The Dogue de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Mastiff, French Mastiff or Bordeauxdog is a French Mastiff breed and one of the most ancient French dog breeds..They are a typical brachycephalic molossoid type breed. Bordeaux are very powerful dogs, with a very muscular body. This brawny breed has been put to work in many different capacities, from pulling carts and hauling heavy objects, to guarding flocks and, historically, the castles of the European elite.
The Dogue de Bordeaux is a well balanced, muscular and massive dog with a powerful build. The Dogue's size should come mostly from width and muscles, rather than height. The breed is set somewhat low to the ground and is not tall like the English Mastiff. The body of the Dogue de Bordeaux is thick-set, straight top-line and a gentle rounded croup.
The front legs should be straight and heavy-boned, well up on pasterns, down to tight cat like feet. The straight tail begins thickly at the base and then tapers to a point at the end. It should not reach lower than the hocks. The tail is thick at the base and tapers to the tip and is set and carried low. The breed is to be presented in a completely natural condition with intact ears, tail, and natural dewclaws.
It should be evaluated equally for correctness in conformation, temperament, movement, and overall structural soundness. The breed standards by European FCI and the American Kennel Club specify a minimum weight of 100 pounds (45 kg) for a female and 115 pounds (52 kg) for a male. There is no formally stated maximum weight, but dogs must be balanced with regard to their overall type and the conformation standards of the breed.
The standard states that the desirable height, at maturity, should range between 23 1⁄2 to 27 inches (60 to 69 cm) for male dogs and from 22 1⁄2 to 25 1⁄2 inches (57 to 65 cm) for females. Deviation from these margins is considered a fault. The Dogue has a mean litter size of 8.1 puppies (range 2-17. The breed has a high stillborn and early neonatal mortality rate.