History

The Dogue de Bordeaux is a large mastiff type breed that originates in France and more specifically the Bordeaux region. Dogs of this type has been around since the 1300's, but the uniformity of the current breed we know, was first introduced around 1920. The breed was used for many things, including carting and pulling objects as well as guarding sheep/goats and property. The French wanted to keep blood lines as pure as possible, so any black masks were seen as breeding with the English Mastiff, therefore a pure red mask and pink nose was preferred.

Temperament

Dogues de Bordeaux have calm and reserved temperaments. They love to pretend they are a lap dog and get onto the sofa with you whilst drooling/licking you with plenty of slobber. If this doesn't put you off then you can be happy knowing that your Dogue will be devoted to you and your family enjoying moderate exercise daily to keep their powerful bodies in shape. 

Early socialisation is important to prevent either shyness or aggression towards other dogs and strange people. Dogues will rarely seek out a fight but their proud nature means they won't back down. This combined with their immense power means they can cause serious injury and even kill other dogs so plenty of socialisation and training is paramount.

Common Health Problems

Hip dysplasia, a frequent joint issue in larger dogs, will obviously be a problem, as are a few other issues such as heart problems.

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