Origin: This ancient French mastiff breed first came to the attention of North Americans when it starred in the hit movie Turner and Hooch with Tom Hanks. In olden days, the Dogue de Bordeaux was used as a fighting dog and pitted against bears, bulls and wolves. It was believed to have been brought into the Bassin Aquitain by the Romans. Now it enjoys a gentler lifestyle as a guardian of the home.

Temperament: The Dogue de Bordeaux assumes guardian duties with vigilance and courage but without aggressiveness. An even-tempered breed that enjoys human companionship, these dogs become very loyal to their families.

Activity level: Calm and quiet by nature, the Dogue de Bordeaux benefits from regular exercise and enjoys long walks with its owner.

Height/Weight: Similar in size and conformation to the Bullmastiff, the Dogue de Bordeaux averages about 27 in (69 cm) in height and weighs approximately 120 lb (54 kg).

Coat: The coat is short and smooth.

Colour: The Dogue de Bordeaux is distinguished by its attractive colouring that may be mahogany (red-brown), fawn or golden. Some dogs may have black masks but the red mask is more historically correct and preferred.

Grooming: Grooming is minimal.

History:

    The Dogue's history is believed to predate the Bullmastiff and the Bulldog. It is said that the Dogue can be found in the background of the Bullmastiff, and other claim the the Dogue and the Bullmastiff breeds were both being accomplished at the same time. Some believe that the Bulldog is the building block of the Dogue, and again, another group believes that the Bulldog was used in the breeding programs further down the line. Another theory, is that it originates from the Tibetan Mastiff.
    Dr. Raymond Triquet is quoted as saying: "It is often said that the common stem of all European Dogues was a big dog coming from the confines of India and China, more than 3000 years ago, and by stages would have gone from Thibet to Mesopotamia, there, where begins the history of men, then to Epire, small kingdom of ancient Molosse; then to Rome and from there to Gaule. He would have made this long journey by the side of conquerors, warriors, and merchants.  It is possible that this prestigious connections part true, but let us not forget the fact, maybe preponderant, that archeologists have found in the land that would become France, bones of dogs dating from prehistory, bones that were those of a Dogue." 
    There are notions that the Dogue has ties to the Alano, an extinct dog of Spain, similar in many ways to the Bordeaux. It is said that this dog was brought to Europe by the Alans, an Oriental tribe.  It is also said the Bordeaux is related to the Greco-Roman mollosids used for war, as there was a breed similar to the Dogue de Bordeaux in Rome at the time of Julius Caesar's reign.  This would make the Dogue a cousin to the Neapolitan Mastiff. Yet another theory suggests that the Dogue is a descendent of a breed which existed in France a long time ago. 
    In France, the Dogues were bred depending on the region and jobs they were required to do.  The general appearance was inconsistent, the Dogue had various colors and varieties of coat, they had scissors bites in some regions, undershot in others, but they all had a general type similar to today's Dogues.
    We do know the Dogue de Bordeaux was used as a guardian, a hunter, and a fighter.  They were trained to bait bulls, bears, and jaguars; hunt boars; heard cattle; and protect the homes, butchershops and vineyards of their masters. The Dogue de Bordeaux were prized as protectors and were often found in the home of the noble and wealthy of France.
    During the French Revolution, many of the Dogues are thought to have perished with their wealthy masters during the uprising of the classes, but the Dogues of the common man must have thrived. These Dogues became the champions of the arena, and were powerful dogs bred to do their jobs and do them well.
      It was in 1863 when the first reference of the Dogue can be found, at the first canine exhibition at the Jardin d'Acclimatation in Paris, France.  It was more of an inventory of breeds than a conformation event.  The winner was a bitch named Magentas, and the Dogue de Bordeaux was given the name of the capital of their region of origin.
    There is not other known reference to the Dogue until the year 1883.  There was such diversity in the breed at this time, and much controversy over this. They had big heads and small heads, some were exceptionally large in body, while others very small. Some breeders preferred the scissors bite, others the undershot. The mask color was the subject of many debates and discussions. There were three styles of Dogue at this time, the Toulouse, the Paris, and the Bordeaux.  Our modern Dogue is a mixture of these different types, but is primarily Bordeaux.
    The Toulouse was a Dogue that had almost every color in its coat, a fawnish tiger (a light brindle perhaps), with a longer body and smaller bones.  Dogues in Paris had a scissors bite, while others had a undershot of almost one inch.  Finally the breeders came together and decided upon the undershot, which is today's standard.
    In 1895 a few breeders tried to establish the Dogue in England, and also that year, John Proctor or Antwerp, who had judged the Dogue de Bordeaux,  published an account of his experiences with the "fighting dogs of the South of France" in the magazine, The Stock Keeper. 
    In 1896, Pierre Mengin put together a synthesis of the best Dogue de Bordeaux shown and know from 1863-1895.  He published Le Dogue de Bordeaux, that featured a description and characteristics true to the Dogue.  This effort, put forward by Mr. Brooke, Mr. Mengin, Dr. Wiart, and a group of authorities in France, was the first standard of the Dogue de Bordeaux.
    In 1897, Henry de Bylants work, The Breeds of Dogs, introduced the breed standard to the world of dog breeders.  J. Kunstler, Professor of Comparative Anatomy of the Science Facility of Bordeaux, studied the Dogues in 1907 and in 1910 published A Critique Etude du Dogue de Bordeaux (A Critical Study of the Dogue de Bordeaux).
    During the 1960's, Dr. Raymond Triquet headed the rebuilding of the breed, and in 1970, Dr. Triquet wrote the new standard for the Dogue de Bordeaux.  The standard has once again been updated, this time by Dr. Triquet and Mr. Tim Taylor.
    The Dogue can also be credited to taking part in the breeding programs of two other mastiffs, the Argentine Dogo and the Tosa.
    Dr. Martinez, who bred "The Fighting Dogs of Cordoba" or the Argentine Dogo, used a menagerie of breeds to produce the Dogo, and the Bordeaux was used to increase the size of the head and accentuate the overall courage, strength and jaw strength.
    During the 1930's, the Bordeaux were imported to Japan to cross with the Tosa (Fighting Dog of Japan). This increased the head size and the overall body size of the Tosa.
    It was a Dr. Philip Todd who is credited with bringing the Dogue to the United States in the 1960's, although evidence of Dogues in the 1920's has been found.
    Dr. Todd moved to Holland with his Dogues, and there were no other records of any in the country until 1969 when Steve and Wendy Norris, with the help of Dr. Todd, began to import Dogue de Bordeaux into the United States.
    It was in the 1980's when the United States saw a small Dogue boom occur.  In 1986 Touchstone released Turner and Hooch, showing a big messy slobbering Dogue, which was believed to be a Bullmastiff or mutt.  In reality, it was the Dogue de Bordeaux. 
    The Dogue was brought in to the country mainly by dog brokers, and many people received below par stock.  But thorough the years, the Americans have improved this stock, with selective and careful breeding, to have some of the finest Dogues in the world.
    Today there are breeders of Dogue de Bordeaux that stretch form New Jersey to California, Texas to North Dakota.  One must be careful when purchasing a Dogue de Bordeaux, although they are considered a rare breed in the US, they carry a hefty price tag and are a favorite breed among the puppy millers.
    The Dogue is not yet a recognized AKC breed, and they may be in the far, or near feature.  They are recognized world wide by the FCI, and are a UKC recognized breed.  There are a myriad of rare breed shows for the Dogue, that they are eligible to compete in.

Appearance and Temperament:

    The Dogue is classified as Molossoidae Brachycephalus.  The FCI standard is quoted as saying "It is a powerful dog with a muscular body, while retaining a harmonious outline. They are built close to the ground...They are stocky, athletic, imposing and has a very dissuasive aspect." 
    Breeders recognize the red, black, and no mask varieties, but unfortunately, in the United States as well as abroad, the consensus is the red mask, which Deiter Fleig notes is the result of a mutation. 
    We must always remember the Dogue's original purpose was to and protect.The Dogue is sweet and even tempered, it protects what is theirs, including their owners.  The Dogue is devoted to its family and friends, and it is very important to socialize the Dogue in its early stages of life.
    Remember that even though the body is large, the mind is till young. It is common for a 7 month old puppy to knock over the largest man while playing, or attacking.
    They are stubborn, and arrogant, yet once they learn a command or task, they rarely forget it.  They possess a dominate nature, "To ignore this aspect of this breeds temperament would be to produce atypical and so inferior Bordeaux Dogue."  (Carl Semenic).
    They have a keen sense of smell and hearing and are intelligent and balanced.  They are also a product of their environment.

Health Concerns:

    The Dogue lives on an average of 8-10 years. Hip dysplasia is the most common problem of the breed. There are a small number of breeders who OFA certify and Penn HIP Certify their Dogues, but unfortunately there are breeders who still refuse to do this.  Thus, continuing to breed unsound, inferior Dogues with bad hips.  The battle to eliminate the problem is constantly in jeopardy.
    In France at one time, the Dogue de Bordeaux was tested for hip dysplasia in the following manner:
    "At two years of age, any Dogue that displays the physical and temperamental characteristics required for possible use in a breeding program is made to jump a fence that stands three feet high.  Any Dogue that cannot easily clear the fence is excluded from any breeding plans."  (Carl Semenic)
    Heart murmurs and skin disease are other problems with the Dogue.  Heart murmurs can be attributed to the small gene pools that composes our Dogues today.  Demodex mange. in a skin problem rarely discussed among breeders.  This is a mite that naturally lives on all dogs, when the immune system is low, the mites feed faster than the body can reproduce cells, and they take over.  Often this is mistaken for staff infection unless skin scrapings are done.
    The Dogue de Bordeaux is a fast growing dog, puppies can gain 2-4 pounds a week at average and may experience Eosinphilic Panosteitis, (Pano) or growing pains, or wandering lameness.  Pano is an acute lameness unrelated to trauma, it shifts from one location to another and is accompanied by a fever.
    Dogue de Bordeaux are also prone to bloat, twisting of the stomach, which could lead to death.  Excessive exercise and excitement after eating and drinking can cause bloat.
    The Dogue needs a lot of exercise to develop its muscle structure.  Young pups get allot of their exercise from play, but as the Dogue gets older, it is very important that they receive the proper amount of exercise.