Dogue de Bordeaux
It carries the largest head of any breed relative to its body. A French mastiff, gentle indoors, and its life is short even by big dog standards.
Photo by pipilongstockings, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Dogue de Bordeaux is one of the oldest French breeds, used for guarding, hauling and baiting, and it has the largest head relative to body size of any dog. It became widely known after the 1989 film Turner and Hooch, which produced a wave of poorly bred puppies.
The hard fact about this breed is its lifespan. Five to eight years is the realistic expectation, and it is one of the shortest lived breeds in existence.
Temperament
Calm, devoted and surprisingly sensitive. Dogues are deeply attached to their families, patient with children, and quiet in the house.
They are stubborn rather than driven, and they need consistent early training because a hundred and forty pound dog with its own opinion is a management problem. They are protective and naturally suspicious of strangers, and they are not aggressive by default.
Care and grooming
A short soft coat, a weekly brush, and constant attention to the facial folds, which need cleaning and drying several times a week. They drool copiously.
Hip and elbow dysplasia, dilated cardiomyopathy, and a range of cancers all occur at high rates. This is a brachycephalic breed and heat is genuinely dangerous, and bloat is a serious risk at this size and shape.
Living and exercise
Thirty to forty five minutes a day of gentle exercise, in cool weather, and very little while growing.
Anyone buying this breed should go in knowing the lifespan, because losing a dog at six is a different experience from losing one at fourteen and it is the commonest thing owners say about the breed afterwards.
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