Marjorca Mastiff

Like many ancient breeds, the history of the Majorca Mastiff is largely up to speculation, but there does seem to be evidence to suggest that this breed descended from the Iberian Mastiffs brought to the Balearic Islands by King James I in the 13th century. It is believed that once arriving, they were bred with other fighting, guarding, and herding breeds but it would be centuries before enough official documentation surfaced to have a written account of their development. From the start of the 20th century, things began to move at a much faster pace. The first written mention of the breed surfaced in 1907, suggesting they may have been more well-known than first thought in the 19th century. By 1923, the Ca De Bou was listed in the Spanish stud book and by the end of the decade, the breed had already been shown in the Barcelona Dog Show. Unfortunately, like many breeds that were on the rise in this era, they were highly affected by both World War I and II, as well as the resulting famine, trimming down their already limited numbers. A breed standard was eventually developed in 1946, but it wasn't recognized by the World Canine Organization until nearly two decades later in 1964. By that time, there were no purebred dogs left and their progress was further limited by the surge in popularity of dogs like Great Danes, German Shepherds, and Rottweilers. Fortunately, the 1980s helped to turn the breed around thanks to a renewed interest and the eventual crossbreeding with the Ca de Bestiar, a large, more lab-like breed also native to the region. Since the crossing of the two was not rare, breeders stuck to those with stronger Ca De Bou lines and features. The breed was further reinvigorated in the 90s with the age of the Internet helping to familiarize and popularize the breed internationally, spreading the formation of breeding groups all over Europe. Today, their numbers are still on the rise thanks to select groups of enthusiasts, but their future health is already starting to become threatened by French puppy mills and other substandard breeders looking to capitalize on their newfound popularity.