- Self-coloured, in all shades of fawn, from mahogany to isabella.
- Preferred: A good pigmentation
- Permissible: Limited white patches on the forechest, and the extremities of the limbs
- Mask: • Black mask: The mask is often only slightly spread out and must not invade the cranial region.
- There may be slight black shading on the skull, ears, neck and top of body.
- The nose is black. • Brown mask: (used to be called red or bistre).
- The nose is brown
- the eyerims and edges of the lips are also brown.
- There may be non-invasive brown shading
- each hair having a fawn or sandy zone and a brown zone.
- In this case the inclined parts of the body are a paler colour. • No mask: The coat is fawn: the skin appears red (also formerly called “red mask”).
- The nose can then be reddish
About the Dogue de Bordeaux
Origin: France
- Typical life span
- 5-8 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 50-64 kg
- Female
- 45-55 kg
- Height
- Male
- 60-69 cm
- Female
- 58-66 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs
- Origin
- France
- Also called
- Dogo de Burdeos
- Known hereditary risks
- 5 documented conditions, with the test for each
About
What is a Dogue de Bordeaux?
Massive, powerful French mastiff with distinctive short, wrinkled muzzle and red mask. This imposing molossoid dog combines a muscular build with a calm, loyal disposition and protective temperament.
Dogue de Bordeaux history and origins
One of the oldest French breeds and ancient molossoid type dating to 14th century. Traditionally used for guarding, pulling carts, and big game hunting. Nearly extinct after World Wars but restored by dedicated breeders and standardized in 19th century.
Dogue de Bordeaux appearance and size
Males typically weigh 50-64 kg and stand 60-69 cm at the shoulder; females 45-55 kg and 58-66 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Guard, defence and dissuasion
- Behaviour and temperament
“An ancient fighting dog, the Dogue de Bordeaux is gifted for guarding, which it assumes with vigilance and great courage but without aggressiveness. A good companion, very attached to its master and very affectionate. Calm balanced with a high stimulus threshold. The male normally has a dominant character”
Quoted from FCI standard n°116. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Guard, defence and dissuasion” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 2 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- —
- Grooming needs
- 2 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- 5 conditions documented
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Dogue de Bordeaux
What you get with the Dogue de Bordeaux
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Guard, defence and dissuasion”
- The standard describes the breed as: “An ancient fighting dog, the Dogue de Bordeaux is gifted for guarding, which it assumes with vigilance and great…”
- Low grooming needs, fitting for a busy owner — the coat is “Fine, short, and soft to the touch”
What you are taking on
- 3 serious inherited conditions are documented, mainly in heart & circulation and bones & joints. The health guide tab has the test to ask for on each.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; Dogue de Bordeaux Health Foundation of America. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Dogue de Bordeaux
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged preferred and permissible.
Coat
- Fine
- Short
- Soft to the touch
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°116 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Dogue de Bordeaux down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Severe faults
Marked heavily against a specimen in the ring.
- Disproportioned voluminous). head (too small or exaggerately
- Bulldoggy hypertype : Flat skull, muzzle measuring less than a quarter of the total length of the head. Swollen fold (roll) behind the nose. Important fold around the head. Important lateral deviation of the lower jaw. Incisors constantly visible when the mouth is closed. Very small incisors, unevenly set.
- Arched back (convex).
- Fused but not deviated vertebrae of the tail.
- Forefeet turning inwards (even slightly).
- Forefeet turning outwards too much.
- Flat thighs.
- Angle of hock too open (straight angulation).
- Angle of the hock too closed, dog standing under himself behind.
- Cow hocks or barrel hocks.
- Stilted movement or serious rolling of rear.
- Excessive shortness of breath,rasping.
- White on tip of tail or on the front part of the forelegs, above the carpus (wrist) and the tarsus (hock) or white, without interruption, on the front of the body from the forechest to the throat
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Dogue de Bordeaux in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
Health & screening guide for the Dogue de Bordeaux
Known hereditary risks for the Dogue de Bordeaux breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
5 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Heart & circulation
Dilated cardiomyopathy and subaortic stenosis
Serious
Two unrelated heart conditions — a weakened, enlarged heart muscle, and a narrowed outflow from the heart — are both described by the breed's own health foundation as leading causes of death in the breed. Neither has a genetic test.
What to ask for
No genetic test for either condition. An echocardiogram by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist is the only reliable way to check, on both parents.
Bones & joints
Hip, elbow and shoulder dysplasia
Serious
Malformation of the hip, elbow and/or shoulder joints leading to pain and early arthritis. This breed's own CHIC requirement is unusual in also requiring a shoulder evaluation, not just hips and elbows.
What to ask for
OFA hip, elbow and shoulder evaluation, on both parents
Eyes
Loose eyelids (ectropion/entropion)
MonitorInherent to the breed
The standard's amount of facial skin predisposes some dogs to eyelids that roll outward or inward, which can let in dust and hair or, if inverted, rub the cornea.
What to ask for
No test; ask whether a vet has checked both parents' eyelids.
Canine multifocal retinopathy (CMR1)
Monitor
An inherited eye condition causing raised lesions on the retina, usually visible from puppyhood. It changes the appearance of the retina but does not typically affect sight.
What to ask for
CMR1 DNA test (VMD2/BEST1 gene mutation), on both parents
Breathing
Brachycephalic airway limitation
SeriousInherent to the breed
The standard's overly short muzzle and pinched nostrils restrict airflow; the FCI's own judging guidance for this breed specifically flags forced breathing with the mouth constantly open — more pronounced wording than it uses for some other short-muzzled breeds.
What to ask for
No test; a vet check of breathing at rest and after mild exercise, especially in heat, is the only way to assess it.
How long the Dogue de Bordeaux lives, in the records
Median survival 11.1 years
95% confidence interval 10.6–11.7 years, from 1,204 recorded deaths among 3,515 dogs
Mortality hazard 1.4 (1.32, 1.48) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12.0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584,734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.
Gallery
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Puppies
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