Though they may seem big and scary to some, Dogue De Bordeaux's are nothing more than gentle giants at heart. Dogues make extremely fond and loyal pets and love nothing more than being with their 'hooman' families, getting on very well with friends and strangers a-like! However, male dogs tend to be a little bit more dominant than females which means they can get over-protective of their families, but this can easily be addressed by socializing and training your pups from an early age. They aren't the best breed to get for first time owners as they can be quite difficult to train due to their enormous size and high-intelligence, which can mean they become destructive is they become frustrated or bored. However, if you have the time, space and expertise for dealing with this large dog, you can enjoy years of fluffy and warm cuddles!

This ancient dog breed is one of the most ancient breeds that is also native to France. Dogue De Bordeaux's are also potential descendants of the 'Alan' breed, who have been described by a 14th century writer as having 'a bite stronger than three sighthounds'! It's thought they may have come about when the English ruled Bordeaux, bringing their Bulldogs and Mastiffs with them and mated them with local cattle dogs. They were relatively unknown outside of their local area, until 1863 when the first French Dog Show was held in Paris, where one of the breed was first exhibited. During WW1 and 2, the breed suffered a great deal and at the end of it all, there were only 10 breeding pairs left in the world! However, the doggy breeders have been trying their hardest and even to this day the numbers of new puppies continue to rise.