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109-646: The English Mastiff , or simply the Mastiff , is a British dog breed of very large size. It is likely descended from the ancient Alaunt and Pugnaces Britanniae , with a significant input from the Alpine Mastiff in the 19th century. Distinguished by its enormous size, massive head, short coat in a limited range of colours, and always displaying a black mask , the Mastiff is noted for its gentle and loving nature. The lineage of modern dogs can be traced back to

218-456: A breed standard which is a written description of the ideal specimen of the breed. Other uses of the term breed when referring to dogs include pure breeds , cross-breeds , mixed breeds and natural breeds . Prior to the standardization of dog breeds, there were many different types of dogs that were defined by their own, unique functions. Many different terms were used to describe dogs, such as breed, strain, type, kind, and variety. By

327-461: A lncRNA variant in the IGF1 region arisen in wolves from northern latitudes c. 53.000 years ago and fixed by natural and subsequently by human selection. Their behavioral traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, retrieving, and scent detection. Their personality traits include hypersocial behavior, boldness, and aggression, which demonstrates the functional and behavioral diversity of dogs. As

436-457: A skeletal muscle developmental deficit. In population genetics , the concept of heterozygosity is commonly extended to refer to the population as a whole, i.e., the fraction of individuals in a population that are heterozygous for a particular locus. It can also refer to the fraction of loci within an individual that are heterozygous. In an admixed population , whose members derive ancestry from two or more separate sources, its heterozygosity

545-456: A "school" book about hawking , hunting, fishing, and heraldry , attributed to Juliana Berners (Barnes), lists dogs of the time mainly by function: "First there is a greyhound, a bastard, a mongrel , a mastiff, a limer, a spaniel, " raches " (small-to-medium-sized scenthounds), "kennets" (small hunting dogs), terriers , "butcher's hounds", dung-heap dogs, "trundel tails" ( lapdogs ?) and prick-eared curs , and small ladies puppies that bear away

654-450: A 0.46 kg (1.0 lb) teacup poodle to a 90 kg (200 lb) giant mastiff . The skull, body, and limb proportions vary significantly between breeds, with dogs displaying more phenotypic diversity than can be found within the entire order of carnivores. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur type and colour. The difference in size has been attributed to

763-575: A 2010 study ( Afghan Hound , Akita , Alaskan Malamute , American Eskimo , Basenji , Canaan dog , Chow Chow , Dingo , New Guinea singing dog , Saluki , Samoyed , Shar-Pei , Siberian Husky ), plus another three: the Eurasier , Finnish Spitz and Shiba Inu . The study referred to these 16 as basal breeds, as opposed to ancient breeds, as they exhibited genetic divergence but not all of them were historically considered to be "ancient breeds". The 2012 study found that modern breeds only emerged in

872-519: A Mastiff", and perhaps the first conflation of the breeds Molossus and Mastiff. When in 1415 Sir Peers Legh was wounded in the Battle of Agincourt , his Mastiff stood over and protected him for many hours through the battle. The Mastiff was later returned to Legh's home and was the foundation of the Lyme Hall Mastiffs. Five centuries later this pedigree figured prominently in founding

981-453: A bitch, Juno, bought from animal dealer Bill George , to a dog, Tiger, owned by a Captain Fenton. Neither of these had any pedigree, as was normal for the period. Between 1830 and 1850 he bred the descendants of these dogs and some others to produce a line with the short, broad head and massive build he favoured. In 1835, T.V.H. Lukey started his operations by breeding an Alpine Mastiff bitch of

1090-556: A diploid organism is hemizygous when only one copy is present. The cell or organism is called a hemizygote . Hemizygosity is also observed when one copy of a gene is deleted, or, in the heterogametic sex , when a gene is located on a sex chromosome. Hemizygosity is not the same as haploinsufficiency , which describes a mechanism for producing a phenotype. For organisms in which the male is heterogametic, such as humans, almost all X-linked genes are hemizygous in males with normal chromosomes, because they have only one X chromosome and few of

1199-536: A dog, 343 pounds (155.6 kg), was that of an English Mastiff from England named Aicama Zorba of La Susa, although claims of larger dogs, including Saint Bernards , Tibetan Mastiffs , and Caucasian ovcharkas exist. According to the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of Records , in March 1989, when he was 7 years old, Zorba stood 37 inches (94 cm) at the shoulder and was 8 ft 3 in (251 cm) from

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1308-523: A family he will permit the children to play with him, and suffer all their little pranks without offence. The blind ferocity of the Bull Dog will often wound the hand of the master who assists him to combat, but the Mastiff distinguishes perfectly, enters the field with temper, and engages in the attack as if confident of success: if he overpowers, or is beaten, his master may take him immediately in his arms and fear nothing. This ancient and faithful domestic,

1417-422: A gene often varies from one individual to another. These gene variants are called alleles . While some genes have only one allele because there is low variation, others have only one allele because deviation from that allele can be harmful or fatal. But most genes have two or more alleles. The frequency of different alleles varies throughout the population. Some genes may have alleles with equal distributions. Often,

1526-432: A genotype consisting of only a single copy of a particular gene in an otherwise diploid organism, and nullizygous refers to an otherwise-diploid organism in which both copies of the gene are missing. A cell is said to be homozygous for a particular gene when identical alleles of the gene are present on both homologous chromosomes . An individual that is homozygous-dominant for a particular trait carries two copies of

1635-436: A heavy shading caused by dark hairs throughout the coat or primarily on the back and shoulders. This is not generally considered a fault. Brindle is dominant over solid colour, other than black, which may no longer exist as a Mastiff colour. Apricot is dominant over fawn, though that dominance may be incomplete. Most of the colour faults are recessive, though black is so rare in the Mastiff that it has never been determined whether

1744-418: A heterozygote will express only the trait coded by the dominant allele, and the trait coded by the recessive allele will not be present. In more complex dominance schemes the results of heterozygosity can be more complex. A heterozygous genotype can have a higher relative fitness than either the homozygous-dominant or homozygous-recessive genotype – this is called a heterozygote advantage . A chromosome in

1853-737: A known foundation stock may still not be recognized by some clubs as breeds. For instance, the feist is a hunting dog raised in the Southern United States for hunting small game. Feists have a consistent set of characteristics that reliably differentiate them from other dog types and breeds. However, the United Kennel Club recognizes one breed of feist, the Treeing Feist , while the American Kennel Club does not recognize any feist breed. A dog

1962-764: A mastiff-like dog from Mesopotamia region during the Kassite period (mid-2nd millennium B.C.). These dogs may be related to the dogs that fought lions, tigers, bears, and gladiators in Roman arenas . Certainly an element in the formation of the English Mastiff was the Pugnaces Britanniae that existed at the time of the Roman conquest of Britain . The ancient Roman poet Grattius (or Grattius Faliscus) wrote of British dogs, describing them as superior to

2071-471: A mix of two breeds and is not the result of intentional breeding . In the United States, the term mixed-breed is a favored synonym over mongrel among individuals who wish to avoid negative connotations associated with the latter term. The implication that such dogs must be a mix of defined breeds may stem from an inverted understanding of the origins of dog breeds. Purebred dogs have been, for

2180-418: A number of health problems. A soft surface is recommended for the dog to sleep on to prevent the development of calluses, arthritis, and hygroma (an acute inflammatory swelling). Due to the breed's large size, puppies may potentially be smothered or crushed by the mother during nursing. A whelping box , along with careful monitoring, can prevent such accidents. A UK study found a life expectancy of 9 years for

2289-431: A particular environment and in isolation from other populations of the species. This environment included humans but with little or no selective breeding by humans . Homozygous Most eukaryotes have two matching sets of chromosomes ; that is, they are diploid . Diploid organisms have the same loci on each of their two sets of homologous chromosomes except that the sequences at these loci may differ between

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2398-402: A population: where n {\displaystyle n} is the number of individuals in the population, and a i 1 , a i 2 {\displaystyle a_{i1},a_{i2}} are the alleles of individual i {\displaystyle i} at the target locus. where m {\displaystyle m} is the number of alleles at

2507-414: A purebred Mastiff, experts often suggest that the dog undergo tests for hip dysplasia , elbow dysplasia , thyroid , and DNA for PRA . A Mastiff may be kept in an apartment, but care must be taken to give it enough exercise. Mastiffs should be fed two or three times a day; it is believed that one large meal per day can increase the chance of gastric torsion . There is a ceramic and paint sculpture of

2616-566: A result, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world. The most striking example of this dispersal is that of the numerous modern breeds of European lineage during the Victorian era . A genetic study identified 51 regions of the dog genome which were associated with phenotype variation among breeds in the 57 traits studied, which included body, cranial, dental, and long bone shape and size. There were three quantitative trait loci that explained most of

2725-488: A select set of ancestors who had the same characteristics. Dogs of a specific breed breed true , producing young that are very similar to their parents. An individual dog is identified as a member of a breed through proof of ancestry, using genetic analysis or written records of ancestry. Without such proof, identification of a specific breed is not reliable. Such records, called stud books , may be maintained by individuals, clubs, or other organizations. Kennel clubs provide

2834-505: A single oocyte which subsequently splits into two morula . Zygosity is an important factor in human medicine. If one copy of an essential gene is mutated, the (heterozygous) carrier is usually healthy. However, more than 1,000 human genes appear to require both copies, that is, a single copy is insufficient for health. This is called haploinsufficiency . For instance, a single copy of the Kmt5b gene leads to haploinsufficiency and results in

2943-728: A sled dog is 20–25 kg (44–55 lb) based on thermo-regulation, and the ancient sled dogs were between 16–25 kg (35–55 lb). The same standard has been found in the remains of sled dogs from this region 2,000 years ago and in the modern Siberian Husky breed standard. Other dogs were larger at 30 kg (66 lb) and appear to be dogs that had been crossed with wolves and used for polar-bear hunting. Between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago greyhound -types of dogs were depicted on pottery and paintings in Egypt and Western Asia. Mastiff -type dogs were kept for guarding and hunting, and short-legged dogs were also bred. Most modern dog breeds are

3052-400: A specific genotype. Heterozygous genotypes are represented by an uppercase letter (representing the dominant/wild-type allele) and a lowercase letter (representing the recessive/mutant allele), as in "Rr" or "Ss". Alternatively, a heterozygote for gene "R" is assumed to be "Rr". The uppercase letter is usually written first. If the trait in question is determined by simple (complete) dominance,

3161-407: A study indicated that some breed-temperaments, such as anxiety or fear, may be linked to gene mutations. Other temperaments may be due to the legacies of 'ancient' ancestry. Groups of owners that have dogs of the same breed and have an interest in dog breeding can form national Kennel clubs . Kennel Clubs maintain breed standards , record pedigrees in a breed registry (or studbook), and issue

3270-488: A typical female can weigh 120–200 pounds (54–91 kg), with very large individuals reaching 300 pounds (140 kg) or more. The former standard specified the coat should be short and close-lying. Long-haired Mastiffs, known as "Fluffies", are caused by a recessive gene — they are occasionally seen. The AKC considers a long coat a fault but not cause for disqualification. English Mastiff colours are apricot-fawn, silver-fawn, fawn, or dark fawn- brindle , always with black on

3379-419: Is homozygous-recessive for a particular trait carries two copies of the allele that codes for the recessive trait . This allele, often called the "recessive allele", is usually represented by the lowercase form of the letter used for the corresponding dominant trait (such as, with reference to the example above, "p" for the recessive allele producing white flowers in pea plants). The genotype of an organism that

English Mastiff - Misplaced Pages Continue

3488-475: Is a global organisation with 98 members and contract partners (one member per country) that recognize 356 purebreds. A dog crossbreed is the result of mating two different breeds. "Designer Dog" became a fad in the late 20th century. Dog crossbreeds are combinations of lineages of the domestic dog ; they are distinguished from canid hybrids , which are interspecific crosses between Canis species (wolves, coyotes, jackals, etc.). Notable canid hybrids include

3597-473: Is a pale brown referred to as Isabella in breeds where it is relatively common. On a Mastiff, this would appear on mask, ears, and any brindling that was present. Speculative gene locations may also exist, so a Mastiff may be "I" (apricot) or "i" (non-apricot) and perhaps "c" (silver lightening) or "C" (without silver lightening). (Note that this "C locus" may not be the same as the one identified in other animals, SLC45A2 .) The greatest weight ever recorded for

3706-399: Is a particularly large dog demanding correct diet and exercise. Excessive running is not recommended for the first 2 years of the dog's life, in order not to damage the growth plates in the joints of this heavy and fast-growing dog, which in some weeks may gain over 5 lb. However, regular exercise must be maintained throughout the dog's life to discourage slothful behaviour and to prevent

3815-740: Is a term formerly, but no longer, used for a particular group of dog breeds by the American Kennel Club. These breeds were referred to as "ancient", as opposed to modern, breeds because historically it was believed their origins dated back more than 500 years. In 2004, a study looked at the microsatellites of 414 purebred dogs representing 85 breeds. The study found that dog breeds were so genetically distinct that 99% of individual dogs could be correctly assigned to their breed based on their genotype , indicating that breeding barriers (purebred breeding) have led to distinct genetic units. The study identified 9 breeds that could be represented on

3924-638: Is attributed to Prioress Juliana Berners , but in part may be translated from the early 14th century Norman-French work Le Art de Venerie , by Edward II 's Huntmaster Guillaume Twici. In 1570, Conrad Heresbach , in Rei Rusticae Libri Quatuor , referred to "the Mastie that keepeth the house". Heresbach was writing in Latin; his work was translated a few years later into English by Barnabe Googe as Foure Bookes of Husbandrie . This work

4033-406: Is homozygous-recessive for a particular trait is represented by a doubling of the appropriate letter, such as "pp". A diploid organism is heterozygous at a gene locus when its cells contain two different alleles (one wild-type allele and one mutant allele) of a gene. The cell or organism is called a heterozygote specifically for the allele in question, and therefore, heterozygosity refers to

4142-595: Is irrelevant for them. As discussed above, "zygosity" can be used in the context of a specific genetic locus (example ). The word zygosity may also be used to describe the genetic similarity or dissimilarity of twins. Identical twins are monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos. Fraternal twins are dizygotic because they develop from two separate oocytes (egg cells) that are fertilized by two separate sperm . Sesquizygotic twins are halfway between monozygotic and dizygotic and are believed to arise after two sperm fertilize

4251-476: Is known as being "identical by state", or IBS. Because the alleles of autozygous genotypes come from the same source, they are always homozygous, but allozygous genotypes may be homozygous too. Heterozygous genotypes are often, but not necessarily, allozygous because different alleles may have arisen by mutation some time after a common origin. Hemizygous and nullizygous genotypes do not contain enough alleles to allow for comparison of sources, so this classification

4360-479: Is large with great depth and breadth, especially between the forelegs—which causes these to be set wide apart. The length of the body taken from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock is greater than the height at the withers. The AKC standard height (per their website) for this breed is 30 inches (76 cm) at the shoulder for males and 27.5 inches (70 cm) (minimum) at the shoulder for females. A typical male can weigh 150–250 pounds (68–113 kg),

4469-565: Is neither a breed registry nor does it issue pedigrees or keep addresses for breeders. It is a global canine organization with member and contract partners (one member per country) that conduct international conformation shows, working/hunting/herding trials, and various other events. The results are submitted to FCI for processing, approval and international recognition. Each of the member and contract partners issue and maintain their own pedigrees and respective breed standards, and train their own judges. FCI ensures that each member mutually recognizes

English Mastiff - Misplaced Pages Continue

4578-597: Is proven to be at least as great as the least heterozygous source population and potentially more than the heterozygosity of all the source populations. It reflects the contributions of its multiple ancestral groups. Admixed populations show high levels of genetic variation due to the fusion of source populations with different genetic variants. Typically, the observed ( H o {\displaystyle H_{o}} ) and expected ( H e {\displaystyle H_{e}} ) heterozygosities are compared, defined as follows for diploid individuals in

4687-598: Is said to be purebred if their parents were purebred and if the dog meets the standards of the breed. The American Kennel Club allows mixed-breed dogs to be shown but under the condition the animals have been spayed or neutered, are not a wolf hybrid, and not eligible for the AKC Foundation Stock Service Program or an AKC Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL). In Canada, the Animal Pedigree Act lays out strict standards for

4796-506: Is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race. His docility is perfect; the teazing of the smaller kinds will hardly provoke him to resent, and I have seen him down with his paw the Terrier or cur that has bit him, without offering further injury. In

4905-653: The Oxford English Dictionary , say the word originated from the Old French word mastin ( Modern French mâtin ), the word being itself derived from Vulgar Latin *ma(n)suetinus "tame", see Classical Latin mansuetus with same meaning. The first list of dog breed names in the English language, contained within The Book of Saint Albans , published in 1465, includes " Mastiff ". This work

5014-498: The Chinese hamster ovary cell line, a number of genetic loci are present in a functional hemizygous state, due to mutations or deletions in the other alleles. A nullizygous organism carries two mutant alleles for the same gene. The mutant alleles are both complete loss-of-function or 'null' alleles, so homozygous null and nullizygous are synonymous. The mutant cell or organism is called a nullizygote . Zygosity may also refer to

5123-517: The Fédération Cynologique Internationale ." In 2017, a study showed that 9,000 years ago the domestic dog was present at what is now Zhokhov Island , arctic north-eastern Siberia, which was connected to the mainland at that time. The dogs were selectively bred as either sled dogs or as hunting dogs, which implies that a sled dog standard and a hunting dog standard existed at that time. The optimal maximum size for

5232-682: The Galton family , famous for industrialists and scientists, including Charles Darwin . Some evidence exists that the Mastiff first came to America on the Mayflower , but the breed's further documented entry to America did not occur until the late 19th century. In 1835, the Parliament of the United Kingdom implemented an Act called the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 , which prohibited

5341-719: The Huns at the start of the 5th century. Intriguingly they were known from the Romans to live in a region (the Pontic-Caspian Steppe ) about 700 km to the north of the region where the Assyrians once lived. Again, any canine connections are speculative. The linguistic origin of the name "Mastiff" is unclear. Many claim that it evolved from the Anglo-Saxon word "masty", meaning "powerful". Other sources, such as

5450-518: The ancient Greek Molossus , saying: What if you choose to penetrate even among the Britons? How great your reward, how great your gain beyond any outlays! If you are not bent on looks and deceptive graces (this is the one defect of the British whelps), at any rate when serious work has come, when bravery must be shown, and the impetuous War-god calls in the utmost hazard, then you could not admire

5559-448: The baiting of animals. This may have led to decline in the aggressive Mastiffs used for this purpose, but Mastiffs continued to be used as guards for country estates and town businesses. Systematic breeding began in the 19th century, when J.W. (John Wigglesworth) Thompson purchased a bitch, Dorah, from John Crabtree, the head gamekeeper of Kirklees Hall , whose dogs were often held in the name of his employer, Sir George Armitage. Dorah

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5668-484: The coydog , coywolf , dingo–dog hybrid , jackal–dog hybrid , and wolfdog .   Historically, crosses between dogs of different types were more well accepted at a time when modern purebred breeds (based on the eugenics principles) did not yet exist. Some crossbred dogs, created by breeding two purebred dogs of different breeds, may have the advantage of heterosis , or crossbreed vigor. This advantage can be progressively diluted when two crossbreeds are bred in

5777-418: The fleas and diverse small sorts." A study in 2012 examined 49,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms that gave a genome -wide coverage of 1,375 dogs representing 35 breeds, 19 wolves, and previous published genetic signatures of other breeds, giving a total of 121 breeds covered. The study found a deep genetic split between old-world and new-world wolves, and confirmed the genetic divergence of 13 breeds from

5886-563: The wolf by up to 50 kg (110 lbs) on average. With a massive body, broad skull and head of generally square appearance, it is the largest dog breed in terms of mass. It is on average slightly heavier than the Saint Bernard , although there is a considerable mass overlap between these two breeds. Though the Irish Wolfhound and Great Dane can be more than six inches taller, they are not nearly as robust. The body

5995-509: The 19th century and that claims of their antiquity are based on little or no historical or empirical evidence. The study indicated that throughout history, global dog populations experienced numerous episodes of diversification and homogenization, with each round further reducing the power of genetic data derived from modern breeds to help infer their early history. Of the basal breeds, the American Eskimo Dog and Eurasier were

6104-660: The 6th century BC. This breed's first written accounts in England date back to 55 BC when Caesar noted them during his invasions. Many were sent to Italy and in the Roman Empire they became fighting dogs. The Alaunt is likely to have been another genetic predecessor to the English Mastiff. Introduced by the Normans , these dogs were developed by the Alans , who had migrated into France (then known as Gaul ) due to pressure by

6213-640: The Chatsworth line, Old Bob-Tailed Countess (bought from dog dealer Bill White), to Pluto, a large black Mastiff of unknown origin belonging to the Marquis of Hertford . The result was a bitch called Yarrow, who was mated to Couchez, another Alpine Mastiff belonging (at the time) to White and later mated to a brindle dog also in White's possession. Lukey produced animals that were taller but less massive than Thompson's. After 1850, Thompson and Lukey collaborated, and

6322-399: The English language to mention numbers of dog types are from the "Cynegetica" (hunting literature), namely, The Art of Venery (1327) by Twiti (Twici), a treatise that describes hunting with the limer (a leashed bloodhound type); the pack of running hounds , which included barcelets and brachetz (both scent hounds ); and the sighthound and greyhound . More significant in recording

6431-586: The Mastiff lost popularity but gained a consistency of type, with leaner, longer-headed specimens becoming relatively less common. Prominent among the breeders of this era who began to restore soundness were Edgar Hanbury and his relation, the politician and philanthropist Mark Hanbury Beaufoy , later Chairman of The Kennel Club, who reaching his peak as a breeder with the Crown Prince grandson, Ch. Beaufort, eventually exported to America. AKC recognition occurred in 1885. Despite such imports, Mastiff numbers in

6540-455: The Mastiff standard are ABDEh(k_or_k)mS. This describes a dog which is fawn with a dark nose, non-dilute, black-masked, non-harlequin, brindled or not brindled, non- merle , and non-spotted. To allow for the rare exceptions we must include "b" (brown mask and possible brown brindling), "d" (blue mask and possible blue brindling), "s" (pied spotting), and perhaps "a" (recessive black). The possible combination of homozygous brown and homozygous blue

6649-449: The Mastiff type. They were described by John Caius in 1570 as vast, huge, stubborn, ugly, and eager, of a heavy and burdensome body—noted for their use as guard dogs on remote estates. The naturalist Christopher Merret in his 1666 work Pinax Rerum Naturalium Brittanicarum has a list of British mammals, including 15 kinds of dog, one of which is "Molossus, Canis bellicosus Anglicus, a Mastif". Literally, "Molossus, warlike English dog,

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6758-581: The US declined steadily through the 1890s and the early 20th century. From 1906 to 1918, only 24 Mastiffs were registered in the United States. After 1910, none of these were bred in America. By the time World War I ended, other than a few exports to North America, the breed was extinct outside of Great Britain. In 1918, a dog called Beowulf, bred in Canada from British imports Priam of Wingfied and Parkgate Duchess,

6867-413: The allele is recessive or a mutation that is dominant. The genetic basis for the variability of coat in dogs has been much studied, but all the issues have not yet been resolved. On the basis of what is known (and remembering that, as dogs are diploid animals, each gene location ( locus ) appears twice in every animal, so questions of dominance also must be resolved), the gene possibilities allowed by

6976-448: The allele that codes for the dominant trait . This allele, often called the "dominant allele", is normally represented by the uppercase form of the letter used for the corresponding recessive trait (such as "P" for the dominant allele producing purple flowers in pea plants). When an organism is homozygous-dominant for a particular trait, its genotype is represented by a doubling of the symbol for that trait, such as "PP". An individual that

7085-445: The attempt to create a breed, narrowing the gene pool. The best way to continue taking advantage of crossbreed vigor is from the breeding of dogs of purebred ancestry, as this vigor is typically seen only in the first generation cross of two purebred animals of separate breeds, thus taking advantage of genetic diversity . A mongrel, mixed-breed dog or mutt is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized breed but can be

7194-563: The branches of a phylogenetic tree which grouped together with strong statistical support and could be separated from the other breeds with a modern European origin. These 9 breeds had been referred to as "ancient breeds". The study found that the Pharaoh Hound and Ibizan Hound were not as old as once believed; rather, they had been recreated from combinations of other breeds, and that the Norwegian Elkhound grouped with

7303-882: The breed club to be unacceptable (called faults ). In addition, most breed standards include a historical section, describing the place of origin and the original work done by the breed or its ancestor types . Dogs with a breed standard may be accepted into one or more of the major registries ( kennel clubs ) of dog breeds, including The Kennel Club (1873, UK), American Kennel Club (1884), New Zealand Kennel Club (1886), Canadian Kennel Club (1888), United Kennel Club (1898), United Kennel Clubs International (UCI, Germany 1976), Australian National Kennel Council (1958), and other national breed registries. Recognized dog breeds are classified by groups , such as Hound, Terrier, Working, Herding, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Toy and Miscellaneous; some groups may be further subdivided by some registries. Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)

7412-409: The breed. Major problems can include hip dysplasia and gastric torsion . Other problems include obesity , osteosarcoma , and cystinuria . Problems only occasionally found include cardiomyopathy , allergies , vaginal hyperplasia , cruciate ligament rupture, hypothyroidism , OCD , entropion , progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), and persistent pupillary membranes (PPM). When purchasing

7521-505: The breeding, exhibiting and judging of pure-bred dogs. It now has 99 member countries. According to BigThink , over 40% of the world’s dog breeds come from the United Kingdom , France and Germany . It states: " Great Britain and France are the ground zero of dog fancying, with 57 registered breeds each. Germany is not far behind, with 47 breeds. These three countries alone represent more than 40% of all dog breeds recognized by

7630-474: The different variations in the genes do not affect the normal functioning of the organism at all. For some genes, one allele may be common, and another allele may be rare. Sometimes, one allele is a disease -causing variation while another allele is healthy. In diploid organisms, one allele is inherited from the male parent and one from the female parent. Zygosity is a description of whether those two alleles have identical or different DNA sequences. In some cases

7739-461: The documenting of what it calls "evolving breeds". The breed standard for each breed of dog is a detailed description of the appearance and behaviour of an idealized dog of that breed. Included in the breed standard description are externally observable aspects of appearance and behaviour that are considered by the breed club to be the most important for the breed, and externally observable details of appearance or temperament that are considered by

7848-556: The dog–wolf genetic divergence are not known. Dogs are the most variable mammal on earth with around 450 globally recognized dog breeds. In the Victorian era , directed human selection developed the modern dog breeds, which resulted in a vast range of phenotypes. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years, and since then dogs have undergone rapid phenotypic change and were formed into today's modern breeds due to artificial selection imposed by humans. These breeds can vary in size and weight from

7957-405: The early 19th century, but the modern type was stabilised in the 1880s and refined since. Following a period of sharp decline, the Mastiff has increased its worldwide popularity. Throughout its history the Mastiff has contributed to the development of a number of dog breeds, some generally known as mastiff-type dogs or, confusingly, just as "mastiffs". It is the largest living canine , outweighing

8066-509: The end of the Victorian era, society had changed and so did the role of dogs. The form was given a more prominent role than function. Different types or breeds of dog were being developed by breeders who wanted to define specific characteristics and desirable features in their dogs. Driven by dog shows and the groups that hosted them, the term dog breed took on an entirely new meaning. Dog show competitions included best-in-breed winners, and

8175-437: The last 200 years. As a result of their adaptability to many environments and breedability for human needs, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world. A dog breed will consistently produce the physical traits, movement and temperament that were developed over decades of selective breeding. For each breed they recognize, kennel clubs and breed registries usually maintain and publish

8284-422: The late 1950s were descended from Nydia and the 14 Mastiffs previously mentioned, with each all-male bloodline going back to Ch. Crown Prince. It has been alleged that the Mastiff was bred with other more numerically significant giant breeds , such as Bullmastiffs and St. Bernards , with the justification that these were considered close relatives to the Mastiff. In 1959, a Dogue de Bordeaux , Fidelle de Fenelon,

8393-415: The modern Mastiff was created, though animals without pedigree or of dubious pedigree continued to be bred from into the 20th century. Another important contribution to the breed was made by a dog called Lion, owned by Captain (later Colonel) John Garnier of The Royal Engineers . He bought two Mastiffs from the previously mentioned dealer Bill George. The bitch, Eve, bought by George at Leadenhall Market ,

8502-495: The modern breed. Other aristocratic seats where Mastiffs are known to have been kept are Elvaston Castle ( Charles Stanhope, 4th Earl of Harrington and his ancestors) and Chatsworth House . The owner of the Chatsworth Mastiffs (which were said to be of Alpine Mastiff stock) was William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire , known to his family as Canis . Mastiffs were also kept at Hadzor Hall , owned by members of

8611-454: The modern breeds because the genetic heritage of the modern breeds has become blurred due to admixture, and the basal breeds have mostly avoided admixture with them due to geographic or cultural barriers. As dogs are a subspecies but their breeds are distinct genetic units, and because only certain breeds share the same type of cancers as humans, the differences in the genes of different breeds may be useful in human medical research. In 2014,

8720-416: The most part, artificially created from random-bred populations by human selective breeding with the purpose of enhancing desired physical, behavioral, or temperamental characteristics. Dogs that are not purebred are not necessarily a mix of such defined breeds. Therefore, among some experts and fans of such dogs, mongrel is still the preferred term. Natural breeds rose through time in response to

8829-484: The most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globally recognized breeds. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size and shape, tail phenotype , fur type, etc, but are only one species of dog. Their behavioral traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, and personality traits such as hyper-social behavior, boldness, and aggression. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within

8938-675: The muzzle, ears, and nose and around the eyes. The colours of the Mastiff coat are differently described by various kennel clubs, but are essentially fawn or apricot, or those colours as a base for black brindle . A black mask should occur in all cases. The fawn is generally a light "silver" shade, but may range up to a golden yellow. The apricot may be a slightly reddish hue up to a deep, rich red. The brindle markings should ideally be heavy, even and clear stripes, but may actually be light, uneven, patchy, faint or muddled. Piebald Mastiffs occur rarely. Other non-standard colours include black, blue brindle, and chocolate (brown) mask. Some Mastiffs have

9047-400: The origin(s) of the alleles in a genotype. When the two alleles at a locus originate from a common ancestor by way of nonrandom mating ( inbreeding ), the genotype is said to be autozygous . This is also known as being "identical by descent", or IBD. When the two alleles come from different sources (at least to the extent that the descent can be traced), the genotype is called allozygous . This

9156-458: The other European dogs despite reports of direct Scandinavian origins dating back 5,000 years. Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on form, function or style of work, lineage, or appearance. In contrast, modern dog breeds are particular breed standards, sharing a common set of heritable characteristics, determined by the kennel club that recognizes the breed. The spread of modern dog breeds has been difficult to resolve because many are

9265-441: The pedigrees and judges of all FCI members. Purebred dogs have more health problems than mongrel dogs, and require more veterinary visits, and tend to have lower longevity. Indeed, studies have reported lifespans that are shorter by between one and almost two years. Notably, dog breeds with flat faces and short noses have breathing difficulties, eye trouble and other health issues. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale

9374-693: The period between the wars and in the early days of the Second World War Those who can still be found in modern pedigrees were 12 in number, meaning the North American contribution to the gene pool after 1945 (including Buster and Buddy) consisted of 14 Mastiffs. In the British Isles during World War II, virtually all Mastiff breeding stopped due to the rationing of meat. After the war, such puppies as were produced mostly succumbed to canine distemper , for which no vaccine

9483-412: The phenotype variation. Indicators of recent selection were shown by many of the 51 genomic regions that were associated with traits that define a breed, which include body size, coat characteristics, and ear floppiness. Wolf Shar Pei Shiba Inu Chow Chow Akita Inu Basenji Siberian Husky Alaskan Malamute Afghan Hound Saluki other breeds in the study "Ancient breed"

9592-400: The pride of our island, uniting the useful, the brave and the docile, though sought by foreign nations and perpetuated on the continent, is nearly extinct where he probably was an aborigine, or is bastardized by numberless crosses, everyone of which degenerate from the invaluable character of the parent, who was deemed worthy to enter the Roman amphitheatre, and, in the presence of the masters of

9701-598: The product of the controlled breeding practices of the Victorian era (1830–1900). In 2010, a study looked at 48,000  single nucleotide polymorphisms that gave a genome -wide coverage of 912 dogs representing 85 breeds. The study found distinct genetic clusters within modern dogs that largely corresponded to phenotype or function. These included spitz-breeds, toy dogs, spaniels, Mastiff-like breeds, small terriers, retrievers, herding dogs, scent-hounds, and sight-hounds. There were 17 breeds that conflicted with phenotype or function and these were thought to be

9810-510: The products of the controlled breeding practices of the Victorian era (1830-1900), and the accurate documenting of pedigrees with the establishment of the English Kennel Club in 1873 in imitation of other stud book registries for cattle and horses. The domestic dog is the first species, and the only large carnivore , to have been domesticated. The first dogs were certainly wolflike, but the phenotypic changes that coincided with

9919-473: The purebreds were winning. Breed standards are the reason the breed came to be, and with those standards are key features, including form, function and fitness for purpose. The Kennel Club in the UK was founded in 1873, and was the world's first national kennel club and breed registry. The International Canine Federation was founded in 1911 as a worldwide organization. Its objective is to bring global uniformity to

10028-553: The recognition of distinct dog breeds, but there are many independent clubs with differing, and sometimes inconsistent standards and they need not apply scientific standards. Four varieties of the Belgian Shepherd Dog are recognised as four distinct breeds by the New Zealand Kennel Club . Further, some groups of dogs which clearly share a persistent set of characteristics and documented descent from

10137-582: The renowned Molossians so much. The turn-of-the-millennium Greek historian Strabo reported that dogs were exported from Britain for the purpose of game hunting, and that these dogs were also used by the Celts as war dogs . As far as the origin of the Pugnaces Britanniae is concerned, there is unproven speculation that they were descended from dogs brought to Britain by the Phoenicians in

10246-638: The result of crossing some of the other phenotypes. As in a 2004 study that found 9 'ancient breeds' to be genetically divergent, the study found 13 breeds that were genetically divergent from the modern breeds: the Basenji , Saluki , Afghan hound , Samoyed , Canaan dog , New Guinea singing dog , dingo , Chow Chow , Chinese Shar Pei , Akita , Alaskan malamute , Siberian husky and American Eskimo dog . The study found that there were three well-supported groups that were highly divergent and distinct from modern domestic dogs. The earliest books in

10355-455: The rules for conformation dog shows and trials and accreditation of judges. They often serve as registries , which are lists of adult purebred dogs and lists of litters of puppies born to purebred parents. A dog breed is represented by a sufficient number of individuals to stably transfer its specific characteristics over generations. Dogs of same breed have similar characteristics of appearance and behavior, primarily because they come from

10464-459: The same genes are on the Y chromosome . Transgenic mice generated through exogenous DNA microinjection of an embryo's pronucleus are also considered to be hemizygous, because the introduced allele is expected to be incorporated into only one copy of any locus. A transgenic individual can later be bred to homozygosity and maintained as an inbred line to reduce the need to confirm the genotype of each individual. In cultured mammalian cells, such as

10573-460: The term "zygosity" is used in the context of a single chromosome. The words homozygous , heterozygous , and hemizygous are used to describe the genotype of a diploid organism at a single locus on the DNA. Homozygous describes a genotype consisting of two identical alleles at a given locus, heterozygous describes a genotype consisting of two different alleles at a locus, hemizygous describes

10682-641: The tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, about the size of a small donkey . After 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records stopped accepting largest or heaviest pet records. The Mastiff breed has a desired temperament, which is reflected in all formal standards and historical descriptions. Sydenham Edwards wrote in 1800 in the Cynographia Britannica : What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff

10791-424: The two chromosomes in a matching pair and that a few chromosomes may be mismatched as part of a chromosomal sex-determination system . If both alleles of a diploid organism are the same, the organism is homozygous at that locus. If they are different, the organism is heterozygous at that locus. If one allele is missing, it is hemizygous , and, if both alleles are missing, it is nullizygous . The DNA sequence of

10900-546: The use and description of various dog types is The Master of Game (circa 1406) by Edward of York , a treatise that describes dogs and their work, such as the alaunt , greyhound, pack scent hounds, spaniel , and mastiff , used by the privileged and wealthy for hunting purposes. The Master of Game is a combination of the earlier Art of Venery and the French hunting treatise Livre de Chasse by Gaston Phoebus (circa 1387). The Book of Saint Albans , published in 1486,

11009-478: The very recent product of cross-breeding other basal breeds. Most basal breeds have hybridized with other lineages in the past. If those other lineages were other basal breeds then a basal genetic signature remains. The combination of introgression and past population bottlenecks suggested that basal breeds have little or no genetic connections to their ancestral populations and that their genetic distinctiveness does not signify ancient heritage. They are distinctive from

11118-428: The worlds, encounter the pard , and assail even the lord of the savage tribes, whose courage was sublimed by torrid suns, and found none gallant enough to oppose him on the deserts of Zaara or the plains of Numidia . The American Kennel Club sums up the Mastiff breed as: At all stages of development, the Mastiff should show the breed characteristics of massiveness and sound, if cumbersome, movement. The Mastiff

11227-407: Was also mated to Lufra, a Scottish Deerhound , and their puppy Marquis appears in the pedigrees of both Deerhounds and Irish Wolfhounds ). In the 1880s soundness was sacrificed for type, which was widely attributed to the short-headed, massive, but straight-stifled and chocolate-masked Ch. Crown Prince. This dog dominated all of his contemporaries in terms of the number of offspring. Subsequently,

11336-499: Was descended in part from animals owned by Thompson's grandfather Commissioner Thompson at the beginning of the century, as well as a Mastiff of the Bold Hall line (recorded from 1705), a bitch purchased from canal boat men, another caught by Crabtree in a fox trap , a dog from Nostal priory and another dog from Walton Hall , owned by the naturalist, Charles Waterton . J. W. Thompson's first stud dog, Hector, came from crossing

11445-465: Was developed until 1950. Only a single bitch puppy produced by the elderly stock that survived the war reached maturity, Nydia of Frithend. Her sire had to be declared a Mastiff by the Kennel Club, as his parentage was unknown, and he was thought by some to be a Bullmastiff . After the war, animals from North America (predominantly from Canada) were imported into Britain. Therefore, all Mastiffs in

11554-512: Was imported from France to the U.S., registered as a Mastiff, and became the 16th animal in the post-war gene pool. Since that time, the breed has gradually been restored in Great Britain, has reached the 28th most popular breed in the U.S., and is now found worldwide. Dog breed A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are

11663-422: Was old enough to be grey-muzzled, but of good type. The dog, Adam, was of reputed Lyme Hall origin, but bought at Tattersalls and suspected by Garnier of containing a "dash of Boarhound", an ancestral form of Great Dane . Garnier took them with him when he was posted to Canada and brought back their puppy, Lion. He was bred to Lukey's Countess to produce Governor, the source of all existing male Mastiff lines (Lion

11772-402: Was originally adapted from De Re Rustica by 1st century Roman writer Columella , which highlights the Roman connection. Certainly from Roman to medieval times, Mastiff-like dogs were used in the blood sports of bull-baiting , bear-baiting , lion-baiting , and dog fighting , as well as for hunting and guarding. Dogs known as Bandogs, who were tied (bound) close to houses, were of

11881-519: Was registered by the American Kennel Club, starting a slow re-establishment of the breed in North America. Priam and Duchess, along with fellow imports Ch Weland, Thor of the Isles, Caractacus of Hellingly and Brutus of Saxondale, ultimately contributed a total of only two descendants who would produce further offspring: Buster of Saxondale and Buddy. There were, however, a number of other imports in

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