Breed Spotlight: Dogue De Bordeaux

Turner & Hooch is a new comedy series on Disney+ Watch the trailer at the bottom of this article.

With the new release of Turner and Hooch, it seems like a good time to learn a little bit more about the Dogue De Bordeaux, the dog that has come to be known for detective work, destruction, and drool. The Dogue De Bordeaux, also known as the French Mastiff, dates back to the 15 th century in the Bordeaux region of France. Originally bred as guardian dogs, the question was soon asked “What am I supposed to do with a dog that has a monstrous skull and is at most able to carry it from the food dish to the bed?”. Since then, the Dogue De Bordeaux has been used for some farm work, such as cart pulling, but mostly for companionship.

The Dogue De Bordeaux is a very large dog, weighing in at 125 lbs to 150 lbs, and, like most large dogs, do not have a long lifespan. Sadly, they live on average about 8 years. They are considered brachiocephalic breeds, meaning that they have squished in faces like the Pug and French Bulldog, making it difficult to breathe especially in the heat. It also causes very loud snoring! So on to the question that you all are asking: Do they really drool like that? The answer is yes. Like most mastiff breeds, drool is definitely something that happens! It is not as bad as portrayed in the movie, but it is a thing! In fact, as I was typing this, one of my foster Dogues added a trail of drool to my laptop screen. Ugh. You may also want to know if they are that destructive. Well, like all dogs, each one is an individual. Any dog that is bored is likely to get into things. Fortunately, the Dogue De Bordeaux is a lazy dog for the most part, so they just need to be kept busy for a little bit and then they need a long nap.

Is a Dogue De Bordeaux right for you and your family? Only you can make that decision, but if you are looking for a dog that will take up the majority of your bed and snore a lot, it just may be! If you are looking for a Dogue De Bordeaux, please check Dogue De Bordeaux rescue at ddbrescue.org or any of the other large breed rescues as there are many amazing dogs in need of homes!