HISTORY
The Dogue
de Bordeaux falls into a group of dogs classified as molosser,
descendants of the molossus, a dog that lived approximately 700 BC. Based on
ancient carvings and paintings, it appears the molossus were kept as guard and
huntng dogs by the Assyrians. The first record of a molosser-type dog is in a
letter dated 326 BC that mentions large, strong dogs with short, broad teeth.
Bones of these big dogs have been found amongst other artefacts in
archaeological expeditions throughout the world in places such as Tibet, China
and India. These dogs were included in the army of Alexander the Great, and
journeyed from Mesopotamia to Epirus in various wars. In Epirus there was a
mythical king ruling over the area of Molossus who took care of the dogs. From
there they journeyed to Rome, Gaule and other lands including Spain and
France. There are contrasting reports that this large dog first existed
in Spain as the Alano, an extinct dog whose description resembles today's
Dogue de Bordeaux. The Alano was supposedly brought to Europe by the Alans, an
Oriental tribe. The Alan vautre was described in the fourteenth century by
Gaston Phoebus (or Febus), Count of Foix, in his Livre de Chasse. 'He holds
his bite stronger than three sight hounds'. There are also accounts that the
molosser developed from the olossids, a Greco-Roman canine that existed during
Julius Caesar's time and was used in war.
The word 'dogue'
first appeared at the end of the fourteenth century. Before the nineteenth
century, these dogs did not have a standard but were very similar in looks and
usage. There were guardian dogs used to protect homes, butcher shops, and
vineyards; pack hunting dogs that baited bulls and pursued boars, bears,
jaguars and other game; and herding dogs that took care of farm animals such
as sheep and cattle.
ORIGINS
The
Dogue de Bordeaux is one of the most ancient of today's purebred dogs. It is
similar to the Bullmastiff yet is centuries older. There are several theories
about its true origin. One suggests that it is a descendant of the Tibetan
Mastiff, who's origin can be traced back more than five thousand years, from
Thibet to Mesopotamia and then to Ancient Greece ( Molossus of Epirus ), then
Rome and from there to Gaule, making this journey by the side of merchants,
conquerors and warriors. Another theory suggests that the Dogue is a direct
descendant of Assyrian war dogs once owned by the King of Babylon and given as
peace offerings to other members of royalty.
Legend claims such a gift was received by a king, who pitted the Dogue against
another dog. The Dogue is said to have turned his nose up and walked away from
his supposed adversary. For this it was deemed a coward and put to death. Upon
hearing the news, the King of Babylonia sent a messenger with another Dogue
and a message that read " Of course he would show no interest in fighting
such a lowly animal. Pit this one against something a bit more worthy, perhaps
a Lion or an Elephant". The receiving King took the challenge and pitted
this Dogue against one of his prize Elephants. According to the legend, they
had to pull it off of the Elephant or the Dogue would have surely killed it.
Yet another theory suggests that bones found in France predate all of this
history and are indeed the bones of a Dogue de Bordeaux. This implies that the
Dogue existed in France all along and is a descendant of the "Alano
Dog", who was brought to Europe by the Alans, an Oriental tribe. The
Alano is considered extinct today but fanciers are attempting to rebuild the
breed. Although there are many differences in opinion as to the specific
origin of the Dogue de Bordeaux, it is clearly one of the purest forms of the
ancient mastiff type.
By the end of the middle ages, the Dogue was used to herd cattle and to
protect them from wolves and bears, giving the Dogue its nickname "The
Butcher's dog". They were prized as protectors by the noble and wealthy
of France. Many perished with their masters during the French Revolution
(1789) but the Dogues of the common man survived. In 1863 an exhibition was
held at the "Jardin d' Acclimatation" in Paris,France. This is where
the Dogue de Bordeaux was given the name of the capital of their region of
origin. There were also two other variations of Dogue at the time, the
Toulouse and the Paris. The Bordeaux today is a mixture of these three
distinct types.
The Toulouse had many colors in its coat, a fawnish brindle perhaps. It had
small bones and a longer body. The Paris dogs came with either a scissor bite
or an undershot until a group of breeders agreed on the undershot bite.
Cropped ears were standard but eventually became forbidden. Therefore the DDB
breeds true to its "Genotype" but that is not necessarily its
"Phenotype". Enthusiasts should be aware of and on the lookout for
the occasional pup that appears with a recessive trait.
In 1895, John Proctor of Antwerp published his accounts of judging the Dogue
de Bordeaux at a show, in an article "Fighting Dogs of the South of
France", in the magazine "the Stock Keeper". In 1896, Pierre
Meguin put together a synthesis of the best Dogues shown and known from 1863
to 1895 in a book he published "Le Dogue de Bordeaux", which
featured a description and characteristics true to the
B. In 1897, Henry de
Bylants work "The Breed of Dogs" introduced the Breed Standard to
the world. In 1910, J. Kunsler, Professor od Comparative Anatomy of the
Science Facility of Bordeaux, published a "Critique Etude du Dogue de
Bordeaux"( A Critical Study of the Dogue de Bordeaux).
Once known as the "French Fighting Dog", the Dogue de Bordeaux was
used in combat against bulls, lions, wolves,
ars and hyenas. It was also
used as a utility guard and as a dog of war. Spanish officers took many of
them along in their conquest of the New World. Although pitted against fierce
adversaries most fights were bloodless knock-down point contests. The DDB's
massive head and tremendous strength coupled with his notorious ability for
getting beneath his opponent enabled him to topple nearly any size of animal.
There was a bloody event between a legendary champion "Hercules" and
a Jaguar. It took place in San Francisco around the turn of the century. It
was a lengthy battle that went on for hours. Although Hercules inflicted
serious injuries to the jaguar eventually he was killed. Those who witnessed
the fight still declared it a draw. Fighting events were outlawed by 1912.
There were many setbacks in the Dogues history. Another came with the onsets
of WWI and WWII. Adolf Hitler ordered all Dogue de Bordeaux to be killed on
sight because of their devotion to their family and their guarding
capabilities. This almost brought about their extinction. Only three breeding
pairs remained after WWII.
Conscientious breeders kept the strain alive and equable, stable, loving,
vigilant, quiet and loyal. They reduced the breeds size and eventually
outcrossed it to the british bulldog to renew its bloodline. The Dogue de
Bordeaux has played an integral part in the breeding of the Argentine Dogo and
the Tosa Inu. Today he is recognized for his gentleness, patience and
devotion. Absent is the trigger happy , ferocious fighting instinct. Also
absent is the miniature version "Doguin de Bordeaux" believed to be
extinct for over three hundred years.