The French Mastiff, also known as "Boujski", refers to dogs with brown patches on their legs. It was originally used for hunting wild boars, and later became a sheepdog because of its intelligence and adaptability. During wartime, it was even used to transmit messages.
Its appearance is easy to confuse with a Doberman, but careful observation can reveal that its tail is longer than the latter and it has a residual toe, which can quickly distinguish them. In France, this dog is usually cropped ears.
The dog is calm, brave, alert, highly intelligent, and has a strong memory. It can coexist peacefully with cats, dogs, and other familiar animals. It has a stable temperament that will not change throughout its life. Once it adapts to its owner and family, it will be absolutely loyal and always ready to obey the owner's commands. It can control its emotions and temper well in front of children and takes the responsibility of protecting the family and property security. It does not bark without reasons and will attack without hesitation when encountering intruders. The dog prefers to be active rather than staying still and does not like to stay in the kennel, so it needs regular exercise.
The French Mastiff, originating in France in the 16th century, is one of the most famous sheepdogs in the local area. According to records, it originated in Brie, so despite the significant differences in appearance between them and Briards, their ancestors are actually the same.
Although people in other countries know little about it, it is indeed a purebred dog breed with a long history bred locally in France. It was named after the Beauce region of France.
Records from 1587 describe it, which is also the initial written description of the French Mastiff. In 1809, a priest detailed the differences between the French Mastiff and the Briard for the first time in an article. In the late 19th century, farmers raising cows and sheep held a meeting and decided to name the long-haired dogs Briards and the short-haired dogs Beaucerons (which are French Mastiffs). At the same time, Paul Megan began a series of studies on how to distinguish between these two breeds. Later, he formulated identification standards for the French Mastiff, and in 1922, the French Mastiff Club was established under his leadership. The breed standard for the French Mastiff has been improved and revised 6 times in a century, with the final revision starting on November 29, 2001.
Since the 1960s, the French Mastiff has been widely bred in France, but it has only been welcomed in countries outside France, including the United States, in recent years. Its appearance and character make it highly favored by people. French writers have even given it the label of "French Gentleman".
The French Mastiff, once adapted to its owner and family, is absolutely loyal and always ready to obey its owner's orders. The surprising sensitivity to its owner's commands makes many people believe that it is in sync with its owner's mind and is very suitable as a family companion dog.
This dog is brave, fearless, loyal, and obedient. It has strong adaptability and can live in the city. However, the prerequisite is that the owner must have enough space at home and enough time to meet its exercise needs.
1, Heart Disease
Dogs with heart disease are often associated with obesity and old age. When a dog has heart disease, it mainly manifests symptoms such as easy fatigue and difficulty breathing. Heart disease in dogs is difficult to detect, often when the owner realizes the dog is already very sick.
2, Infectious Diseases
Canine distemper and canine parvovirus are common and highly fatal infectious diseases in dogs. Dogs that have not been vaccinated in a timely manner are susceptible to these two infectious diseases, and once infected, they may show symptoms such as poor spirits, decreased appetite, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.
3, Kidney Disease
When it comes to common diseases and symptoms in dogs, it is inevitable to mention kidney disease. The horror of kidney disease in dogs lies in the fact that the onset process is often unnoticed, and when the owner discovers it, the damage to the dog's kidney cells has usually exceeded 75%. When a dog's kidneys have problems, the symptoms are generally blood in urine, abnormal urine color, and changes in urination habits.
4, Parasites
Roundworms, hookworms, and heartworms are common parasites that infect dogs. When dogs are infected with gastrointestinal parasites, the main symptoms include weight loss, depression, diarrhea, passing worms in stool, pale gums, and mucous membranes. Heartworms are parasites that live in the dog's heart. After a dog is infected, symptoms such as decreased vitality, coughing, anemia, dyspnea, and ascites may occur.
5, Canine Pneumonia
Pneumonia is also a common disease in dogs, but dog pneumonia is often a complication of other diseases. It often occurs in dogs with abnormalities in the upper respiratory tract, bacterial infections, canine distemper infections, viral influenza, impaired lung function, and heartworm infections. Coughing, nasal congestion, and increased body temperature are the main symptoms of dog pneumonia.
The French Mastiff is strong and stubborn, but very intelligent. If trained persistently and well, it will spend its entire life guarding, accompanying, and protecting its owner.
This dog cannot tolerate unfair punishment, and affection is considered the best reward.
1. Do not bathe frequently
Giving dogs a bath should not be too frequent. It depends on the dog's hygiene condition. In hot weather, you can bathe them one or two more times, while in winter, you can reduce it by one or two times. But in general, it should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage their fur and skin!
2. Brush regularly
Dogs shed almost every day, especially in spring and autumn when they shed more. To ensure good hair growth, regular brushing is an important step. Pet owners can use special combs for pets to help the dogs remove naturally shed hair and prevent tangling. Brushing once in the morning and evening for about five minutes each time is sufficient.
3. Sunbathe
Sunbathing is good for the growth of dog's fur. Besides making the fur shinier, letting dogs sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can let dogs exercise a bit, which can improve their physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier hair.
4. Deworming
Poor fur condition is closely related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body, robbing them of nutrition. Therefore, deworming is necessary. It is recommended to do both internal and external deworming. Also, deworming medicine can cause significant harm to the dog's stomach. Therefore, it is recommended to feed them with probiotics regularly to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order for dogs to have shiny fur, a good foundation of nutrition must be established, and attention should be paid to their daily diet. On the one hand, feed them with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a brand that is suitable for dogs, and meets their nutritional needs. On the other hand, you can also feed them with an appropriate amount of lean meat, boiled egg yolks, and vegetable oil.