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“Mastiff” can mean the specific breed officially called Mastiff, also known as the English Mastiff, or a broader group of mastiff-type dogs. This guide uses the broader meaning to compare 13 large breeds and types; it is a practical list, not a universal official taxonomy. To tell them apart, start with coat, skin, and body proportions rather than size alone.
At a glance: 13 mastiff-type breeds
| Breed | Most useful visual clue | Commonly confused with |
|---|---|---|
| Mastiff (English Mastiff) | Enormous, deep-bodied rectangular frame; short coat and black mask | Bullmastiff |
| Bullmastiff | Compact, athletic build, short muzzle, and black mask | Mastiff |
| Tibetan Mastiff | Dense double coat and mane-like neck ruff | Pyrenean Mastiff |
| Neapolitan Mastiff | Extreme loose skin, deep wrinkles, and pendulous jowls | Dogue de Bordeaux |
| Cane Corso | Athletic, short-coated build with comparatively tight skin | Presa Canario |
| Dogue de Bordeaux | Red or fawn coat and exceptionally broad head | Neapolitan Mastiff |
| Boerboel | Muscular South African farm-guardian build | Bullmastiff or Cane Corso |
| Pyrenean Mastiff | Long, fluffy, white-based coat with colored patches | Great Pyrenees |
| Spanish Mastiff | Massive, loose-skinned livestock guardian; less fluffy than the Pyrenean Mastiff | Pyrenean Mastiff |
| Tosa | Short-coated Japanese mastiff-type dog with a restrained, athletic outline | Cane Corso or Presa Canario |
| Perro de Presa Canario | Compact, powerful build, often brindle or fawn with a dark mask | Cane Corso |
| Dogo Argentino | Short, smooth, completely white coat and athletic hunting-dog outline | White Presa or bully-type dogs |
| Great Dane | Extremely tall, long-legged outline and narrow waist; not a true mastiff | Mastiff |
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) places several mastiff-type breeds in its “Mastiff type” subsection, while the Great Dane is listed separately. Breed standards describe ideal purebred dogs, and individual dogs or mixes may look different. A visual clue can suggest a breed, but it cannot prove one.
1. Mastiff (English Mastiff)
The breed officially called Mastiff is the giant English breed; “English Mastiff” and “Old English Mastiff” are commonly used informal names. It has a massive, rectangular, deep and broad body, heavy bone, a large square head, short coat, and black mask. The American Kennel Club (AKC) lists apricot, brindle, and fawn as accepted colors.
To tell it from a Bullmastiff, compare overall size and proportions. The Mastiff is substantially larger, longer-bodied, and heavier-boned; both may have short coats, broad heads, and black masks. The AKC’s Mastiff versus Bullmastiff comparison also emphasizes their difference in scale and build.
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2. Bullmastiff
The Bullmastiff was developed in England from Bulldog and Mastiff stock to protect gamekeepers’ estates. It is smaller and more compact than the Mastiff, with a powerful but athletic body, short muzzle, short coat, and black mask. The AKC recognizes fawn, red, and brindle; color alone does not confirm the breed.
Its square, muscular outline is a useful clue. Compared with an English Mastiff, a Bullmastiff usually looks shorter-backed and more compact.
3. Tibetan Mastiff
The Tibetan Mastiff stands out for a dense double coat and heavy mane or ruff around the neck. Its broad head, weather-resistant coat, and mountain-dog appearance distinguish it from most short-coated mastiff types. The AKC describes the breed as watchful, aloof, independent, territorial, and reserved with strangers; temperament is not a reliable way to identify an individual dog.
Compared with a Pyrenean Mastiff, the Tibetan Mastiff generally has a heavier mane and a less obviously white-based coat. The Pyrenean Mastiff usually has a white ground color with clearly defined patches. The AKC’s Tibetan Mastiff overview discusses its coat and temperament.
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The Neapolitan Mastiff is identified by abundant loose skin, deep facial wrinkles, a large pendulous dewlap, and heavy jowls. Its short coat may be black, blue, mahogany, tawny, or brindle. Its overall outline is low, massive, and heavily wrinkled rather than athletic.
The Dogue de Bordeaux also has a large head and loose lips, but the Neapolitan Mastiff typically has far more loose skin and wrinkles around the head, neck, and shoulders. The Dogue has a tighter skin outline and is commonly red or fawn.
Rank #2
5. Cane Corso
The Cane Corso is an Italian mastiff-type working dog with a short, stiff coat, athletic build, large head, alert expression, and comparatively tight skin. The AKC recognizes black, gray, fawn, red, and brindle, sometimes with a black or gray mask.
Compared with an English or Neapolitan Mastiff, a Cane Corso looks more athletic and less loose-skinned. Compared with a Presa Canario, it often has a cleaner-lined head and a slightly more elegant, long-legged outline, though cropped ears and docked tails can make visual comparisons harder.
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6. Dogue de Bordeaux (French Mastiff)
The Dogue de Bordeaux is a short-coated, red-to-fawn mastiff with a massive head, deeply furrowed brow, and undershot jaw. Its combination of coat color, broad head, short muzzle, and stocky body is a useful identification clue.
It may be confused with the Neapolitan Mastiff because both have large heads and loose lips. The Neapolitan usually has substantially more loose skin and wrinkles; the Dogue’s skin outline is tighter.
7. Boerboel (South African Mastiff)
The Boerboel was developed as a South African farm guardian. It has a short, dense coat, broad head, powerful neck and shoulders, and a muscular but functional outline. The AKC recognizes colors including brown, brindle, cream, reddish brown, red, and fawn, with some markings permitted under its standard.
Compared with a Bullmastiff, a Boerboel usually looks more substantial through the body and more like a farm guardian. Since both can be fawn or brindle with a black mask, body proportions and head shape are more helpful than color alone.
8. Pyrenean Mastiff
The Pyrenean Mastiff is a very large, long-coated livestock guardian with a predominantly white coat and colored patches, often including a mask. Its fluffy coat, feathering, and plumed tail make it look larger than a short-coated dog of similar weight. The FCI describes it as a Spanish breed historically used to defend livestock against predators.
It can be confused with the Great Pyrenees, another large white mountain guardian. The Pyrenean Mastiff is generally heavier-boned, more mastiff-like in head and muzzle, and commonly has prominent colored patches; the Great Pyrenees is typically cleaner-lined and more uniformly white.
9. Spanish Mastiff
The Spanish Mastiff is a giant Spanish livestock guardian with a very large frame, loose skin, pronounced dewlap, broad head, and relatively short-to-medium coat. It is seen in colors such as fawn, brindle, black, wolf-gray, or patched patterns, though permitted colors depend on the registry standard.
Compared with the Pyrenean Mastiff, the Spanish Mastiff normally looks less fluffy and less white-based. Coat length and ground color are more useful clues than size alone.
10. Tosa (Japanese Mastiff)
The Tosa is a Japanese mastiff-type breed recognized by the FCI in its “Mastiff type” subsection. It has a short coat, large head, strong neck, substantial bone, and a restrained, athletic outline rather than the extreme wrinkles of a Neapolitan Mastiff or the exaggerated head of a Dogue de Bordeaux. Red is common, but coat color alone is not diagnostic.
The FCI lists Japan as the breed’s country of origin. Its short coat and powerful but comparatively athletic build help distinguish it from the heaviest mastiffs.
Rank #4
11. Perro de Presa Canario
The Perro de Presa Canario is a Spanish mastiff-type breed from the Canary Islands. It has a compact, muscular body, broad head, short coat, and powerful but agile appearance. Brindle and fawn are common, often with a dark mask.
Compared with a Cane Corso, the Presa Canario often appears heavier and more compact, with a broader, squarer head and more substantial neck. The Cane Corso generally has a more athletic, slightly longer-legged outline. Cropped ears, docked tails, conditioning, and mixed ancestry can blur the distinction.
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The Dogo Argentino is a mastiff-type working dog, but not a “true mastiff” in the narrow sense. Developed in Argentina as a big-game hunting dog, it is muscular and athletic, with a short, smooth, completely white coat. The AKC standard permits a dark patch near one eye if it does not cover more than 10 percent of the head.
Its all-white coat and hunting-dog outline help distinguish it from a white Presa or other broad-headed dog. A white coat and broad head alone do not establish that a dog is a Dogo Argentino.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.13. Great Dane
The Great Dane appears on some popular mastiff-type lists, but it is not a true mastiff breed in the narrow classification. Its extreme height, long legs and neck, deep chest, narrow waist, and relatively elegant outline make it easy to distinguish from the broad, heavy-boned Mastiff.
AKC-recognized colors include fawn, brindle, black, blue, harlequin, mantle, merle, and white. Compared with a Mastiff, the Great Dane is much taller and longer-legged, with a less massive head.
How to identify a mastiff-type dog reliably
- Start with the coat. A dense mane suggests a Tibetan Mastiff; a long, fluffy, white-based coat suggests a Pyrenean Mastiff; a short, completely white coat is characteristic of the Dogo Argentino. A red or fawn coat combined with an exceptionally broad head can suggest a Dogue de Bordeaux, but color alone is not proof.
- Check the amount of loose skin. Extreme wrinkles and hanging jowls point toward a Neapolitan Mastiff. A tighter, athletic outline is more typical of the Cane Corso, Boerboel, Tosa, or Dogo Argentino.
- Compare proportions, not just weight. The Mastiff is deep-bodied and rectangular, the Bullmastiff is more compact, and the Great Dane is dramatically taller and longer-legged.
- Be cautious about cropped ears and docked tails. These can remove useful identifying features and make unrelated mastiff-type dogs look alike. Age, sex, conditioning, coat, and camera angle also affect apparent size and shape.
- Do not identify a mixed-breed dog by appearance alone. Breed standards describe ideal purebred dogs, not every individual. Documented pedigree information is more reliable than visual guessing.
FAQ
What is the difference between a Mastiff and a mastiff-type dog?
Mastiff is the name of a specific breed, also commonly called the English Mastiff. “Mastiff-type” is a broader practical label for dogs with a large, heavy-boned molosser build; it is not a universal official breed list.
How can I tell an English Mastiff from a Bullmastiff?
Compare overall size and proportions. The Mastiff is substantially larger, longer-bodied, and heavier-boned, while the Bullmastiff is more compact and athletic. Both can have short coats and black masks.
Which mastiff-type breed has the most wrinkles?
The Neapolitan Mastiff is the clearest match for extreme loose skin, deep wrinkles, and pendulous jowls. The Dogue de Bordeaux also has facial folds, but usually a tighter skin outline.
Is a Great Dane a mastiff?
The Great Dane is sometimes included in popular mastiff-type lists, but it is not a true mastiff breed in the narrow classification. Its height and long-legged, relatively elegant outline set it apart from the heavier Mastiff.
Can you identify a mastiff mix by appearance?
Not reliably. Coat, wrinkles, head shape, and proportions may suggest possibilities, but mixed-breed dogs can fall outside typical breed appearances. Documented pedigree information is more useful than a visual guess.
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