Dogue de Bordeaux: The Ultimate Powerhouse Dog Breed

dogue de bordeaux in the front door

There are countless theories as to the origins of the Dogue de Bordeaux. Based on written documents, the breed has been around France since the 14th century, specifically in the south of the country, in the city of Bordeaux.

Thus, the breed was named after it. Some experts claim that these dogs might have descended from the Bulldog, Tibetan Mastiff, and the Greek and Roman Molossus.

During the Middle Ages, the Dogue de Bordeaux was used by the residents to drive their cattle and to guard their properties. Also, they served as war dogs and hunters.

After the French Revolution, only a few Dogues were left. In 1982, there were only 600 Dogues left in the world, mostly scattered in France, Holland and East Berlin. It was not until the 1960s that the breed began to flourish due to the efforts made by Raymond Triquet.

Along with other French breeders, Raymond established their French Dogue de Bordeaux Club.

dogue-de-bordeaux-walking-on-the-grass

The Dogue de Bordeaux first arrived in the US around the 1890s. But it was in the late 1980s that the breed started to appear in Hollywood movies and even television shows. With its growing popularity and with the help of the Dogue de Bordeaux Society of America, these dogs were finally accepted by the American Kennel Club (full recognition was granted in July 2008).

Traits and Behavior

Though the Dogue de Bordeaux looks a bit intimidating, they are among those dogs that are very gentle. They are very loving as well as reliable and they are also very close to the children.

However, these dogs are also recognized for their bravery and their outstanding guarding skills. They are determined, willful and controlled thus, they won’t surrender easily.

dogue-de-bordeaux-curled-tongue

The Dogue de Bordeaux always seeks human attention. Because of this, they should be given the utmost attention and care for them to be happy.

Also, several of these dogs may get a little dominating, so they require a master who can display solid leadership and those who knows the behavior of an alpha canine.

These dogs can be good to people as well as reliable if they understand their role when living with humans.

They can be also nice to the other pets of the family but a number of them can be aggressive to new dogs when they can’t go along with their pack. The young Dogue de Bordeaux is filled with energy. They will snore so loud and most of them tend to salivate and eat messily.

dogue-de-bordeaux-with-another-dog

Pet Care and Diseases

These dogs will not be fine in a temperate climate because they will definitely have chills when the weather is cold and they can also have cooling-off problems when the weather is too hot.

They are likely to have a heatstroke inside a car or even in a room without proper ventilation.

dogue-de-bordeaux-walking

They should have an everyday walk to fulfil their primitive canine nature to migrate. They tend to acquire behavior problems if this need is deprived. When having a walk, they must be behind or beside the person who holds the leash to remind them that the leader will be the one who will direct the path.

As with other dog breeds, there are many possible health concerns and conditions that the Dogue the Bordeaux can acquire. These include:

  • Hip and elbow dysplasia
  • Infection (due to facial skin folds)
  • Eye problems (entropion)
  • Dilated cardiomyopathy
  • Cruciate disease
  • Aortic stenosis
  • Epilepsy

Appearance

The Dogue de Bordeaux is a relatively short, stocky mastiff. According to the standard description, males stand between 24-37 inches tall while adult females stand around 23-25 inches tall.

The ideal weight should be at least 52 kilograms for the males and only 45 kilograms for the females. The huge head is broad and heavily wrinkled. The upper lip hangs thickly down over the lower jaw. The skin on the neck is loose.

The color of the mask is either black or red. The nose color in red-masked dogs should be brown while for black-masked dogs, it must be black.

dogue-de-bordeaux-winking

The coat is short and fine to touch. Coat colors may vary from fawn to mahogany with a darker red or black mask around and under the nose including the lips and eye rims. White markings on the chest and tips of the toes might also be observed in some dogs.

General Information

The Dogue de Bordeaux can live up to 8-12 years. Litter size: 9-10 puppies. Other names include Bordeaux Mastiff, French Mastiff, and Bordeaux dog.

In 1989, a Dogue de Bordeaux starred for the first time in Touchstone’s Hollywood movie entitled ‘Turner and Hooch’.

Breed Club

Visit this dog club website dedicated to Dogue de Bordeaux. Click this link: https://www.ddbsa.org/

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