue to become the family pack leader. This is because it will be hard to manage such a dominant dog in such a scenario.
To set up a pet for a successful training, the pet parents must identify themselves as pack leaders. Naturally, dogs love to be associated with a social group and thrive where a hierarchy order has been established. Therefore, the French Mastiff should not be allowed to dominate the owners. This is because if the dog aggression is left unchallenged, it gets worse with time and may result in people getting bitten. Early training is really recommended before the dog becomes inclined towards bad behaviors.
Make use of positive training methods such as treats, toys, play time, verbal praise, and petting to encourage positive behaviors. French Mastiffs are sensitive breeds that don’t respond well to harsh correction methods such as the use of choke or prong collars, shoving, kicking, beating, and yelling. Keep the training sessions short, fun, and challenging for a span of 5 minutes distributed throughout the day to avoid boredom and distraction. French Mastiffs are brachycephalic animals that may be intolerant of heat while training or exercising.
Start teaching basic command words such as come, sit, stay, heel, lie down, leave it, wait, etc. one at a time until the pooch is well-acquainted before proceeding to the next command word. Avoid issuing a command word while too excited or frustrated since it does not sound the same for your pet. Effectively housebreak a French Mastiff by creating a feeding schedule, potty training, and crate training. A crate is an indispensable tool when house training. It allows the pet parent to monitor the pup for signs that it wants to eliminate such as sniffing, whining, circling, squatting, restlessness, and lifting a leg against the crate wall.
To get positive outcomes when potty training, take a French Mastiff to the designated toilet area immediately it wakes up, 20 minutes after meals and drinks, every 2 to 3 hours, following an exciting activity such as car ride and playtime, and before bedtime. The bladder and bowel muscles of a puppy strengthens as the puppy matures. Therefore, after the age of 8 months, a French Mastiff should go for potty breaks every 6 to 8 hours.
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Temperament
- Protective.
- Well-tempered.
- Cautious of strangers.
- Calm indoors.
- Affectionate towards family members.
- Independent.
- Stubborn.
- Loving.
- Gentle.
- Alert.
- Courageous.
- Devoted.
Dogue De Bordeaux Exercise
The young French Mastiff should be limited to low impact exercise until the growth plates close at the age of 18 months. Puppies should not be allowed to jump off of surfaces higher than their back or run up and down stairs. Although, swimming is an excellent exercise for a French Mastiff of any age. Mature French mastiffs can work more strenuous exercise and jobs including pulling carts.
Dogue de Bordeaux Barking
A French Mastiff is not a vocal breed. However, it always watches closely through the window ready to bark and alert at a sign of danger.
French Mastiff Height
A female French mastiff has a height of 23 to 26 inches ( approx. 58 to 66 cm ) while their male counterpart has a height of 24 to 27 inches ( approx. 61 to 69 cm ).
French Mastiff | Dogue De Bordeaux Weight
A male French Mastiff should have a weight of at least 110 pounds ( approx. 50 kg ) while its female counterpart should have at least a weight of 99 pounds ( approx. 45 kg ).
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Size
A French mastiff is a large-sized guard dog. However, male French mastiffs are slightly bigger as compared to female French mastiffs in terms of height and weight. A Male French Mastiff has a height of 24 to 27 inches ( approx. 61 to 69 cm ) and a weight of at least 110 pounds ( approx. 50 kg ) while their female counterparts have a height of 23 to 26 inches ( approx. 58 to 66 cm ) and a weight of at least 99 pounds ( approx. 45 kg ).
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Bite Force
Reportedly, a French Mastiff has a strong bite force of 556 PSI.
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Health Issues
As compared to other large breeds of similar size, French Mastiff have a shorter life expectancy of 5 to 7 years. French mastiff are also affected by certain health issues such as breathing problems, eye problems such as ectropion and conjunctivitis, Aortic stenosis, dilated cardiomyopathy, hyperkeratosis, hip dysplasia, patella luxation, elbow dysplasia, retinal dysplasia, gastric torsion or bloat, and epilepsy.
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Names
A French mastiff owner may decide to give a pup a name before it joins them home or a few days after the pup has settled in its new home to better understand the personality of a particular dog. Owners may get name inspirations from the French heritage, coat color, personality, celebrity French mastiffs, movies, songs, books, food, nature, and historical figures.
Regardless of where the owner will find the inspiration, he or she should ensure that the name chosen freely rolls off their tongues and will not make them embarrassed when uttered out loud in the public places such as malls and parks.
French mastiffs and other dog breeds better understand a name that has vowels. Avoid giving your pet a name that rhymes with the command words. If the pet parent settles with a long name, he or she should find a cute nick name. If a French Mastiff shares a name with any family member or guests who frequent your home, it may result to unnecessary confusion. Some of the names that French mastiff parents give to their pets include:
- Lyon.
- Coco.
- Dior.
- Empress.
- Hedi.
- Porter.
- Buddy.
- Nero.
- Venus.
- Simone.
- Katriane.
- Talia, etc.
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Colors
A French mastiff has a fawn coat color ranging from a shade of dark red fawn to light fawn. White patches are permitted on the extremities of the limbs, chest, and not anywhere else.
Apart from Dogue de Bordeaux, other dog breeds include:
Dogue De Bordeaux | French Mastiff Food
The amount of food that a French Mastiff feeds on depends on its age, metabolism, size, activity level, and body build. A puppy has a high metabolism rate as compared to an adult and a senior dog. Therefore, French Mastiff puppies will feed on 3 or 4 times a day from the time they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, a puppy will be fed twice a day for the rest of its life.
Puppies should feed on large breed puppy food to ensure slow and steady growth. French Mastiffs are prone to gastric torsion. This is a sudden swelling of the abdomen which is life threatening. To avoid bloat, a French Mastiff should not feed one large meal a day, drinks a lot of water after meals, or exercise vigorously one hour before and after meals.
Like other dogs, French Mastiffs need to feed on the right amount of minerals, protein, amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, water, and fats to maintain a healthy bone structure and weight. Depending on the budget and the time of preparation needed, owners may feed a French Mastiff with dry food, wet food, home made meals, or a raw diet. The first three ingredients listed in dog commercial food should be proteins from a known source.
The dry or wet commercial food should also not have fillers, chemicals, meat by-products, additives, and preservatives. This also applies to the snacks. Dry or wet food should also be formulated for large-sized puppies, adults, and senior depending on the age of your French Mastiff. Check the physique of your pooch to tell whether it is overweight or underweight.
If you can see the ribs, chances are the French Mastiff is underweight. Although, if the ribs are not visible but can be felt without pressing hard, the pooch has an ideal weight. If the ribs can’t be felt, the French Mastiff is overweight and should be exercised. After getting a pup from a breeder, the owner is likely to switch to another quality food. They should gradually do this over a period of four weeks by mixing both new food and old food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the French Mastiff is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
Are Dogue De Bordeaux Dangerous
No. A well-socialized French Mastiff has a laid-back personality and it is able to differentiate between a friend and a foe.
Are Dogue De Bordeaux Protective
Yes. A French mastiff makes a good guard dog and it is protective of its family.
Are Dogue De Bordeaux Good Family Dogs
Yes. French mastiff make great family dogs for owners who establish themselves as the pack leaders of the family. They are not recommended for fearful or very busy people.
French Mastiff Quick Facts
- They have the largest head in the canine world in proportion to the rest of the body.
- Despite their stocky body and strong exterior, French mastiffs are gentle giants.
- French Mastiffs are protective of their families and they should be well-socialized prevent aggression towards strangers and other dogs.
