BRIEF HISTORYThis is a featured page

ANCIENT DOGUES
THE DOGUE DE BORDEAUX WITH ITS DEEPLY LINED FACE RESEMBLES A TIRED, AGEING PRIZE FIGHTER. THE COMPARISON IS FITTING BECAUSE THE DOGUE DE BORDEAUX (DDB) WAS ONCE USED AS A FEROCIOUS FIGHTING DOG TRAINED TO ATTACK BULLS, BEARS, JAGUARS AND OTHER DOGS. TODAYS BREED APPEARS AS INTIMIDATING AS ITS ANCESTOR, HOWEVER IT IS A CALM AND GENTLE CREATURE, LOYAL TO ITS MASTERS AND PATIENT WITH CHILDREN.
DURING THE MIDDLE AGES THE BREED WAS CONSIDERED A BRUTAL AND EXPENDABLE BEAST. GASTON PHOELEUS, A FOURTEENTH CENTURY FRENCH WRITER DESCRIBES THE DOGUE AS FOLLOWS.
''WITH THEIR THICK HEADS, THICH LIPS AND LARGE EARS, THEY ARE WELL SUITED TO HUNTING BEARS AND PIGS BECAUSE THEY ARE STUBBORN. THEY ARE HEAVY AND UGLY AND IF A WILD BOAR WERE TO KILL THEM IT WOULD BE NO GREAT LOSS.''
BY THE END OF THE MIDDLE AGES, THE FORMIDDABLE DDB HAD ACQUIRED A NEW AND MORE RESPECTABLE OCCUPATION AS A WORKING DOG. BUTCHERS USED THE DOG TO DRIVE THEIR CATTLE TO THE MARKET. THIS ROLE EARNED THE DDB ITS LASTING NICKNAME AS 'THE BUTCHERS DOG'. FROM THE LOWLY MEAT SELLERS SHOP THE DDB ASCENDED TO THE ESTATES AND MANSIONS OF THE WEALTHY AND ARISTOCRATIC. THE RICH PRIZED THE DOGUES AS PROTECTORS WHOSE VIGILANCE AND COURAGE DETERRED THEIVES AND INTRUDERS. THIS PATRONAGED MAY HAVE SAVED THE BREEDS REPUTATION BUT IT ALMOST BOUGHT ABOUT ITS EXTINCTION DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION IN 1789 WHERE MANY OF THE FAITHFUL AND FEROCIOUS GUARD DOGS PERISHED WITH THEIR MASTERS. FORTUNATELY THE BUTCHERS DOGS SURVIVED IN SUFFICIENT NUMBERS TO PERMIT THE BREED TO CONTINUE. UNTIL RECENT YEARS THE COMPETITION FROM OTHER MORE POPULAR WATCHDOGS SUCH AS THE BOXER AND THE GREAT DANE KEPT ITS NUMBERS EXTREMELY LOW. TODAY HOWEVER THE DDB IS ENJOYING A REVIVAL IN POPULARITY THANKS TO THE GROWING RECOGNITION OF ITS GENTLENESS AND DEVOTION.

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slobbachops 		Latest page update: made by slobbachops , Sep 10 2007, 11:23 PM EDT (about this update About This Update slobbachops Edited by slobbachops


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