American Mastiff

There are at least two lines of dogs competing for the breed name American Mastiff; neither is recognized by any major English-language kennel club, although the Flying W American Mastiff is recognized by the Continental Kennel Club.

One line is the dryer-mouthed American Mastiff, developed by the Flying W Farms kennel. Flying W Farms has bred English Mastiffs for decades, but noticed several negative health characteristics incumbent within the breed, namely hip dysplasia, excessive drooling, a shorter lifespan, and chronic elbow and knee problems, although it is important to keep in mind that not all English Mastiffs suffer from these ailments. During World War II, English Mastiffs nearly vanished from England; with resources limited due to the war effort, it became unpopular to feed a dog quantities of food that could feed an active soldier. Following the war, the English Mastiffs breed began to recover in North America, but perhaps due to the dramatic narrowing of the breed's bloodlines, many of these negative health traits began appearing more frequently. In order to correct these faults, Flying W Farms crossed the English Mastiff with an Anatolian Shepherd and engaged in aggressive medical screening of its sires and dams. Flying W Farms American Mastiffs are 7/8 English Mastiff and 1/8 Anatolian Shepherd.

This resulted in a breed that looks exactly like the English Mastiff but without the excessive drooling that is common in the English Mastiff. This American Mastiff loves children and are devoted to their families. These are loyal and calm dogs. They are generally non-aggressive except when their family is threatened. In those instances they become fierce and courageous guard dogs. American Mastiffs generally weigh between 150 and 250 pounds.

The second line is sometimes called the Panja American Mastiff, developed by the Panja kennel. The Panja Mastiffs have a reputation for being much more aggressive than the Flying W Farms breed, and less suitable for children. The Panja American Mastiff usually grows between 22 and 26 inches (56-66 cm.) and weighing from 80 to 100 pounds (36-45 kg.).

Both lines are very new with not much breed history, making them ineligible for registration in most breed registries; registries with relaxed requirements may recognize a new breed with minimal history, such as the Continental Kennel Club's recognition of the Flying W Farms line. Some critics claim that these are simply crossbred dogs or variants on the standard English Mastiff. It is not clear which line, if either, will ultimately become a solid breed known as the American Mastiff.