"EVER PRACTICAL, Washington sought to solve the problem of marauding wolves and dogs in several ways...Newenham said that he could send mastiffs, which he used as guard dogs. They are 'very fierce, faithful and long-lived,' but they are useless for hunting and killing wolves by 'pursuit'..."
The Georgia Giant Type OWE
The Georgia Giant is descended of the Spanish and Alpine Mastiff, (or mountain mastiffs of this region), brought by Spanish priests of the early Spanish Mission system as guards for the livestock that sustained the missions. These mountain mastiffs were crossed with the Alaunt type mastiffs brought by Spain during their conquest. This cross was first done during the Spanish Colonial era and was common up to the early to mid 1800's. In Georgia, this cross led to the development of what is known today as the Georgia Giant.
"Writing in the 'American Agriculturist' in 1844, during a period when people in the United States were working to improve their sheep and therefore demanding better protection from predators, J.H. Lyman recommended
the Mexican sheepdog as superior to half the humans he knew and far better at guarding and more gentle in handling sheep than any other dog. He recognized them as the mountain mastiff brought from Spain, primarily by the priests, at the time of the Conquests and said they would as easily attack and kill wolves, bears, and marauding dogs - then, as now, the most prolific killers of sheep." A Dog's History of America
The GG is a large framed dog having a thicker, longer coat with feathering on the legs, typically with rear dew claws; always white rarely having any color, skin pigment is usually poor but always black when present; thicker, fuller lips and more facial, jowl and neck wrinkling, all being solid evidence of their mountain mastiff ancestors. The rear end is relatively narrow compared to the shoulders, with a weak appearance and poor angulation. They are excellent guards of stock, farm and family, typically having a more placid nature befitting a livestock guarding dog.
The GG is a very rare strain of the OWE and can occasionally be thrown in non GG litters, additional evidence of the crossing of the mountain flock guardians to the Alaunt types of Spain, France and England. They are difficult to produce with purpose and their occurrence in litters is nearly impossible to predict, even if either parent or both parents are of the GG type.
©All Right Reserved
"Writing in the 'American Agriculturist' in 1844, during a period when people in the United States were working to improve their sheep and therefore demanding better protection from predators, J.H. Lyman recommended
the Mexican sheepdog as superior to half the humans he knew and far better at guarding and more gentle in handling sheep than any other dog. He recognized them as the mountain mastiff brought from Spain, primarily by the priests, at the time of the Conquests and said they would as easily attack and kill wolves, bears, and marauding dogs - then, as now, the most prolific killers of sheep." A Dog's History of America
The GG is a large framed dog having a thicker, longer coat with feathering on the legs, typically with rear dew claws; always white rarely having any color, skin pigment is usually poor but always black when present; thicker, fuller lips and more facial, jowl and neck wrinkling, all being solid evidence of their mountain mastiff ancestors. The rear end is relatively narrow compared to the shoulders, with a weak appearance and poor angulation. They are excellent guards of stock, farm and family, typically having a more placid nature befitting a livestock guarding dog.
The GG is a very rare strain of the OWE and can occasionally be thrown in non GG litters, additional evidence of the crossing of the mountain flock guardians to the Alaunt types of Spain, France and England. They are difficult to produce with purpose and their occurrence in litters is nearly impossible to predict, even if either parent or both parents are of the GG type.
©All Right Reserved