Dogue de Bordeaux

Despite his powerful and impressive build, this molossian is affectionate and close to his social group. In this sense, he is a very good everyday-life companion, and always seeks out his masters’ attention and affection.

Not very athletic by nature, this Dogue will happily participate in play sessions, but these shouldn’t include excessive physical effort.

The Bordeaux dog, as it is also known, is a rather tranquil dog who does not require much exercise to be fully content. This calm breed calls for a gentle, patient, and respectful owner.

Despite his appearance, this mighty dog is rather malleable, and readily concurs with his master’s various commands, as long as they seem coherent to him.

With this Dogue, the predatory instinct is only slightly developed. He definitely prefers to stay by his owner’s side to protect him rather than to leave in search of potential prey.

Very protective of his kin, the French Mastiff remains very withdrawn when he meets a stranger. He needs time to give his trust and the slightest incoherence in a stranger’s approach could trigger the excellent watchdog within him.

This big molossian of impressive constitution is very attached to his owners and enjoys spending time with them more than anything else. This breed will be unhappy if left alone and excluded from family life.

The Bordeaux dog is a sensitive dog who, under any circumstances, prefers being surrounded by members of his social group rather than to be isolated. Loneliness doesn’t agree with him at all and he could prove to be destructive during prolonged absences. 

A precocious and progressive training of managing time when left alone must be implemented a soon as the Dogue de Bordeaux pup integrates the home.

Given his overpowering constitution, the Dogue de Bordeaux must be trained and socialised from his youngest age, in order to prevent any extreme behaviour from emerging later on in adulthood. 

The males can be more difficult than the females but their will to please their owners and spend time with them renders training sessions pleasant and productive.

The key points to be worked on are walking on a leash without pulling (keeping in mind the dog’s strength as an adult), teaching ‘go to your spot’ to prevent any rough reactions towards guests, as well as supervised, positive, and regular encounters with his fellow dogs, in order to develop and reinforce a ‘canine code of conduct’. 

Positive reinforcement should of course be put in place, but training should not under any circumstance be laxist. Firmness, diligence, and patience are key in achieving results with this dog, who tends to be difficult if all three of the latter elements are not applied.

The strength, courage and determination of this dog mean that he does not have to resort to barking in order to deter potential intruders or chase them away. In fact, barking is very rare for this breed. 

Moreover, despite his strong watchdog instinct, the French Mastiff- as dubbed by the Anglo Saxons- only pays very little attention to what happens outside of his home grounds. He decidedly isn’t the type to bark as soon as a car or person passes by in the street.

Once again, his guardian instinct is such that the idea of taking off is unimaginable to this powerful molossian.

In view of his strength and dislike of solitude, this dog can prove to be destructive when searching for ways to take out his frustrations, or keep busy.

Also, as is the case for most dogs, it is first and foremost when he is a pup that the Dogue de Bordeaux will be most destructive, particularly while teething or testing the boundaries of what is allowed.

A food-lover, this molossian will never refuse his share of food nor a good snack in exchange for good behaviour. This makes this dog potentially vulnerable to weight gain, and therefore necessitates close supervision.

An ancient fighting dog, the Dogue de Bordeaux is gifted for guardianship, which he carries out with caution and courage, but without being aggressive. 

This born watchdog knows how to tell the difference between guests and intruders, and certainly knows how deter someone if necessary. 

Very loyal and reliable, you can count on this molossian to guard the house as well as its occupants!

Of course, given his somewhat imposing constitution, the Dogue de Bordeaux is a dog who requires space. However, the fact that he is not very keen on physical exercise does not necessarily require wide open spaces. 

Having said that, a house with a garden will always be preferable, as it would allow the dog to regularly get some air.

Still, whether this dog has regular access to the outside or not, he will have to benefit from daily walks beyond the confines of his house, and at least twice a day (or more, especially if the dog lives inside).

Two outings a day could be enough to respond to the needs of this moderately-active dog, but he requires walks regardless. 

The walks help him expend his physical, mental and social energy, explore his sense of smell, and also reinforce the intraspecific master-dog relationship and consolidate his training (walking on a leash, hailing, freezing, etc.). 

Some tracking and obedience activities could be proposed to this dog who loves spending time with his master. Beware of canine activities that require overly intense physical effort, they are not at all suitable for this molossian.

Walking with the Dogue de Bordeaux is completely doable, and will in fact help him become a balanced and socialised dog, but travel can be complicated. 

The car must be able to accommodate a transport crate that is adapted to the dog’s size. Travel by train requires being muzzled and attached to a leash (which goes for all medium to big-sized dogs). On the plane just as much as in the car, a transport crate fulfilling required norms will be necessary (and at times very expensive), and the dog will have to travel in the hold. 

Regrettably, the atypical physical appearance of this dog often scares people and he is often perceived (in many people’s minds) as one of the categorised and therefore potentially dangerous dogs. This does not quite facilitate travel. 

Last but not least, the physical particularity of this dog’s muzzle, his brachycephaly (flat nose), does not allow him to stay in confined spaces for too long without suffering respiratory consequences.

The Dogue de Bordeaux can absolutely cohabitate with cats in peace, but for that relationship to be at its best, it is indispensable that both animals are accustomed to one another in a precocious and positive manner, from the pup’s youngest age- most preferably before it turns 3 months old.

As is the case with cats, a good relationship with fellow canines will only be possible if the Dogue de Bordeaux pup has been exposed to a precocious and decent socialisation. 

In fact- and especially within the pup’s first three months at least- supervised, positive and regular encounters must be arranged in order to meet the dog’s social needs, but also to develop and reinforce his canine code of conduct, which is essential to his equilibrium.

Following this, once he is an adult, the encounters must continue to take place, because even if well socialised as a pup, if he is not exposed to encounters with his fellow canines for long stretches of time, he will simply become an unsocialized adult dog. 

Last but not least, be wary of alpha males who might have difficulties in getting along with dogs of the same sex.

The Dogue de Bordeaux, despite his impressive constitution, is very gentle and considerate towards children. He is, in a fact, a very good family dog who can integrate a household with children without a problem. 

You should still be careful as, given his size, he could accidentally be too rough with certain children, especially the youngest ones. Some rules of conduct must therefore be established with children, such as:

• Do not play with the dog without the parents’ approval
• Leave the dog be when he is sleeping
• Do not disturb him when he’s in his bed
• Do not feed him from the table 
• Don’t tease him, pull his fur, climb on top of him, etc.

The Bordeaux dog is suitable for a wide range of people, as long as they are capable of meeting his needs with coherence, and can be available enough to take him out on regular walks.

Various kinds of families would suit this molossian, but the elderly do not seem to be compatible with the size and force of this dog. What’s more, despite his moderate expenditure needs, this mastiff is not made for a sedentary lifestyle.

This dog has a heart of gold- he is affectionate, tender and friendly with members of his social group. In this sense, he can be a good first-time owner dog. Be wary of his strength though, which, if not reined in, can cause damage. 

Novice owners who are too permissive could quickly become overwhelmed by this dog. If he sniffs out a weakness, this molossian will not hesitate to take advantage of it.