Dogue De Bordeaux Dog Breed

The Dogue de Bordeaux, as the name implies, hails from the Bordeaux region of France. She was shown there for the first time in 1863 but it took quite some time for the development of uniform specimens so she was not recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale until 1954, the Kennel Club until 1997, and the AKC in 2008! The breed is placed in the Working Dog group and has functioned mostly as a guardian of person and property. The modern Dogue de Bordeaux is not inherently dangerous and is very much able to distinguish a threat from a non threat and is almost always non aggressive. Dogue de Bordeaux attacks occur mostly as a result of threat to the owner, property or from a dog that has been raised improperly (specifically to be overprotective and fight). Consider these French Mastiff facts:

The modern Dogue de Bordeaux is an affectionate, laid back companion yet he still remains courageous, devoted, vigilant and protective. He is intuitive enough to know when to use the latter characteristics and makes a good guardian. Maintenance requires little effort for this breed in regards to grooming and exercising-- a weekly brushing and a few daily walks are all it takes to keep him in top shape. This breed may not be very active but has actually had quite a versatile resume including: fighting, protecting, guarding, and even cart pulling. Training your DdB can be a bit unpredictable as most owners report it to be very easy while others maintain they are quite stubborn. This page will give you the 101 on the Dogue de Bordeaux including information related to intelligence, exercise needs, and temperament.

Intelligence- This breed is pretty average on the intelligence scale and is known for being eager to please and cooperative. The catch is training must be started from puppy age and you need to be firm and consistent, while remaining positive and encouraging. Treats and praise go far with DdBs.

Kids, Strangers, Other Pets- Dogs that are trained and socialized early will be very loving, patient household companions that are great with kids and good with other pets. Some may be dog aggressive if not socialized. They are not usually aggressive towards strangers unless in a situation where they must protect you-- usually these dogs are excellent at distinguishing threat from non threat.

Exercise- French Mastiffs are known for being fairly inactive. A few daily walks will do just fine.

Although there is much debate about the origins of the breed and whether there were descendants of or progenitors off other Mastiff types, one thing is for certain-- they are one of France's oldest breeds. Traceable Dogue de Bordeaux history begins during the late 14th century as three separate types were developing in the Bordeaux, Toulouse and Paris regions. By the late 1800's there was still no uniform type but Dogues were being used for various tasks including: guarding, fighting, hunting, herding and cart pulling. In 1863 the first Dogue de Bordeaux was shown in Paris and by 1920 there was interest in standardizing the breed. Unfortunately, numbers diminished greatly during the two World Wars but was subsequently revived afterwards. The FCI recognized the French Mastiff as early as 1954 and many other Kennel Clubs followed suit; the AKC did not recognize the breed until 2008.

French Mastiff dogs appear large, muscular and very strong. Interestingly, they don't get this look from their height, since they are fairly low to the ground compared to other dogs of their weight; these dogs build the profile from width and muscle. They are very broad with a short, thick neck complete with dewlap and folds from the loose skin, and a very deep chest. The brachycephalic (broad and short) head is the characteristic hallmark of the breed. In addition to plenty of wrinkles, it sports a pair of wide set eyes that should be hazel to dark brown; lighter is tolerated and blue eyes for the Dogue de Bordeaux are not specifically disqualified via the AKC standard. The ears are small and triangular and the nose will be brown, black or even pinkish depending upon coat color. Dogue de Bordeaux coats are short and soft to the touch, and are seen in varying shades of fawn to rich red and mahogany. The legs are strong, thick-boned and straight. DdBs have thick, medium-long tails that usually hang low.

There is not much variation among members of this breed. There are no alternate size Dogue de Bordeaux breeds such as Miniature, Toy, etc. The main difference will be whether yours is big or huge! The biggest Dogue de Bordeauxs are easily over 150 pounds; there is currently one rumored to top the scales at 206 pounds!

The Dogue de Bordeaux temperament is noted for being affectionate, loyal and protective. Contrary to what you may think when taking in their imposing size--including huge wrinkly head and powerful jaws-- these dogs are not aggressive. They form close bonds with the owner or family and want nothing more than affection and companionship. With early socialization and training they are loving and tolerant with children, although supervision is still necessary due to sheer size. The same goes for other pets-- most get along well with other pets, early socialization is imperative to keep them from becoming aggressive towards other dogs that are introduced to them after they are fully matured.

Big dogs are a lot to handle. Even though the Dogue de Bordeaux personality is eager to please and generally cooperative, we still recommend firm consistent training as early as possible; treats and praise will make your pet very happy. Although they are known for only barking when necessary, they are courageous and vigilant. He/She can make a very devoted guardian but will only show these traits if absolutely necessary-- you don't have to worry about your DdB around visitors or benign strangers.

The Dogue de Bordeaux is a considerably large dog with considerable health problems. Some authorities recommend having pet health insurance for the breed. Like most very large breeds, they have a short lifespan but the DdB may have an even shorter lifespan. The average member of this breed lives 5 or 6 years but it's not unheard of for them to live to 7; the oldest survived to the ripe old age of 12. Some loud breathing, snoring and snorting is to be expected with this brachycephalic breed. This list may seem extensive but that doesn't mean your dog will have many (or even 1) of these conditions. The following is a list of the most common issues for the Dogue de Bordeaux:

• Joint Issues: Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, Pano
• Allergies: Food, environmental
• Hyperkeratosis
• Eye infections
• Ectropion
• Epilepsy
• Cancer: Bone, Lymp System, Blood
• Heart Disease: Aortic Stenosis, Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Taking your pet to regular veterinary visits from the start can help detect some of these conditions early. Remember, never buy a Dogue de Bordeaux puppy from a breeder who cannot answer your questions. Ask for certifications of health for the parents as some genetic testing can be done to pre-screen for some conditions like hip and eye.