Spanish Mastiff
The Spanish mastiff (also known as the MastÃn Español) is a breed of dog which is considered to be large. It comes from Spain hence the name. It was originally created to be a guard of livestock, as well as of property and people. It would generally ward off wolves and other predators who were keen on the livestock. This breed is probably coming from Greece and Phoenician traders who worked mainly on the sea, at around 1000 BC. The Greeks are documented to have used dogs such as these in battle due to their immense strength. Interestingly these dogs were also used by Spanish conquistadors in battles against Native Americans.
Appearance
The males are a minimum of 77 cm to the withers with a weigh between 50 to 65 kg. While the females are at least 72 cm to the withers and between 50 and 60 kilos. This breed is large and strong. It looks similar to other Mastiff breeds. It has a powerful head with folds of loose skin and a double dewlap at the neck. The muzzle of this dog is comparatively long. The Spanish Mastiff has smallish eyes and droopy ears. The coat colour of this dog is normally fawn or red coloured. This dog does tend to drool and slobber, so be fair warned. It also can snore pretty loudly, so it might be good to have the dog far away from the bedroom.
Temperament
This dog is characterized as being dignified, haughty and smart. It is loyal to the family and can be accepting of strangers as long as it has been socialized correctly. It does tend to be aggressive to other dogs. In an urban environment this can cause problems due to its loud voice and large size. It does make for a very good guard dog and good watch dog. To reduce the animosity this breed feels against other dogs it must be introduced to other dogs at a young age.
Grooming and care
They have a dense coat which should be brushed frequently, with special care taken when the dog is shedding. Also care should be taken to clean the ears of this dog as otherwise ear infection can set in quickly due to the droopy ears. A long daily walk is good for the Spanish Mastiff. It also loves to have a yard to run around in, this will supplement the walk nicely.
Health
This dog lives an average of between 10 to 11 years. This relatively long lived for such a large breed of dog. It does suffer from hip dysplasia. It can also suffer from growing pains when a puppy. Also the breed is more likely to get bloat. So care should be taken to not overfeed the dog, ideally to give smaller more frequent meals to minimize the chance of bloat occurring. Births can sometimes be tricky for this breeds such that caesarian sections may be required.