Broholmer
A Danish mastiff that all but vanished after the Second World War and was rebuilt from the handful of dogs left. Big, calm, and still uncommon outside Denmark.
Overview
The Broholmer is a Danish mastiff, kept for centuries to guard estates and to hunt stag, and named after Count Niels Frederik Sehested of Broholm, who worked to preserve the breed in the nineteenth century.
It died out almost entirely after the Second World War and was rebuilt from the 1970s by the Danish Kennel Club from a handful of surviving dogs, which makes the current gene pool narrow.
Temperament
Calm, friendly and steady. Broholmers are notably good tempered for a mastiff, affectionate with families and generally tolerant of children and other dogs.
They are watchful rather than aggressive and they make imposing but undramatic guardians. They are slow to mature and they are strong willed in a quiet way, needing consistency rather than force.
Care and grooming
A short dense coat, a weekly brush, and moderate shedding. Straightforward.
Hip and elbow dysplasia are the main concerns, as with any giant breed, and bloat is a real risk in a deep chested dog this size. The narrow gene pool is worth asking a breeder about directly. Eight to eleven years.
Living and exercise
An hour a day of moderate exercise, and considerably less while growing.
They are calm indoors and want space outdoors. The breed is very rare outside Denmark, so acquiring one usually means importing and waiting.
Something here wrong or out of date?