Many people have owned or known big dogs, from the gentle giant Great Danes to the sweet-tempered, bear-sized Newfoundlands.

It’s not easy to know what makes a good guard dog. Great Danes? They’re big but way too friendly. Greyhounds? Too quiet. What you need is a protective, vigilant, and — whether you want a ...

Male bullmastiffs weigh around 110 to 130 pounds, and females are 100 to 120 pounds — an excellent size for big, strong guard dogs. The average bullmastiff lifespan is 7 to 9 years. Bullmastiffs ...

In later times, the Mastino was trained to guard estates. Piero Scanzini was a painter who is credited with being the father of the modern Neapolitan Mastiff. He kept a large kennel of dogs and ...

Quick herding dogs were employed in place of the large guard dogs, and that style of shepherding became dominant in North America’s British colonies. Yet the big Spanish dogs were renowned for ...

Having originated in the Pyrenees Mountains as far back as the 15th century, Great Pyrenees were bred as herding dogs. Their large size ensured ... originally bred to guard sheep and they can ...