Plate 052 · British Isles
Mastiff
英国獒犬
“Britain's ancient giant guardian, almost lost after the Second World War.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- England
- Country of origin
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Ancient English type; modern breed from the 19th century
- Today
- Guardian · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Then → Now
Then · 1900Ch. Beaufort, a celebrated Victorian Mastiff, drawn for a 1900 dog book.
R. H. Moore, in Charles Henry Lane's All About Dogs (1900) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NowPleple2000 · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons
History
01 · Origin
England
A giant English guardian probably descended from the large mastiff-type dogs kept in Britain since ancient times.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Guarded estates and property, and was historically used in blood sports such as bear-baiting.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
In the 19th century breeders added Alpine Mastiff blood to the old English type. It came close to extinction in Britain after the Second World War and was rebuilt partly with dogs from North America.
04 · Today
Guardian · Companion
A calm, dignified household guardian and companion.
Personality
- Calm
- Dignified
- Protective
- Good-natured
- Loyal
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Giant
- Lifespan
- 6–10 years
- Coat
- Short, straight, dense coat; fawn, apricot or brindle with a dark mask
Field note
Mastiffs are among the heaviest dog breeds: the AKC gives 160–230 lb (about 73–104 kg) for males.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Working Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI, The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- United States
AKC registrations: ranked 40 among breeds in 2025. In the UK only 104 were registered in 2020.
Sources2 references
- Mastiff — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/mastiff/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-07 · Registry status and AKC group; AKC recognition 1885 per AKC "Breeds by Year Recognized". Used as a registry reference only.
- English Mastiff (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Mastiff
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-07 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
Image credits
R. H. Moore, in Charles Henry Lane's All About Dogs (1900) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Pleple2000 · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.
