Assyrian Mastiff

The Assyrian Mastiff, was a landrace of dog found in Assyria. This dog was often used as a livestock guardian against predators, as well as for lion and wild horse-hunting. The modern Assyrian Shepherd may be a descendant of the Assyrian mastiff.
The name is most likely derived from the images of this type of dog that appear in Assyrian and other Mesopotamian reliefs dating from the 10th to 6th century BCE Neo-Assyrian Empire.

History

It is assumed the Assyrian mastiff had their ancestors in the region between India and Persia where they were domesticated and used as hunting dogs. Several mastiff type figures of the Assyrian era around 2000 BC were discovered with carved-in names such as "Consume his life", "Don't stop to think, bite", and "Catcher of the hostile one". More Assyrian relics depicting dogs can be found from between 1000 and 650 BC.

Description

In 1886, M.B. Wynn described the ancient Assyrian's clay tablet's depictions of the Assyrian Mastiff: