Dog Breed Guide

Bordeaux Mastiff

Profile

Size

Extra Large

Country of origin

France

Origin

Around the 14th century

Bred for

Watchdog, Guard dog

Height

male 60 - 68cm (24 - 27in), female 58 - 66cm (23 - 26in)

Weight

male 50kg (110lb) and over, female 45kg (99lb) and over

Life span

8 - 10 years

The Dogue de Bordeaux has an enormous head for its body and a deeply wrinkled face. Its head is said to be among the largest of any dog in proportion to its body. The short, soft coat is a solid fawn, ranging from light golden to deep reddish mahogany, and some dogs have a black or brown mask around the nose.

Gentle and devoted to its family, it is kind to children but wary of strangers. It can be stubborn, so training takes patience. It is generally easygoing and spends much of its time quietly indoors.

It drools a great deal and is very sensitive to heat, so it needs special care in summer. Its life span is short even for a large breed, and the health of its heart and joints needs careful attention.

Good to know

Known in France as the Dogue de Bordeaux, it is one of the country's oldest breeds. Around Bordeaux in the southwest it guarded livestock and the estates of the nobility, and in the past it was also used to fight and hunt large animals. Some say its ancestors were big dogs that came to Gaul with the Roman legions, but its exact origins are unclear.

The film that made the breed famous was the 1989 American comedy Turner & Hooch. Hooch, partner to the fussy detective played by Tom Hanks, was played by a Dogue de Bordeaux named Beasley. He was 17 months old during filming and learned the role in just five months of training.

When the film came out there were fewer than 300 of these dogs in the United States, but the movie's huge success made the breed suddenly popular.