The name for the Spanish mastiff in Spain is Mastn Espao. People kept this big dog as it was strong and skillful and it offered good service as a guard dog as shepherds took care of sheep in the grazing areas. The Spanish mastiff is also brave and has a good reputation of defending and protecting livestock from predators like wolves and others that harm herds of livestock.
Many people now think that the origin of the Spanish mastiff is from the Greek dogs introduced to Spain in 1000 BC. The people credited with introducing the dogs were Marine traders from Greece and Phoenix who traveled to and from the Iberian Peninsula in those years. People from Greece were famous for utilizing dogs with similar characteristics of the Spanish mastiffs because of their strength and hugeness when fighting wars and battles.
During the conquest of North and South America the Spanish also used the Spanish mastiff along with other Molossers to fight the North American tribes such as the Mayans and the Aztecs. These dogs that had been trained for combat were feared by the native Indians because of their fierce nature and strength.
The visual appearance of the Spanish mastiff is that of a huge and imposing animal. It is comparable to other mastiff breeds in appearance and has a huge head which has loose folds of skin along with the characteristic double dewlap on the dog's neck.
Usually the male dog of the breed grows up to 30 inches high at the withers. It can weigh about 110 till 140 pounds. The female of the Spanish mastiff can grow up to 28 inches in height and weight from 110 till 130 pounds. Some Spanish mastiffs are identified to be double this size and are extremely large.
The muzzle of the Spanish mastiff is longer when compared to that of other mastiffs. Other than that it has drop ears that are in the shape of triangles and very small eyes. The general color of the coat is fawn or reddish but it can also range towards black, brindle and the color of a wolf's fur coat. The woolly texture of the fur keeps the dog warm along with the dense layer underneath.
The Spanish mastiff is short but strong and healthy. Its chest is similar to that found on animals with too much weight and the shape of its body is rectangular with adequate muscles and heavy, strong bones. The Spanish mastiff shares the double dewclaw characteristic of the hind feet with the Great Pyrenees breed. This dog has a low tail which has a fringed texture. This is very agile dog that moves smoothly disregarding the truth that it is large in size.
There are basically two kinds of Spanish mastiff one that is the heavy mastiff and the other that is the light mastiff known as Mastin Pesado and Mastin Ligero in Spanish.
The mastiff that weighs more is the type of mountain dog originating from the northern area of Spain and because this dog is very attractive, it can serve as a show dog. The mastiff with less weight is agile and runs faster and you can find it in the southern region of Spain. These mastiffs are not regarded as two different breeds but rather as regional breeds which are slightly different from the other Spanish mastiff.
Many people now think that the origin of the Spanish mastiff is from the Greek dogs introduced to Spain in 1000 BC. The people credited with introducing the dogs were Marine traders from Greece and Phoenix who traveled to and from the Iberian Peninsula in those years. People from Greece were famous for utilizing dogs with similar characteristics of the Spanish mastiffs because of their strength and hugeness when fighting wars and battles.
During the conquest of North and South America the Spanish also used the Spanish mastiff along with other Molossers to fight the North American tribes such as the Mayans and the Aztecs. These dogs that had been trained for combat were feared by the native Indians because of their fierce nature and strength.
The visual appearance of the Spanish mastiff is that of a huge and imposing animal. It is comparable to other mastiff breeds in appearance and has a huge head which has loose folds of skin along with the characteristic double dewlap on the dog's neck.
Usually the male dog of the breed grows up to 30 inches high at the withers. It can weigh about 110 till 140 pounds. The female of the Spanish mastiff can grow up to 28 inches in height and weight from 110 till 130 pounds. Some Spanish mastiffs are identified to be double this size and are extremely large.
The muzzle of the Spanish mastiff is longer when compared to that of other mastiffs. Other than that it has drop ears that are in the shape of triangles and very small eyes. The general color of the coat is fawn or reddish but it can also range towards black, brindle and the color of a wolf's fur coat. The woolly texture of the fur keeps the dog warm along with the dense layer underneath.
The Spanish mastiff is short but strong and healthy. Its chest is similar to that found on animals with too much weight and the shape of its body is rectangular with adequate muscles and heavy, strong bones. The Spanish mastiff shares the double dewclaw characteristic of the hind feet with the Great Pyrenees breed. This dog has a low tail which has a fringed texture. This is very agile dog that moves smoothly disregarding the truth that it is large in size.
There are basically two kinds of Spanish mastiff one that is the heavy mastiff and the other that is the light mastiff known as Mastin Pesado and Mastin Ligero in Spanish.
The mastiff that weighs more is the type of mountain dog originating from the northern area of Spain and because this dog is very attractive, it can serve as a show dog. The mastiff with less weight is agile and runs faster and you can find it in the southern region of Spain. These mastiffs are not regarded as two different breeds but rather as regional breeds which are slightly different from the other Spanish mastiff.
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Spanish mastiffs are surprisingly unknown outside their native country. Follow the hyperlink for further information about animals in Spain.
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