Abruzzese Mastiff
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| Origin | Italy |
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| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |
The Abruzzese Mastiff (in Italian: Mastino Abruzzese; sometimes also called Pastore abruzzese, and known as "cane da Pecora" in the Abruzzi region) is a breed related to, but distinct from the Maremmano-Abruzzese (commonly called Maremma Sheepdogs in America) from the Italian region of the Abruzzi. The Mastino Abruzzese represents the original Abruzzese strain and is characterized by its larger size, some male dogs reportedly exceeding 100 kg (220 lbs) in size. Some of these dogs have been successfully employed as guardian dogs in the United States and in Norway, where reportedly they were effective in deterring predation by bears. Mastini are employed in packs of 4 to 10 (depending on the size of the flock). The pack leader is the one who will engage predators in combat more often and usually wears a spiked iron collar to defend its throat.
The Abruzzese Mastiff is a breed composed by specimens often different one from another, due to the fact that it is a Landrace and not a man-made breed. Over the last few years attempts have been made to unify this breed applying just one standard like for other dog breeds. This has led to the disappearance of several breed types of the Mastiff Abruzzese which had been selected for the specific needs of the shepherds of each region of Abruzzo. There are major morphological differences between specimens of different regions in Abruzzo. There are seven main subtypes of the Mastino Abruzzese.
This type has big head that resembles the head of a lion. Its structure is robust, the chest deep but they are not too big with its height of 70–75 cm and a weight between 40 and 60 kg. They normally have a scissors bite. These dogs are bred mostly in the Marsica region, one of the few places in Italy where brown bears (Ursus arctos) can still be found.
Specimens of this breed have an impressive structure with a big head which is longer that the Marsicano Type’s head. Its height lies between 75 and 83 cm but some specimens can grow even taller, its weight lies between 60 and 80 kg. This dog is mostly bred in villages around the Gran Sasso and in the Peligna valley. Specimens of this type look long and skinny when they are young but this aspect disappears when they are about three years old and stop developing and gain an imposing appearance. These dogs frequently have a pincher bite.
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