Belgian Mastiff

The Belgian Mastiff — the Mâtin Belge — is a draught breed that pulled carts through Belgian towns until motor transport replaced it.

History

It hauled milk, bread and goods carts across Belgium and northern France, work that was regulated by law and that ended when motor vehicles arrived. The breed was effectively extinct by the mid-twentieth century, and modern dogs come from a reconstruction effort using related mastiff types.

Temperament

The breed is described as calm, strong and steady, bred for patience in traffic and around people rather than for guarding or hunting.

Care and training

It needs moderate exercise and space. The short coat is easy to keep. As with any large reconstructed breed, temperament varies with the lines behind an individual dog.

Health

Little is documented as specific to the breed, which reflects both its near-extinction and the reconstruction; large builds carry the usual joint concerns. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.