Mastiffs were made to attack various animals that were chained up and bound.

These animals consisted of lions, bears, bulls and even other dogs. A lot of the time, they were even fed the remains of the carcase they killed. Back then they were even known for getting an elephant down.Some claim that the mastiff has been around during the ancient Babylonian era. There are pictures that appear to be depicted from about 5000 years ago even. Some writers have even included them in their stories.

Those writers include Caesar, Marco polo, Herodotus, Chaucer and Shakespeare. As time went on the Mastiff became more like a guard dog then anything. they would guard the castle grounds.In 1873 the Mastiff was crossbred with various other dogs. This is when the pedigree initially started.

Then a club called the Old English Mastiff Club had launched. Then again they were used in the many blood sporting events. For all of those Mastiff lovers, there is a man from Canada named C.W. Dickinson that you can thank for preserving this awesome breed. Then the Mastiff Club of America was born, in 1929. America holds more Mastiffs then any other country in the world.

You may be curious as to what famous people happen to own a Mastiff. Those people include Kubla Khan, Randy Bish, Hannibal, FLEA (bass guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, King Henry VII, Bob Dylan, George C Scott, Kirsty Alley and Marlon Brando.

The different breeds of Mastiff that have come about over the years also brings about a little bit of personality differences. For instance, the Bullmastiff has taken on the pit bull stance. Most of the Mastiff breeds are extremely friendly and loving towards their own family. Certain others are not friendly towards anyone other then their family. Good news for those who have children because despite it's huge size, the Mastiff is actually very gentle towards kids. Some of the Mastiff breeds are totally aggressive towards other dogs. Then there are those that have been raised, say around a cat. They grow up together and are the best of friends. You will find that most Mastiffs are on average about 27-31 inches from their shoulders to the ground. That is for both male and female. Their average weight is about 120-220 pounds. You will find one quality that is the same in all of the Mastiff breeds and that quality is the fact that they are very well behaved.

Not to mention they are extremely loyal to their master and gentle with their family. There is even one in particular that will not bark, not even with an intruder. However, if you leave him his separation anxiety kicks in and he barks, just ask your neighbors.The Mastiff breed is very easy to manage. They have short fur that can easily be brushed. They do have a tendency to be a little bit on the slobbery side.

They are full of courage and pride. With their obedience comes train ability. The biggest dog ever recorded was a Mastiff. He weighed about 315 pounds and when stretched from nose to tip of tail, he was over eight feet long. Then there was another record broken when a Neapolitan Mastiff gave birth to twenty four puppies. They had to be the most beautiful puppies, with blue fur and cure wrinkly faces.

Most of the different Mastiff breeds are actually short haired. Then there is the Tibetan Mastiff. he has a longer coat and is one of the smaller of the Mastiff family.

Rest assured that whichever Mastiff that you decide is the best for you and your family, they all are a great family dog. They are well rounded dogs. So if you have energy and room for a huge dog, the Mastiff is perfect!