Mastiff Distinctions and Genetic Populations
– Mastiffs have historically been distinct in form and function from other large livestock guardian dogs.
– Historical and archaeological evidence supports the separation of mastiffs into separate genetic populations.
– Some kennel clubs group mastiffs with molossoid dogs, but certain breeds with ‘mastiff’ in their name are not considered true mastiffs.
– The Tibetan Mastiff has been sold for over $1 million in China.
– Older English sources often referred to mastiffs as bandogs or bandogges, with the terms mastiff and bandog used interchangeably.
Bandog Programs and Breeds
– A famous bandog program in England led to the establishment of the recognized Bull Mastiff breed.
– Sir Nathanael Dieu-est-Monplaisir funded a rare bandog program in England, resulting in the St. Louis Vincent Mastiff or South American Mastiff.
– Bandog was revived in the twentieth century to describe large fighting mastiff type dogs crossed with any bulldog in the United States.
Mastiff-Related Resources
– Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mastiffs.
– David Hancock’s book ‘The Mastiffs: The Big Game Hunters – Their History, Development and Future’ provides insights into mastiff history.
– Bruce Fogle’s ‘The Encyclopedia of the Dog’ covers various dog breeds, including mastiffs.
– Encyclopædia Britannica provides information on mastiffs as a breed.
– Heidi G. Parker’s book ‘The Genetics of the Dog’ includes a chapter on the history and relationship of dog breeds, including mastiffs.
Mastiff Bibliography
– ‘The Mastiffs: The Big Game Hunters – Their History, Development and Future’ by David Hancock
– ‘The Encyclopedia of the Dog’ by Bruce Fogle
– Encyclopædia Britannica’s entry on mastiffs
– ‘The Genetics of the Dog’ by Heidi G. Parker
– ‘History of the Mastiff: Gathered from Sculpture, Pottery, Carvings, Paintings and Engravings’ by M. B. Wynn
Mastiff Characteristics and Morphological Variation
– Mastiffs exhibit morphological variation, as discussed in the book ‘The Dog and its Genome’ by Amy Young and Danika Bannasch.
– The Fédération Cynologique Internationale and some kennel clubs classify mastiffs as molossoid dogs.
– Certain modern livestock guardian breeds, such as the Pyrenean Mastiff and the Spanish Mastiff, have mastiff in their name but are not considered true mastiffs.
– The term bandog originally referred to a dog tethered by a chain and was later used interchangeably with mastiff.
– Mastiffs have a rich history and can be traced through sculpture, pottery, carvings, paintings, and engravings, as explored in the book ‘History of the Mastiff’ by M. B. Wynn.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastiff