Dogue de bordeaux

Dogue de bordeaux is a very large and massive dog with a short, large, angular head. Covered with a dense, hard, short coat. Smart, confident, intelligent, balanced. A good watchman and defender, requiring a rather experienced owner.

Nature

He belongs to the big dog’s group, he is a descendant of former war dogs that accompanied Alexander the Great, Hannibal and Roman legions. Contemporary Dogue de bordeaux is a gentle, sensitive animal and very devoted to his family.

Dogue de bordeaux is a calm, stable and balanced dog with a moderate temperament. Very cordial and sensitive, he needs the approval of all household members. He is extremely close to the guardian. Feels very effusive, demands caresses and interest. He hates loneliness. Isolation from his family is a terrible punishment for him, so he should not be kept in the pen. His place is at the side of the owner.

He likes children very much. He is tolerant and forgiving. She has the opinion of a patient nanny, she calmly tolerates the strangest games. Remember, however, that it is large and very heavy, all contact with children should take place in the presence of parents.

This is a very sociable dog, who likes to be around people. He can behave in any situation. He is not overly aggressive towards dogs. It rarely catches other quadrupeds and is not easily provoked. He often takes the role of a conciliator in dog quarrels. Attacked and forced to defend, he becomes a dangerous opponent. He will accept other pets in his surroundings without too much trouble.

Dogue de bordeaux is a dog who likes comfort, an excellent but demanding friend, ready to sacrifice everything for his family.

Dogue de bordeaux. Skills

As a descendant of former war dogs, he is a good guardian and protector. Much gentler than his ancestors, he remained vigilant and courageous. He is not very noisy, confident, very sensible and aware of his strength, which he never misuses.

Training and education

Dogue de bordeaux is a late-maturing dog. He reaches full psychological development only at the age of three. Due to the size and weight, he should be carefully raised. Do not treat him brutally, he endures screams and physical coercion badly. Males usually have a dominant personality.

Dogue de bordeaux is intelligent and eager to learn, but you need to adapt the pace of learning to the individual capabilities of each dog. It can be comprehensively trained. He is active, likes movement and fun. Inaction is very frustrating for him. He is not a trotter type, therefore running by the bicycle is not recommended.

Due to his weight, he should not jump over obstacles. He needs long walks, but he should decide on their intensity.

Who is this race for?

Dogue de Bordeaux should be in the hands of responsible people who will be able to raise him, as well as devote time to him.

Dogue de bordeaux. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

• males tend to be dominant
• is expensive to maintain
• badly tolerates loneliness

Advantages

• very attached to the family
• caring for members of his flock
• good watchman and protector (however, he is not suitable for living in a pen)
• is not overly aggressive

Health

Since Dogue de bordeaux was once a fighting dog, he has relatively small eyes set quite deeply, which causes defects in his eyelids.

In addition, it is a giant breed, prone to various types of developmental disorders of the skeletal system, especially iliac dysplasia. According to Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, it affects as much as 56.7% of Bordeaux dogs! This is the third of 173 tested breeds that most often develop this disease. There are also skin problems in the breed, especially in summer.

Feeding

A young, growing dog needs special treatment. His food should be perfectly balanced and supplemented with vitamins and substances supporting the development of bones and joints. Excessive physical effort and walking up the stairs are not recommended. As with most large breeds, he has a risk of stomach enlargement and torsion.

The daily portion of food for an adult dog should be divided into at least two meals, and the bowl set up on a platform. After eating, rest is necessary.

Care

Care is not troublesome. Comb your short coat once every few days with a hard bristle or rubber brush. The deep folds on the head must be wiped and kept clean.

Dogue de bordeaux. History

Already a few thousand years ago in today’s Tibet or northern India lived a giant dog – the ancestor of all molosses. He owed his impressive size to increased bone growth. The growth hormone caused significant thickening of the limbs and the formation of a powerful skull with a heavy jaw and a broad, massive forehead. His skin was thick and wrinkled, giving him a menacing look.

Since the dawn of time, this giant traveled with primitive tribes. The migration took place in two directions: west – through the middle east and the Mediterranean Sea and north-west – through today’s China and Russia.

Around 550 BC, a group of peoples called Alanans came to Eastern Europe and settled in what is now Albania. Large mastiffs also appeared with them. Thanks to Phoenician trade markets, they could also travel to the British Isles. They were known as alaunt or alan.

To the south and east of Tibet, the Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonian tribes used powerful dogs in warfare. The wildest of them was the so-called Mollosian, probably from the Greek island of Mollosus. Apparently, a legion of 2,400 mastiffs took part in the parade of troops in Alexandria. They were described as “animals the size of donkeys and wild as lions”.

In Rome, these giant dogs fought in the arenas with bears, lions and humans, and their courage became legendary. When the Roman legions wandered to conquer Europe, the Mollosians followed them.

Some historians say that the ancestors of many dogs were formed as a result of the combination of mollosian and alan. One of them is the ancestor of the Bordeaux dog.

In 1387, Gaston Phoebus, Earl of Foix, mentions in the book about hunting three varieties of large dogs called alans, found in France. He describes them as “allant gentil” – a greyhound type with a short and heavy head; “Alant vautre” – a dog with a massive head, drooping lips and large drooping ears, used for hunting bears and wolves; ‘Alant de Boucherie’ – a butchered dog.

The “allant vautre” dogs are recognized as progenitors of Bordeaux dogs. Some researchers believe that they could also be dogs from Aquitaine and medieval bullenbeissers. The social changes that followed the Great French Revolution affected the population of large quadrupeds. The importance of dogs used for hunting big animals has decreased. Some of them, identified with the hated ruling class, were exterminated.

In the 18th century, these dogs almost completely became extinct. A breakthrough came in the 19th century. In 1863, the first dog exhibition took place in Paris. Then dogue de bordeaux received its current name. In 1896, Pierre Megnin published a description of the breed, considered to be the first pattern to this day. It was corrected by prof. Kuntler in 1910.

Different varieties took part in the creation of the modern version of the dog: Toulouse, Paris and Bordeaux. During both wars, the breed suffered greatly. It flourished again in the 1960s.

In 1993, several breeders brought more dogs. These are: ILZA de L “Etang de Mirloup, ILDA de L” Etang de Mirloup, HYBRIS de L “Etang de Mirloup, HERA, IVETTA de la Combe Saint Thibaud, IGOR de L” Etang de Mirloup, IMAGE de la Font de Pepignon, ISABELLE de Seigneurie des Chartrons, HEKTOR de la Font de Pepignon.

In 1994, the first two letters in the kennels: “An-Ro-Ge” and “Jasny Grom” were born. Since then, the number of dogs has been steadily increasing and they are very popular.

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Dogue de bordeaux – Group II FCI, section 2.1, reference number 116

• Country of origin: France
• General appearance: A typical short-headed molos with a strong, muscular structure and harmonious proportions. It is a stocky, athletic and impressive dog, awe-inspiring with his appearance.
• Height: Dogs 60-68 cm, bitches 58-66 cm (1 cm shorter or 2 cm tall taller).
• Coat: Hair is thin, short and soft to the touch.
• Color: One- colored from mahogany to fawn. Not very significant on the chest and extremities. There may be a black mask – it has a small range, it cannot overlap the skull, there may be slight discoloration on the head, ears and upper torso, black nose. Brown mask – nose and edges of eyelids also brown. No mask – fawn coat, skin appears red. Nose reddish or pink.
• Head: Powerful, wide, angular, relatively short, looking from the front and from the top has a trapezoidal shape. The stop is very well defined, creating almost a right angle with the muzzle. The deep frontal furrow decreases towards the back of the skull. Head covered symmetrically with wrinkles. Muzzle strong, wide, quite short, almost square when viewed from above. Convex cheeks, thanks to very strongly developed muscles. Characteristic undershot bite.
• Eyes: Oval, set wide apart, with sincere eyes. Invisible conjunctivitis. In dogs with a black mask, dark brown or hazel eyes, in dogs with a brown mask or without a mask lighter.
• Ears: Relatively small, drooping, set on high, slightly darker than coat. With careful attention, the front edge should touch the cheek. They should not reach further than the eye, the tips of the ears are slightly rounded.
• Body: Strong, broad and muscular back, with a clear withers. Chest long, deep and wide, reaching below the elbows. Its circumference should be greater than the height at the withers by 25 to 30 cm. Loin: Broad, massive and rather short, croup gently sloping towards the base of the tail.
• Forequarters: Perfectly muscled, with strong bone. Shoulders with pronounced musculature, moderately sloping. Elbows in the body axis. Viewed from the front, the forearms are vertical or slightly inward, especially in dogs with a very wide chest.
• Hindquarters: Massive, well angulated, with strong bone. Viewed from the back, parallel and vertical. They are slightly narrower than the front ones. Thighs strong, with visible musculature. Lower thigh relatively short, well muscled, reaching low. The short ankle joint, with a slightly obtuse angle.
• Tail: Thick at root, reaching to the hocks, but not below. Carried low, sloping at rest, raised in the motion, but not curled over the back.
• Lifespan: 8-10 years

Interesting facts

The popularity of the breed outside of France increased after the release of the film “Turner and Hooch” with Tom Hanks in 1989. Dogue de bordeaux named Śliniak also became the star of the Polish family series “Foster Family”.