Rottie Bordeaux

Not much is known about the Rottie Bordeaux which is a combination of a Dogue de Bordeaux and a Rottweiler. Rottweilers are descended from Mastiff-type dogs and date back to the Roman Empire. They accompanied the Roman army around A.D. 74 across the Alps and into southern Germany. One of the towns in this area was later called das Rote Wil (the red tile) after the red-tiled villas built by the Romans. Rottweilers were used for driving cattle to town for butchering and pulling carts loaded with meat. Not much is known about the breed until 1901 when the first breed standard was written. The dogs came to the U.S. in the late 1920s. The Rottweiler was officially recognised by the American Kennel Club in 1931 while the breed was exhibited in Britain at Crufts five years later. Rottweilers are widely used as police dogs and in search and rescue. With his large muscular body and wrinkled face, the Dogue de Bordeaux is a member of the Mastiff family and originated in France’s Bordeaux region around 600 years ago. They were used for pulling carts and guarding flocks and are known for drooling and snoring. The breed is thought to predate the Bullmastiff and the Bulldog. There have been different types including the Toulouse, the Paris and the Bordeaux type. The number of dogs dwindled during both World Wars with many being killed. The breed was first exhibited in France in 1863 and they were officially recognised by the Kennel Club UK in 1997 and the American Kennel Club in 2008. The movie Turner & Hooch in 1989 was the first time many people were introduced to the breed. A Dogue de Bordeaux named Beasley played Tom Hanks’ drooling companion in the movie. Beasley died in 1992 aged 14.