Although they may look fairly terrifying, Mastiffs are actually very gentle and loving. They form very strong bonds with their families and are fairly good around strangers as well! However, if they feel like they or their families are being threatened, they are quick to defend themselves against the threat, making them fantastic watchdogs. They are not the best breed for first-time owners, and would better suit owners who have had experience with similar breeds. Additionally, they need plenty of training and socialisation to mature into well-rounded and happy dogs. If you put the slobber and fairly expensive food bills aside, they make lovely family pets.

Mastiffs are thought to be one of the most ancient breeds in the world, although they didn't look like they do nowadays and potentially used to be a lot larger. Records of these giant dogs date back to the 15th century, where they were originally used to guard and protect Babylonian Sculptures. Although it's thought that they could be well over 2,000 years old! It's considered that they may have originated from Asia and that it was actually Phoenician traders who introduced them into other parts of the world. In addition to this, when Romans arrived on British shores, they became very impressed with the dogs and they took them back with them to Rome. The Romans then used them as guard and hunting dogs, although they actually proved to be too good at hunting and a law was passed during Norman Time saying that all dogs must have 3 of their toes cut off to stop them from chasing the kings' deer! They have since gone up and down in popularity, through Tudor times and the Victorian period. After WW2 the breed saw it's lowest point, with only 14 remaining in the UK! Breed enthusiasts worked hard to salvage the breed and they were even able to remove some of the hereditary health issues associated with the breed. Nowadays, they are a fairly popular breed in the UK but are little known elsewhere.