Mastiff Proper

Herodotos tells us of the tale of the Mastiffs the King of Albania gives the Cyrus, leader of the Persian Army in 550B.C. Cryus matched the first Mastiff to a Persian dog and then a bull, but the Mastiff was meek, so Cyrus had it killed. The king of Albania was angry, but sent one more with a message that Mastiffs were no ordinary cur, that it should be matched to a worthy opponent such as a tiger or an elephant. Cyrus matched the Mastiff to an elephant and she nearly killed it. This may be a tall tale, but it gives clear indication of the nature of Mastiffs.
When the game bred APBT turns head from a cur, refusing to fight it, or even from one's livestock, there is no question it will fight an attacking preditor. Ofcourse, this type of work is best suited by those Mastiffs used for this funtion, such as the Alanos of Spain found working cattle in the countryside, as well as old type Bulldogs still found on farms in the South of USA.
"Do you have cows?' he asked me. When I said, no,' he asked why I would want to breed these dogs. This is a common view," Mike says. "In Italy, this breed is thought of as a utility dog. Most farmers consider them as purley working dogs and can't imagine why else anyone would own them."
Michael Sottile
Montgomery Alabama
the Cane Corso