The Dogue's history is believed to predate the Bullmastiff and the Bulldog. It is said that the Dogue can be found in the background of the Bullmastiff, and other claim the the Dogue and the Bullmastiff breeds were both being accomplished at the same time. Some believe that the Bulldog is the building block of the Dogue, and again, another group believes that the Bulldog was used in the breeding programs further down the line. Another theory, is that it originates from the Tibetan Mastiff.

 

In France, the Dogues were bred depending on the region and jobs they were required to do.  The general appearance was inconsistent, the Dogue had various colors and varieties of coat, they had scissors bites in some regions, undershot in others, but they all had a general type similar to today's Dogues.

 

We do know the Dogue de Bordeaux was used as a guardian, a hunter, and a fighter.  They were trained to bait bulls, bears, and jaguars; hunt boars; heard cattle; and protect the homes, butchershops and vineyards of their masters. The Dogue de Bordeaux were prized as protectors and were often found in the home of the noble and wealthy of France.

 

During the French Revolution, many of the Dogues are thought to have perished with their wealthy masters during the uprising of the classes, but the Dogues of the common man must have thrived. These Dogues became the champions of the arena, and were powerful dogs bred to do their jobs and do them well.

 

It was in 1863 when the first reference of the Dogue can be found, at the first canine exhibition at the Jardin d'Acclimatation in Paris, France.  It was more of an inventory of breeds than a conformation event.  The winner was a bitch named Magentas, and the Dogue de Bordeaux was given the name of the capital of their region of origin.

 

There is not other known reference to the Dogue until the year 1883.  There was such diversity in the breed at this time, and much controversy over this. They had big heads and small heads, some were exceptionally large in body, while others very small. Some breeders preferred the scissors bite, others the undershot. The mask color was the subject of many debates and discussions. There were three styles of Dogue at this time, the Toulouse, the Paris, and the Bordeaux.  Our modern Dogue is a mixture of these different types, but is primarily Bordeaux.

 

The Toulouse was a Dogue that had almost every color in its coat, a fawnish tiger (a light brindle perhaps), with a longer body and smaller bones.  Dogues in Paris had a scissors bite, while others had a undershot of almost one inch.  Finally the breeders came together and decided upon the undershot, which is today's standard.

 

1960 to present

 

During the 1960's, Dr. Raymond Triquet headed the rebuilding of the breed, and in 1970, Dr. Triquet wrote the new standard for the Dogue de Bordeaux.  The standard has once again been updated, this time by Dr. Triquet and Mr. Tim Taylor.

 

The Dogue can also be credited to taking part in the breeding programs of two other mastiffs, the Argentine Dogo and the Tosa. Dr. Martinez, who bred "The Fighting Dogs of Cordoba" or the Argentine Dogo, used a menagerie of breeds to produce the Dogo, and the Bordeaux was used to increase the size of the head and accentuate the overall courage, strength and jaw strength.

 

During the 1930's, the Bordeaux were imported to Japan to cross with the Tosa (Fighting Dog of Japan). This increased the head size and the overall body size of the Tosa.

 

It was a Dr. Philip Todd who is credited with bringing the Dogue to the United States in the 1960's, although evidence of Dogues in the 1920's has been found.

 

Dr. Todd moved to Holland with his Dogues, and there were no other records of any in the US until 1969 when Steve and Wendy Norris, with the help of Dr. Todd, began to import Dogue de Bordeaux into the United States.

 

It was in the 1980's when the United States saw a small Dogue boom occur.  In 1986 Touchstone released Turner and Hooch, showing a big messy slobbering Dogue, which was believed to be a Bullmastiff or mutt.  In reality, it was the Dogue de Bordeaux. 

 

One must be careful when purchasing a Dogue de Bordeaux, although they are considered a rare breed, they carry a hefty price tag and are a favorite breed among the puppy farmers

History

I am fascinated in the history of the bordeaux.   From a contact in Austria, I was offered a selection of rare old kennel club and dog magazine articles featuring the early Dogue de Bordeaux.  Included are articles, photographs and early breed standards, many in French, from publications like "Le Chenil" 1893, Bylandt "Hunderassen" 1904, "L'Acclimatation" 1906,  "Vie à la Campagne" 1922, and more.  I was thrilled to be given this opportunity to home a large collection of antique literature from UK and Europe, I have scanned a small selection which I have included to the left.

Cheers

Leanne