| Dogue de Bordeaux: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Dogue de Bordeaux personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Dogue de Bordeaux, including these excerpts:
"The Dogue de Bordeaux is quiet, calm, and relaxed -- until aroused. Don't be lulled by his bulk. He can be surprisingly athletic and agile when necessary.
This is not an apartment dog. To stay fit, he needs some space and moderate daily exercise. But more than anything else, he requires personal interaction.
Picture that massive body trying to settle itself onto your lap and an enormous tongue swiping across your face. Dogues love to be an integral part of your family.
Dogue de Bordeaux puppies should be friendly and trusting, and with proper socialization, become reserved and discriminating as they mature. As with all mastiffs, socialization is an absolute requirement to avoid either aggression or shyness.
Animal aggression can be a problem; most Dogues will not start fights, but they will surely finish them.
This stubborn breed is inclined to do things his own way, but he will respond to early, consistent training that includes firm leadership, cheerful praise, and food rewards.
The Dogue de Bordeaux has an astonishing talent for snoring, sliming, and drooling. Slobber towels should be high on your list of canine accessories."
History
Descended from the ancient (now extinct) Molosser who fought in the Roman Colosseum, this French mastiff fought bulls and bears for sport, and protected homes, butcher shops, and vineyards. Dogue simply means mastiff.
Size
23-27 inches and 100-160 lbs |
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Dogue de Bordeaux
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- Is massive and powerful
- Has a sleek easy-care coat
- Is calm and quiet indoors (as an adult)
- Needs only moderate exercise
- Makes an imposing watchdog, being serious and self-assured with strangers, yet generally mild-mannered unless aroused
A Dogue de Bordeaux may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- A huge dog who takes up a lot of space in your house and car
- A heavy dog who wants to sit on your feet, lie on your lap, and lean his weight against your leg
- Rowdiness and exuberant jumping when young
- Destructiveness when bored or left alone too much
- Aggression or fearfulness toward people in some lines, or when not socialized enough
- Aggression toward other animals
- Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
- Shedding
- Snorting, snuffling, wheezing, grunting, loud snoring
- Slobbering and drooling
- Gassiness (flatulence)
- Serious health problems and a short lifespan
- Legal liabilities (public perception, future breed bans, insurance problems, increased chance of lawsuits)
A Dogue de Bordeaux may not be right for you.
| If I were considering a Dogue de Bordeaux... |
My major concerns would be:
- Providing the proper balance of exercise. Young Dogues need enough exercise to keep them lean and healthy, but not so much that their soft growing bones, joints, and ligaments become over-stressed and damaged. Adult Dogues need more exercise to keep them in shape, but not in hot or humid weather for fear of overheating. The proper amount of exercise can be difficult to regulate in giant breeds.
Since you have to minimize their exercise, young Dogues can be very rambunctious. They will romp with uncoordinated gawkiness all over your house. You need to substitute extra quantities of companionship and supervision. Otherwise, left alone, young Dogues de Bordeaux become bored and destructive -- and their powerful jaws can literally destroy your living room.
- Providing enough socialization. Most Dogues have protective instincts toward strangers. They need extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal behaviors of "good guys." Then they can recognize the difference when someone acts abnormally. Without careful socialization, they may be suspicious of everyone, which could lead to biting. Some Dogues go in the opposite direction -- without enough socialization, they become fearful of strangers, which can lead to defensive biting.
| If you have children, I do not recommend a Dogue de Bordeaux. Young Dogues (up to about three years old) can be bulls in a china shop. When they romp and jump, they do so with great vigor, and things can go flying, including people. In addition, the Dogue de Bordeaux may try to protect his own children from other children, which could lead to tragedy if kids are simply roughhousing and your Dogue de Bordeaux decides to stop it. With such a massive dog, I wouldn't take the risk. |
- Animal aggression. Many Dogues will not tolerate another dog of the same sex, and some won't tolerate the opposite sex either. Some Dogues have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals.
- The strong temperament. Dogues de Bordeaux are not Golden Retrievers. They have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. Some Dogues are willful, obstinate, and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
- Shedding. For such a shorthaired dog, the Dogue de Bordeaux sheds more than you might think. The short, coarse hairs come off on your hands, and stick tenaciously to your carpeting, upholstery, and clothing.
- Dogue de Bordeaux sounds. Because of the short face, the Dogue de Bordeaux snorts, grunts, and snores loudly. The sounds are endearing to some people; nerve-wracking to others.
- Slobbering. Most people are not prepared for how much the Dogue de Bordeaux slobbers and drools, especially after eating or drinking. When they shake their heads, you will be toweling saliva and slime off your clothes, furniture, and walls.
- Gassiness (flatulence) that can send you running for cover. Fortunately, Dogues who are fed a natural diet of real meat and other fresh foods have much less trouble with gassiness. See my Dogue de Bordeaux Health Page for more information.
- Serious health problems. The lifespan of a Dogue de Bordeaux is short and an alarming number are crippled by bone and joint diseases and/or succumb to cancer in middle age.
- Legal liabilities. The Dogue de Bordeaux may be targeted for "banning" in certain areas, or refusal of homeowner insurance policies. Your friends and neighbors may be uncomfortable around this breed. In this day and age, the legal liabilities of owning any breed that looks intimidating and has a history as a guard dog should be seriously considered. People are quicker to sue if such a dog does anything even remotely questionable.
| Frankly, most Dogues are "too much dog" for the average household. Very few people really have the knowledge, facilities, or skills necessary to manage this breed. |
| Not all Dogues de Bordeaux are alike! |
- There are energetic Dogues, and placid Dogues.
- Hard-headed Dogues, and sweet-natured Dogues.
- Serious Dogues, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Dogues, and Dogues who love everyone.
| If you acquire a Dogue de Bordeaux puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
| If you're considering an adult Dogue de Bordeaux... |
There are plenty of adult Dogues who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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