The emergence of the Spanish Mastiff breed, the external criteria of the animal, the behavior of the dog and its health, care and training, interesting facts. Purchase and price of a puppy. More than four thousand years ago, cattle breeders and shepherds lived in Spain, and with them he, a giant giant, who guarded and protected herds from wild cats, bears, but mainly from wolves, which were then numerous. Nobody could intimidate him. Huge, unusually strong, he vigilantly and closely watched the grazing cattle. The dog was the son of large Asian Minor molossians. The man carefully brought him out, and then showed great confidence by instructing him to guard his property. The pet felt this responsibility and was proud of it. However, he showed his feelings sparingly. He stood next to the animals entrusted to him and guarded them, realizing his truly powerful strength.
The emergence of the Spanish Mastiff breed
Four thousand years later, the Spanish Mastiff is still grazing herds. He practically did not change, still the same big and brave. Always calm and confident. Perhaps this is the oldest Spanish breed of dog and the path they traveled was not easy and carefree. To understand at least a little of their history, you need to know that the geographical and climatic conditions of Spain forced herders to drive animals from one pasture to another twice a year, migrating in completely opposite directions. These movements are called distant pasture grazing. In the past, such movements have been associated with enormous dangers. In particular, there were enough predators around, attacking herds during their transition from one pasture to another, and the mastiff was the only defensive weapon of the shepherds.
Therefore, they were carefully cultivated and cherished. According to data obtained in 1919, the shepherds fed the mastiff the same food that they ate themselves and in the same amount. This shows how highly they valued their pets when there was not enough food for everyone. The first mention of this breed dates back to the 13th century and was made by the king of Castile and Lyon. The monarch charged local shepherds to feed these dogs as well as themselves, and take care of them as if they were their children.
Driving cattle breeding played a major economic, historical and cultural role. It prepared the beginning of the reconquista in Spain, and then contributed to the unification of the state.
The appearance of the mastiff perfectly matches the tasks that the dog has to perform. Sheep of the local breed of merino live in Spain. They arose in the XII century. In the general crowd, the Spanish giants are indistinguishable from these sheep. It's not even immediately clear where who is. They are similar in height, color and constitution. This is one of the breed characteristics of dogs that guard such livestock. What is it connected with? Imagine the following picture: a wolf approaches a flock, begins to choose a prey for itself, and suddenly one of the sheep separates from the flock and gives the predator a good beat. And if the gray brother manages to get away with his legs, then he will forget the road to the sheepfold for a long time.
In the past, these dogs were named after the provinces: Lyons, Andalusian, La Mancha, and so on. However, such names cannot be considered correct. Of course, different types of dogs lived in different areas. However, the herds constantly roamed from one end of the Iberian Peninsula to the other, and the breed of dogs obtained by selection was the same everywhere. In whatever province the shepherds were located, the requirements for guard dogs were the same everywhere. Sedentary shepherds had different criteria for selecting four-legged helpers, and they chose other dogs for themselves. Small and very mobile, more suitable for the service as guides than watchmen and protectors of the herd. They had their own Molossian-type dogs, which, of course, differed from the mastiffs who accompanied the herds during the ferries. In whatever province the dogs were raised, they always differed in a single set of characteristics. Let us also remind that the Italian mastiffs were inseparably associated with the merino breed of sheep. In the Middle Ages, when the first association of farmers engaged in distant pasture breeding arose, these giants were already accompanying herds of merino.
Between 1940 and 1950, the Spanish Civil War wreaked havoc on pasture cattle breeding. It resumed in extremely difficult conditions, since many pastures were abandoned, and the number of predators increased sharply. The demand for well-trained Mastiffs was enormous, which is why breeders claim that this time was truly a golden age for the establishment of the breed. The shepherds were ready to make any sacrifices just to get the best dog. Dogs for mating were taken from afar in order to breed them with local representatives of this species, the most powerful, sturdy and endowed with a pronounced instinct for protecting sheep. It was at this time that the most favorable conditions were created for breeding the species and working with it.
However, these golden years were short-lived. Retreating under the onslaught of urbanization, the wolves gradually left the vicinity of the villages, and after them rabbits, the main food of these predators, began to disappear. After the "leaving of the gray brothers", the shepherds stopped paying attention to the purebredness of their dogs, increasingly allowing closely related breeding - more convenient and less expensive. And in a number of cases there was even mating with defective specimens of the breed. And only the shepherds, who continued to engage in distant sheep breeding, continued to maintain the purity of the species. However, the profession itself was also rapidly receding into the past.
In the meantime, official dog breeding was born, but in Spain, as in Italy, it had one big drawback. The primordial bedrock was given less attention than the imported one - foreign. Thus, the Spanish Mastiff was endangered. Such a rapid extinction of the breed is difficult to explain, because even in the century before last, its population reached at least thirty thousand individuals.
The revival began only in the 80s, when the country began to rediscover itself and is proud of its original values. The main difficulty was in preserving the original characteristics of these dogs since ancient times. There were not many pedigree representatives left and therefore they used closely related relationships, which led to a number of genetic diseases. Although distant pasture sheep breeding in Spain has almost disappeared, nevertheless, the environment in which this type of dog arose has remained. And soon it was safe to say that they were not in danger of extinction.
Thanks to their physical and behavioral data, which are direct derivatives of their history and geophysical features, the Spanish giants could become a symbol of the entire Iberian Peninsula. At the entrance to the city of Segovia there is a monument, a shepherd, sheep and, naturally, next to them is a mastiff - the pride of Spain.
Description of the appearance of the Spanish Mastiff
It is a large, powerful, well-proportioned dog. The height at the withers is not limited, it is important to have good proportions, ideally a height of 75–80 cm. Move at a graceful trot.
- Head voluminous, in the form of a pyramidal trunk with a wide base. The craniofacial muscles have a diverging direction.
- Muzzle slightly shorter than the skull, with a rectilinear profile. The forehead and muzzle are in a harmonious combination, without an overly pronounced narrowing between its base and the temples. The upper lip hangs over the lower lip so that its mucous membrane is visible. Scissor bite.
- Nose voluminous, wide. The nose line is smooth, slightly sagging.
- Eyes small, almond-shaped, mostly dark brown in color. The lower part of the eyelid is slightly turned out, allowing you to see the connective membrane of the eye.
- Ears medium, hanging, triangular, flat. Located above the eye line.
- Neck Spanish Mastiff in the form of a cone-shaped stump. Muscular with a developed chest dewlap.
- Frame long, muscular, strong and agile. The withers are pronounced. The back is powerful and straight. The circumference of the chest exceeds the length at the withers. The sacrum is wide and slopes 45 degrees to the back line. The abdomen is slightly depressed.
- Tail medium rise, thick, heavy.
- Front limbs - straight, parallel, with strong bones. The shoulder blades are longer than the forearms, muscular. The hindquarters are powerful, muscular, of correct vertical position. The pasterns are powerful. Legs with ease and grace should push off the ground, giving a strong impulse to the entire body of the dog. May have spurs.
- Paws feline, with well-curved phalanges. The pads are elastic.
- Coat semi-long with a thick undercoat.
- Color can be any. Wolf and brindle are prized.
Behavior of the Spanish Mastiff
Although the dog is large and heavy, at the same time it is extremely hardy, capable of covering unusually long distances. The qualities are unthinkable for almost all large dogs of the Molossian type, for which it is already a certain problem to overcome a distance of one kilometer - they are quickly exhausted. Apparently the Spanish Mastiff also gets tired when he has to run for a long time. However, it is not easy for any dog to carry its own weight in excess of 80 kg.
But this dog understood the main thing, to go far, it is enough to walk slowly, it rarely runs. Her favorite mode of movement is the walk, sometimes turning into a calm and relaxed trot. In fact, the animal never had to play the role of a herd guide. He always had work assistants to make sure that all the cattle were heaped up and the escaped sheep was brought back. The dog was obliged to guard, and then vigilantly guard the herd along the entire route.
During the hauls, they had to cover distances of up to 30 km per day. However, this distance did not need to be run at all, it could be done with a step, adjusting to the rhythms of a person's movement. When the sheep stopped to graze, the dog lay down on the ground and regained strength, but did not weaken its vigilance, in readiness to repel the threat. Although she looks rather apathetic, she is always on the alert. As soon as something extraordinary attracts her attention, she immediately jumps up.
Manuel Dios Navara, the largest expert of this breed, wrote about the mastiff: “This dog can wait for hours, days, centuries. Complete calmness, so that it does not happen around. This is what is the most attractive feature of their character. This dog, used to living alone. For many years he knew and loved only his master and his sheep.
Undoubtedly, the "Spaniard" treats animals well, establishing a relationship of equality, trust and mutual respect. Children feel safe with him. The Mastiff loves them and allows him to do literally everything, even ride himself. But you should not allow such games, as the child can injure the back of the animal. The giant also gets along with its fellows, especially with small breeds. This cute titan loves to lie down. It is in this position that he works and he also rests, whether on the street or in the house - a real living rug. He keeps everyone and everything under control, even if only his eyes are mobile. The dog can only get up to a bowl of food. Fortunately, pets are not voracious and eat little compared to their size.
If in the house an animal plays the role of a sofa cushion, you should not think that it can constantly be in four walls. If a mastiff lives on smooth floors from childhood, he spoils his paws. It is much better for him to constantly run on the ground, to have at his disposal space where he could practice his physical skills. And although the dog does not like to run and jump at breakneck speed, you need to walk a lot with him, because he was born to overcome long distances. Its character is ideally suited for people living in the countryside.
Spanish Mastiff Dog Health
Large dogs live no longer than 10 years. The most attention is paid to the correct cultivation of the mastiff: to feed it correctly, to know the norm and the specifics of physical activity, to vaccinate on time and carry out antiparasitic treatment. Their characteristic disease is hip dysplasia. From puppyhood, you need to do an X-ray examination. In no case should the sick individuals be introduced into breeding. In this way, the transmission of the disease at the gene level can be excluded.
Spanish mastiff grooming, training
- Wool requires systematic combing with a slicker, especially during molting. Pets are not bathed often, with special concentrates.
- Ears clean only when dirty.
- Eyes need to be wiped regularly.
- Teeth taught to clean from puppyhood. For prophylaxis, they give to gnaw the cartilage.
- Claws when growing back, you need to cut it off.
- Feeding - balanced, not exceeding the norm, because excess weight can harm the dog. Ready-made feed should be of super-premium class, and natural nutrition should consist mostly of meat products, as well as be fortified.
- Walking long, walking, three times a day. It is better to keep them in a country house with the possibility of free walking.
Spanish Mastiffs lend themselves well to training. The simplest commands begin to teach the puppy from the moment he appears in your house. And then the specifics of the lessons will depend on what you want to get in the end.
Interesting facts about the Spanish Mastiff
As elsewhere in the world, the profession of a shepherd is inherited from father to son. And of course the preference for your favorite breed as well. Since ancient times, Spanish mastiffs have helped people protect herds from predators, mainly from wolves. These canines are much older than herding dogs. They not only drove cattle, but perfectly performed security functions, that is, they were universal.
In the recent past, when the living conditions of the Spanish mastiffs were rather difficult, then, as a rule, when puppies were born, a maximum of four were left, the rest were destroyed. It was believed that a bitch can only feed four kutyats. These are very large dogs and after the boys stopped feeding on mother's milk, they were fed very poorly - in fact, they were kept in a black body. They had to be light and lean for their own health. In principle, the Spaniards are right, if such a dog is overfed at an early age, then with excess weight it will constantly injure its ligaments and joints, which are not yet prepared for heavy loads.
Dogs of this breed are of late maturity. Males by three years old, and bitches a little earlier by two.
Purchase and price of a Spanish Mastiff puppy
If you want to become the proud owner of a Spanish Mastiff and take a very small puppy, you need to remember that these dogs grow up late. This is expressed in spasmodic growth. First, the paws are strongly extended, then the body and tail grow. This chaotic development lasts up to a year.
What is the difficulty of growing? One of the aspects is that they must be carried down the stairs, they must not be allowed to jump from high surfaces, and physical exertion must be very dosed. If you lead an active lifestyle and like jogging, of course these dogs will suit you, but you must remember that a Spanish Mastiff puppy must be handled very carefully and heavy loads are contraindicated for him.
These dogs love to eat and that's great. If you don't know which kid to choose, watch how they eat. There is a saying: "He who works well eats well." An active, inquisitive puppy does not need to be called twice to the bowl. The approximate price for a Spanish Mastiff can vary from $ 500 to $ 1000.
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