Molossus

The Molossus dog is a breed of dog that is now extinct. This breed has its roots in Greece, originating from the North West Mountains of ancient Greece. They were said to be the ancestors of the mastiff breed of today. This dog is also known to be the ancestor of several other dogs like the Swiss mountain dog, St. Bernard, Rottweiler. The Molossus dog is by far the best known Greco- Roman breed. This dog is an antique in some ways and was present in the early years in Greece and Rome. These dogs had an instrumental development in many modern breeds of dogs. There are scholars that consider this dog to be a fighting dog used by the ancient Greek for entertainment.

The Molossus has features that are very similar to the Mastiff breed of dogs. They were said to have nice broad muzzles. The muzzle was short and wide. They had a prominent and heavy dewlap. This breed was not very tall but had a muscular and tough body. They were used to fight various animals like tigers, elephants and even men in battle. This dog was known to be very ferocious and aggressive. There are however some scholars that say the Molossus breed of dog were lightweight and similar to a greyhound in appearance. These scholars also believe that this dog was used as a herd dog and a hunter.

This dog has been mentioned several times in history. The Molossus dog is seen in the roman copy of original Greek sculpture as a guard dog. This breed has been viewed as a vicious animal that is capable of killing. It was very hard to train these animals and they were thus used in dog fighting matches. These dogs were fearless and showed immense amounts of courage and bravery. When there were wars, these dogs were used as a part of the army. They would attack on command but were not always very disciplined. These dogs had broad sinewy features that could be daunting to others. The heavier Molossus dogs were also used for hunting purposes by the ancient Greeks.

The Molossis people that were the breeders of these dogs were renowned for their hounds that were also were vicious. The Molossus dog was a very good guard dog. Their vigour and courage was unmatched by any other dog of that time. This breed was the preferred dog to guard the flock and houses of the ancient Greeks. These dogs were praised for the superior physical strength and abilities. These dogs were very agile and able warrior animals. This breed was large and had a daunting appearance. The Molossus dog was a rather feared animal. They were not really used as house pets or for companionship. This dog was used primarily for its fighting ability. This dog is very similar in its appearance to the mastiff of today. They had a short haired coat that was easy to manage. They were very adaptable to changing weather conditions.