Dogue de Bordeaux Puppies Blog

I would say yes, if you would like to have an excellent watch or guard dog for you and your family. The Dogue de Bordeaux (also known as the French Mastiff) is a powerful and courageous dog that must be well socialized in the early ages, otherwise they can become aggressive and rude in the future. Maybe you can deduct, that this dog is never advised for the novice, beginner dog owners as it requires loads of care and a dominant owner.

The coat of this dog is short and soft, therefore it requires minimal care – a weekly grooming will do. The Dogue de Bordeaux is a very healthy breed, so only infrequent visits to the vet are required.

Training of this dog is not too hard, although must be done with consistency, reward and firmness, otherwise the dog can get over dominant and aggressive.

All in all, this dog requires an experienced dog owner, who will be able to take care of this fearless and courageous breed and will be able to provide enough activity, exercise and a large, fenced yard for this dog.

I hope this short article will be able to help you decide whether the Dogue de Bordeaux is the best breed for you.

Dogue de Bordeaux dogs are very loyal and affectionate companions if handled properly. First of all, these dogs have be trained and socialized from a very early age to avoid being aggressive against strangers. Being suspicious make them a perfect watchdog – but on the other hand you have to pay attention not to get aggressive.

The other key for being able to live together happily with a French Mastiff is to keep in my mind its natural instincts. These dogs always live in a pack – a pack, which can have only one leader. This leader has to be you. A pack leader is respected and beloved, and this can not be achieved by force. You have to be self-consistent and strict. But once you achieve the respect of the dog and it accepts you as a pack leader, your French Mastiff will be extremely loyal and protective.

Having one Dogue de Bordeaux is fun. So does having a second one double the fun? Not really, it’s this kind of situation that “the more the merrier” motto doesn’t apply, especially if you have two males. Now if you are at the park with your dog on a leash, he will behave normally around the presence of other dogs. However that is in public.

Having two male Dogue de Bordeaux in the same home is another story. Since these dogs are known to be very territorial as well as aggressive towards other male Dogues, it is a strong suggestion not to have them together for it will definitely be messy and violent. It is recommended to have a male and female, and have them fixed as well. This is known to reduce any aggressiveness and lessen the chances of any fights breaking out.

Owning a Dogue de Bordeaux is like owning a Harley Davidson; it is powerful and can be overwhelming but yet all features harmonize to a well tuned canine machine. Their bodies are muscular and are capable of overpowering their owners with relentless strength. But one should also note that the breed is very affectionate with family and needs to be in contact with them.

Living conditions are important to assess prior to getting a Dogue de Bordeaux. Country living is perfect for them. As they are an athletic breed, running freely and having their own space is vital to meeting their exercise needs. They are also resilient and endure the weather outside. City living is also manageable however a small yard is not enough; a large yard is great. Generally, the dog can be lazy and be a couch potato at times. But when the urge comes for them to release their energy, watch out.

The 14th century France was already familiar with the Dogue de Bordeaux breed. Originally bred as a fighting dog, the breed was popular in the 19th century; especially in the Bordeaux region of France. Hence that is where it got its name from. The standard of the breed did not fully develop until 1920. Darker masks were believed to be a result of crossing it with the Mastiff and the real breed standards as dictated by the French stated that the mask should be of a light red color. Only red-masked Dogue de Bordeaux’s were considered to the purest of the breed. The Dogue de Bordeaux breed comes in two varieties. These include the well-known Dogues and the less-know Doguins. The Dogues are considerd to be much larger, while the Doguins represent a smaller variety of the breed. The Doguin standard has been largely neglected as few breeders make it their life-work to perpetuate their gene-pool. They face near extinction, if further negelected. Hopefully there will be new initiatives to maintain the standard of the Dogue de Bordeaux and to keep this interesting and amazing breed alive within and outside of France!