History Of Mastiff-Type Dogs

Archaeology has revealed dog remains of various sizes but there does not appear to have been distinctive breeds until 3,000-4,000 years ago when greyhound-type dogs were depicted on pottery and paintings in Egypt and Western Asia. Mastiff-type dogs were kept for guarding and hunting, and short-legged dogs were also bred. By Roman times, most of the breed-types known today were well-defined and their qualities and functions recorded. Dog breeds proliferated in Europe during the Middle Ages 700 years ago.[2] Most modern dog breeds are the products of the controlled breeding practices of the Victorian era (1830-1900),[3][4] and the accurate documenting of pedigrees with the establishment of the English Kennel Club in 1873 in imitation of other
stud book registries for cattle and horses.[5]