Pyrenean Mastiff

The Pyrenean Mastiff is said to have originated within the Aragonese Pyrenees region in Spain. He has descended from ancient livestock guardian dogs that have Mastiffs in their ancestry. The Pyrenean Mastiff is a large mountain breed that has been used as livestock guardians since the 1200s. Many researchers believe that the ancestors of the Pyrenean Mastiff were brought into Spain from Assyria and Sumeria by the Phoenicians. The breed slowly developed to be protectors of flocks and companions for the shepherds. He was expected to take on large predators and keep the flock safe from harm. Even though he is a large breed, the Pyrenean Mastiff is light on his feet and able to travel long distances with his flock. It is thought that the Pyrenean Mastiff worked as livestock guardian dogs and protected flocks of merino sheep up and down the Spanish side of the Pyrenean Mountains. The largest number of Pyrenean Mastiffs could be found north of the Ebro River with the Spanish Mastiff being developed and located south of the Ebro River. These two breeds have remained separate even though they lived within close proximity to each other. The breed faced extinction in the 1940s when shipping sheep by rail became more economical and the World Wars had already depleted their numbers. There is not much known about his exact origins since there is little documentation until 1977 when the Club de Mastin del Pirineo de Espana began researching the breed. The breed has been sequestered within the Aragonese Pyrenees region. This made it easier to ensure the purity of the breed. He was not removed from his native region until the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was officially recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale in 1982. The Kennel Club first recognized the Pyrenean Mastiff as the Mastin del Pireneo in 2001. The American Kennel Club accepted the Pyrenean Mastiff as a member of its Foundation Stock Service in 2014.